Submitted by Chris Nease from
celebrationsathome.blogspot.com
What is one of the central focal points of any celebration? That’s right, the Food! Of course you have a Guest of Honor, and maybe presents or activities, but really who can’t wait for the buffet line to open up and get their share?! With that in mind I would like to encourage you to continue your decorating elements on to your food buffet. Here are some tips to do just that.
Use pretty and colorful placemats, papers, or fabrics to line the table. You can get so many beautifully designed scrapbook papers to place under your serving dishes to add a pop of color or carry your theme through. You can lay them out like a runner or place them in a more random pattern. You could also use the papers to line white serving platters where you place small finger foods on top. Likewise a single runner of unfinished fabric can give the same look placed under or around serving dishes. Just tuck the edges under to create that puddled effect.
Use some creative serving ideas. Place a serving bowl of pasta salad into an urn to serve it with some height and interest. You can even place some ice in the urn to keep the salad chilled. This look would work great for an Old-World Italian or French theme, as well as a Garden Party theme. We have also used a flower-shaped garden knee pad under serving dishes. The flower theme comes through and the pad is great for setting warm dishes on, to protect the table. Also try a disc of cut wood found at craft stores, large tropical leaves, a round captains wheel or life preserver, mirror discs. The list is endless. Anything that is relatively flat and stable that you can set a dish into would work.
Embelish your serving pieces. You can do this by using wired butterflies or birds, ribbon, rub-on transfers, adhesive shapes or words, DIY food picks. For instance if you have a dish with handles or a tiered plate stand, you can wrap wired butterflies around the handle for a Spring or Summer party. You could decorate serving utensils by placing an adhesive gem to the handle. Custom food picks are easy to create with toothpicks, some tape or glue, paper, and any embelishments to follow your theme. Also use pretty paper to line serving trays and cake pedestals.
All of these ideas are easy to create and really add to the party experience. Look around the house for items to incorporate, and shop the scrapbook isle for inexpensive decorative items. You will give your guests a culinary and visual treat! For more ideas on entertaining, check out www.celebrationsathome.blogspot.com.
