Here's an idea that came to me last night as I was drifting off to sleep: You know all those Christmas catalogs that show up in your mail box? And you know how you have to plan where to set the hot dinner rolls and other hot dishes to keep from ruining your tablecloth on Christmas?
Put the two of them together! I haven't tried it yet, but why not wrap a catalog with a cloth, fasten it with tape and use it for a hotpad? Or maybe you could find a way to use part of the colorful pages without it looking like you just plopped an old catalog on the table! Ideas? I'd love to hear them.
A couple of other tips for the Christmas table:
If you don't have enough matching cloth napkins for your guests, mix two sets and stack them for a buffet or divide them evenly for a table setting. For instance, put a red one at the first place, then a green one at the next, a red one at the next, etc. Stack them for a buffet in the same way. People will think you went to a little extra effort to make your presentation cheerful.
If you don't have a big enough table cloth when the leaves are added, use a bed sheet or even a lightweight bed spread. If it's too big, fold it to fit. With the colors and types of sheets and spreads, no one will know the difference.
Smart!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of multiple colored napkins! Why should I go buy something else that will take up space in my house that I will only use once or twice a year!
ReplyDeleteAnd that will cost you money, annie. :)
ReplyDeleteYears ago (maybe 55) my mother tied old phone books together, put them in a pillowcase and used it as a booster seat for my sister. So, catalogs bound together, covered with maybe a yard sale Christmas dish towel ? Sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteI only buy cloth napkins and placemats in the following colors - white, beige, green, red, yellow, and blue. They can be combined, colorwise for any holiday. Bellen
Good idea on the napkins, Bellen. Phone books were boosters for my kids, too, and many others. Most of the catalogs I've seen would provide enough padding alone, but it should be simple enough to bundle them if needed.
ReplyDeleteFor years I have used two or more phone books held together with duct tape and covered with a baby blanket as a 'booster' seat for the children who come to my house for dinner...Works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteI do not know why in the world a catlog would not work as a hot pad. Seems like a good idea to me.
I have mixed and matched my napkins for years. I look to buy a few new ones when I can get them at a bargin price. I think different patterns look good together. (I am a quilter and I love to mix patterns)
I also use a flannel sheet with a Christmas pattern on it as a table cover for my huge 80in round table. It is a folding table, by Lifetime, that only comes out at Thanksgiving and Christmas..Roxie Meiske