Entertaining with fine linens, china, and silver is really a lost art. I think that’s why it’s so easy to find this stuff at yard sales and thrift stores. People don’t want to iron their napkins and polish their flatware. They want things to be disposable, microwaveable, dishwasher safe and no fuss. Entertaining this way doesn’t have to be fussy or high maintenance and it tells the people you’re serving that they’re worth the extra effort. So, get out your dinnerware sets, place mats, and dust off that dining room table. I’m going to share some of my tips for making a beautiful place setting.
I must admit, it’s nice if you have a lot of pretty things to work with. I have a bit of an illness when it comes to buying hospitality related items. It’s gotten much better and I’m in recovery, but a relapse can happen at any time. If you have 1970’s Pyrex and cheap silverware, you’re going to have a tough time setting a pretty table, but don’t dismay. Pretty things can be found in unlikely places.
I bought the majority of my dishes and linens at yard sales and thrift stores. Since setting a pretty table is a lost art, people want to unload things that need to be polished and ironed. I have found sterling silver flatware mixed into the grab bins at thrift stores for a dime a piece. I’ve even bought ironstone plates and monogrammed linens at thrift stores for practically nothing. Just keep a look out for something that catches your eye and don’t be afraid to mix and match. Just stick to styles and colors that are going to work well together.
When you’re setting a place, start with the place mat, dinner plate and primary flatware.
Add on additional plates and all of the fancy schmancy flatware pieces. Don’t panic if you don’t put the proper utensil in its rightful place. Gone are the days of being outed from your social circle for such an egregious error. Relax. Just put them where it looks right to you.
Then layer on the napkin, cups, glasses, etc. Now, you must understand that when you set a table like this, your guests are going to freak out when they sit down. “Can I really use this cloth napkin?” “Will I be outed from this social circle if I use my dessert fork for my salad?” Tell your guests what you’re doing and remind them to just have fun with it. They can use whatever fork or spoon they want for whatever dish. Invite them to enjoy the luxury of using a new fork for each part of the meal and relish the fact that their plate doesn’t have “Dixie” stamped on it.
Setting out a separate cup for coffee lets your guests know it’s going to be available and will more than likely accompany dessert. It also lets them know you’re in no rush. And don’t be shy to use soup bowls for a fruit salad or coffee cups for a side dish. Just be creative.
Play with all of the plates and flatware you own to get an idea of all of the different looks you can create. You can make napkin rings and place card holders out of a variety of household items, so don’t feel limited if you don’t own those things.
Mix and match and see what looks good to you and fits the occasion or season.
My advice to you as you’re collecting dishes and linens is to stick with white primarily and then add punches of color through “accent” plates, cups, napkins, and rings. That way, you’re not limited by plum or red dishes. It’s also a trick that food looks tastier on white plates.
Next time you have some guests for dinner, try setting a table that would’ve been the envy of your bridge club if you were a 1950’s housewife. Or maybe just surprise your family and treat them to elegant dining at home.
This may be a lost art, but let your home be the exception.
My 2000 follower giveaway is still running and you have a better chance of winning that than the lottery, so go ahead and put your name in the hat. Random.org may be smiling upon you.
A correction – the name my silver pattern is actually Kirk Repousse.
Stieff Rose is very similar, but not this pattern.
46 Responses
"relish the fact that their plate doesn't have Dixie stamped on it"….Hilarious!! I love it.
I too believe in using beautiful things to eat off of. Even when my kids were little I refused to use paper plates. I love pretty dishes, linen napkins and vintage silver. Many people think this is a costly thing to do but I always remind everyone that I am the Queen of cheap and it's all a matter of watching for pretty things at tag sales and thrift stores. Buy things even if it's one at a time and before you know it you'll have more than enough to set a beautiful table.
Over the years I have picked up any vintage linen napkin when I see it for a good price (like 10 cents or no more than 50 cents) I have bought some sets of four and eight for as little as a dollar for the whole set. Recently as I was unpacking my things and putting things away in my kitchen, I washed all my linen nakpins and when I was folding them (and when I say fold I mean fold in half and lay in a basket…EASY) I counted 85! I couldn't believe I had accumulated that many. Once you have enough it's easy to use every day.
Your settings are beautiful and I appreciate that they can be done for very little expense which in this economy makes them even more beautiful.
Nice work Divine Miss M!
BRAVO! Kudos to you Miss Mustard Seed! I loved this tutorial. Very classy! I think I'll follow your advice! 😉
Hi Again, Miss M:
I love all your table settings…to me, setting a lovely table is a form of graciousness and respect to the special people in your life you are serving a meal to. I also think creative table setting is fun…I remember Sunday dinners at 1:00pm in the afternoon and it was family and a little more formal as we set the table with special pieces.
I speak to people in my shop about how things have changed and what people do and don't do anymore. I guess I just have an old soul.
I've started gluing fine china saucers (plates, etc. also)to old cut glass, etc. candle stick holders, mainly for the idea of becoming a candle holder for my sand candles. Then I thought it would be lovely at a dinner party for the dessert dish as a cup cake holder or a melon holder for the beginning of the dinner. I showed one person and they said, "Amazing! Good for the candles, but who does that any more? Where would you store them and you can't put them in the dishwasher!" I felt like asking her to put her pin away and quit popping my balloon!"
Anyway, I'm coming to your house for dinner and you can come to mine. And when I come to yours, could you use that adorable napkin holder with the little girl on my place setting? LOL!
Cheers, Karen
Love it!!
I concur..
Bravo! Kudos!
love the simplicity of the elegance..
I do this frequently..
just because..
hubs plays along, humoring me..
but he loves it too!
warm sandy hugs,,
Loui♥
Great post, it gives me a lot to think about. This is something I am wanting to do more often… and not just for company!
A BEAUTIFUL post and an equally beautiful tablesetting. Don't we all just need to slow down and enjoy more 🙂
Blessings!
Gail
Absolutely love…thanks for sharing and inspiring!!!
I love this! I just splurged on nice dinnerware! But I am not this fancy! How do you know what is the good stuff to buy though? How do we know its not cheapo crap? haha =)
Do people really use paper plates for dinner and eat off them every day??? Thats weird! (Sorry if you do this of course) it is so wasteful! I have always had hand me down plates and bowls but I have always used them for every meal! No paper plates or utensils in this house!
What a lovely post and styled so beautifully as always. I too have picked up so many pretty dishes, flatware and serving pieces for pennies on the dollar. My 1938 silver plated flatware (service for eight w/serving pieces and even iced teaspoons!) was found in a shoebox at a garage sale for just $10. It was completely black, but I took a chance and it polished up beautifully. I found my daughter's English white ironstone service for 12 plus all the extras for $40 at an estate sale. She loves it. You are so right about taking the time for guests to set a beautiful table!
I've always enjoyed formal dinnerware and settings, and wasn't aware it was a lost art…although, I haven't seen young brides registering for the stuff lately. Apparently you're right. But even if it's just my own family, they are always happy and grateful for the extra effort that setting a beautful table presents.
Your table setting is beautiful.
At our house we always use tablecloth and fabric napkins, I do complain about changing them (a lot of spilling!) but I enjoy the feel and quality. We also do not use any kind of paper product, I like nice dishes but most of the time dishwasher friendly!
Are you a reader of "Fancy Nancy", she would totally approve!
Stunning! I love looking at pretty place settings and you most certainly do it up right.
However, I'm no longer a kitchen person. I'd rather be sawing and hammering wood out back. Last night we went out to eat so I could saw and pound just a little bit longer. 🙂
I think my love for grand dining left the day I had to do it all. You can only spread yourself so thin. So I let the kitchen go, much to my hungry growing boy's dismay. I'm most certain he dreams of having a chef mom rather than a DIYer!
Donna
Twenty-eight years as an Air Force officer's wife and four foreign postings gave me lots of experience at tables around the world. It really is a lost art – setting a beautiful table. We're invited to three weddings this summer and in each case the young couple has 'registered' for contributions to a honeymoon. I predict that the days of easily finding silver, china and linen at thrift stores will end when these couples discover entertaining and realize that they don't have as much as a wedding gift berry spoon to their name.
Gorgeous! Makes me want to invest in some gorgeous dinnerware!
Hi Miss Mustard,
I couldn't agree more. In fact it's fun to mix beautiful dinnerware with simple glassware. Thank goodness the days are gone when we might have been banned from social circles for using the wrong fork. Thanks for inspiring me to get out some of my pretties for that next dinner party.
Karen@Garden, Home and Party
Amen, sister! I don't think I knew what a paper napkin was until I saw them in the high school cafeteria. My mother would never dream of using disposable anything and I'm the same way. We enjoy entertaining together and sharing our table setting pieces. My husband grew up in a disposable household and thanks me every day for making him feel special enough for "real" tableware. I can't blame my MIL, though. She has three rambunctious boys who probably would have broken every piece of her wedding china. It was never used – not even once! Lucky for me, she gave it to me when we married and I use it along with my grandmother's set and bits and pieces I have found at tag sales all the time. Thank you for the reminder that gracious living IS worth the effort – maybe now more then ever.
This is what we call "Using our Steel plates". My husband's uncle used to call china plates steel plates so we say "What do you feel like eating on?" With the reply "Steel plates!"
What a lovely post. I am hosting my book club this month and our book is Persuasion by Jane Austen. I plan on hosting a tea with real china, silver and linens. I have tons of beautiful transferware that I've picked up at local flea markets (I LOVE European flea markets). I can't wait until book club.
I can remember my Mother using her fine china, crystal and silverware everyday. She always said it was meant to be used and not put away in a cabinet and brought out at Christmas.
I try to set a pretty table for my family and guests. I love to do it.
Your settings are so pretty.
hugs
Sissie
Yeeeeeeeeeup! My hubby likes it when I take the time to do this. I just sometimes need a kick in the pants!
Stieff Rose? That's my pattern, and my mom's, so I now have many place settings. We use it everyday. Good china too, but my kids don't. Even after growing up with good things they barely sit at a table! Real cloth place mats, napkins and silver napkin rings …that's why washers and "Shout" were invented. Real plates for parties as well. Just got 16 more glass plates for $4! Cheaper than paper.
What beautiful place settings! I love the idea of using the "good" dishes and silverware everyday too!
I think it makes everyone feel special and makes the meal that much more appetizing!!
Thanks for the reminder
Hugs
SueAnn
Your post said it so well. I love serving crowds on my china, mixing and matching. I enjoy people using the cloth napkins, I always toss them in the washer and dryer and they come out lovely. Our American society has gotten so far away from social graciousness. Would you mind if I linked this post on a post on my blog?
My daughter is getting married in October in our backyard. We're expecting 150 people. For the reception, we've been hoarding white dishes from thrift stores and yard sales to use. All of the patterns are different but they look nice together. After the wedding, my daughters and I will divy up the dishes and we'll be ready to entertain 50 people each.
Hi MM,
I just posted my table and chairs. People are talking about you. One lady said you were the inspiration for her outdoor chairs.
Thank you again for all of the GOOD STUFF you do.
Kelly
Right On. I have used my Mikasa china every day for years. I never use paper. Ever. I like to wash dishes. I have been using cloth napkins fo about two years and like the feel of them. I wash clothes all the time. What are a few napkins added to the bunch?
olive
Why do we always save things for special occassions? The funny thing is our family is so large when altogether that we then opt for paper plates! LOL Love all the table settings.
You're so right, no one uses the good stuff anymore! As if it's an effort!
I set a table with my 120 year old water goblets and Marie Antoinette champagnes, and a guest was horrified that I was USING them!
What are you saving them for exactly?
Your table setting are wonderful. I also love to pick up pieces at flea markets or thrift stores that I can mix and match. I do have to admit I only pull out the fancy china and crystal for company and special occassions. I think the reason is because it all has to be hand washed!
xo, Sherry
Love this post. I have always used white dishes and always will. Everything looks good on them. And all colors of accessories go with them! And there are so many fun white dishes!
When I was in junior high a lady at our church offered a class in table setting and I just LOVED it! It was great. Earlier this year I hosted a tea party where we used our dainty tea cups and I now have a plastic storage box labeled "tea party" with doilies, table linens and decor for just such an event.
I really, really, loved this post.
I love pretty tableware too and have gotten some beautiful stuff at Goodwill, Thrift stores, etc. Just last week, I found some lovely linens on sale half price at a local thrift store. Your pictures were beautiful. Love your blue/turquoise china. Love & blessings from NC!
I couldn't agree more – love your beautiful settings.
Beautiful table settings, and you are so right, It is a lost art. Too much hurry, hurry. Jackie
what a beautiful post…. we use china plates everyday. that's the only thing my kids know. of course i have prettier, more delicate sets i use for special occasions. i also love pretty linens, old tablecloths, china, teasets, silverware….. thanks for the beautiful pictures!!
btw, could you please tell me the name and make of the china? someone else called it Steiff Rose. who makes it? thanks 🙂
Hi. Thanks for sharing this lost art.
I love using the fancy stuff.
~ Julie
Steiff Rose is the pattern of the silver. The floral bowl is by KPM and called Royal Ivory. I found the teal rimmed set in my grandparent's attic. It belonged to my great grandmother and was monogrammed with her initials. It is marked Hutschenreuther and is signed WGR and dated 1924. I have not been able to find this pattern online, so if anyone knows any more about it, I would appreciate you sharing! 🙂
I love to use my old linens and dishes…but whenever I do, everyone at the table acts uncomfortable with all of the nice things. I just keep doing it anyway 🙂
I too love to "set" the table. I think it shows love in action 🙂
Very pretty, as always.
I was collecting pretty antique dinnerware for quite some time. But concerns were brought to my attention which have caused me to buy new pieces instead.
I was told never to use old porcelain because any cracks could fester bacteria or hold dangerous agents they may have been exposed to over their many years of storage "trash" status. It was also brought to my attention that there may be a lead content in paints and finishes on the dinnerware and silverware which is regulated now, but was not previously.
Is there a way to "know" which pieces are safe?
I find myself only buying new pieces with an old "feel" just to be on the safe side. Not the same, but I tend to be overly cautious with 5 little ones eating off the dinnerware.
Linda,
Yes, I totally agree that you need to be careful. The blue/green dishes pictured are almost 90 years old and very delicate, so I don't use those. I use the china that was my mom's wedding gift, so it's only about 35 years old and it's made by Lenox.
I would never use old bowls for food perparation, either, because the glaze to contain lead.
I have heard that cracks can house bacteria, so I would advise not using china that is crack or chipped for food service or perparation. You can always use these pieces as accents or with a clear glass plate on top.
I so agree. I love setting a pretty table and pulling out all the best I have. Love your flatware and tablesettings! Beautiful!
Nancy
Love this post! I find gorgeous , pristine table linens at my Salvation Macy's on a weekly basis. Most are straight from the dry cleaners with tags still attached…for $1.99!!! Your right about people not wanting to be bothered with the upkeep. I will gladly take them off their hands. I'm a table linen, tableware and silver setting junkie! Many years ago my 92 year old Aunt gave me her silver service because I was the only girl in the family with the same last name initial 'M' and these were all monogramed. They were beautiful! They sat in a fancy box for years and then one day I thought to myself "why am I saving these for just special occasions?" I decided everyday with family and friends was a special occasion. They are now my daily service and I love setting my table with my gorgeous silver. Makes every meal special.
Thanks for the tips on working with old painted doors . I just inherited some 100 year old windows. Will be uses your advice.
Janet xox
Enjoyed this post so much! Thanks for inspiring me to use my beautiful things and my grandmother's silver!! Polished that stuff and it's been in a box for five years! My son won't know what to think but then again he's getting used to home cook meals after years of eating out too!