As we introduce the latest feature in our “Be Our Guest” blog series, we are excited to welcome Mary Hollis Huddleston, also known as Mrs. Southern Social, to our table. Mary is a talented and delightful table-setting expert, as well as a gracious hostess who knows how to make every moment special. Get ready to be inspired as Mary shares her holiday Table tips, perfect for infusing your Christmas gatherings with warmth and charm!
I always love working with linens from Solino Home, but their new collections this fall were especially inspiring. I love the more rustic vibe that seems to be very popular this year, so I immediately gravitated to their Windowpane collection. I started with the Windowpane Tablecloth in red found here, and I paired it with the Windowpane Napkins in dark green found here. They offer various sizes in all their linens along with additional options like placemats and table runners, so you can mix and match whatever linens you prefer to use on your tables.
The pop of red from the tablecloth is perfect for a holiday table, and my (now vintage) Christamas Tree plates from Paris looked right at home with the linen selection. In keeping with the rustic theme, I used my Natural Bone Stainless Steel Flatware from the Southern Living Collection at Dillards (found here), and my copper tumblers that you can still find here. The Red Ribbon Drinking Glasses are new from Pottery Barn and can be found here. They are made with recycled glass, so they feel more natural and work well with the tablescape. The woven chargers (another natural texture) help break-up the red tablecloth from the red-rimmed plates, and can be found here.
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Fete Papier created the custom chic menu cards and place cards that help modernize the table and add in a touch of whimsy. I’m always thrilled with the end result when I use her paper goods. The beautiful flower arrangements are from Lillian’s Floral Studio, and as always, they never disappoint. They kept their arrangements lose and included rustic greenery to help tie in with everything else on the table. I absolutely love how this holiday porch party table turned out!
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For the base tablecloth, I used the Madison Stripe Tablecloth found here. It comes in various sizes, and if you want to change up the width of your stripes, Solino Home offers even more red and white striped options for you to choose from. To ground the plates and break up all the stripes, I used their Classic Hemstitch placemats in red, found here. (The striped dinner plates are vintage). And to make my Christmas tree napkin fold, I used their Classic Hemstitch napkins in garden green (found here) as they are the perfect size and weight to create elaborate napkin folds. Square, linen napkins are best for most napkin folds, and their napkins make it easier to get the desired outcome. I’ve included a step-by-step guide on how to recreate this Christmas tree fold yourself below!
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The only real candy canes I included on this table are used to make a darling place card holder. These are very easy to make, since all you do is stand up three WRAPPED candy canes and then tie the top ends together with ribbon. It might take a bit of maneuvering to achieve the perfect balance, but there’s really not much to it other than making sure you used wrapped candy canes, so they don’t melt on your table or stick to your place cards. I’ve sourced the other items on the tables below, and I hope this table inspires you to create your very own cheery tablescape this holiday season!
Flowers: Lilian’s Floral Studio
Photography: Lele Fain Photo
We’d like to thank Mary for her stunning holiday table setting as we welcome the festive spirit of Christmas!
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You can find us here: Solino Home and Mrs. Southern Social. You can also visit Mary here.
