The idea of “imperfect hospitality” is something that you hear about often these days. In the time of perfectly curated Instagram photos of lavish dinner parties and extravagant get-togethers, it’s becoming ever more popular to embrace going back to the simplicity of it all. The idea is that you can still host a beautiful gathering, but don’t let the beauty overshadow the meaning behind it – people, connections, relationships. Those are the things that truly matter, those are the things that your guests will remember as they think back on their evening, those are the things that last.
I love the idea of hosting people in my home (even though I currently live at home with my parents), and it’s so easy to fall into the comparison trap of wanting it to look like what you’re seeing in the perfectly styled Instagram photos and Pinterest feeds. But I’m convinced that it is absolutely doable to host a beautiful gathering without breaking the bank to impress your guests!
My mom and I put together five different holiday place settings using only completely affordable items to share just how easy, and FUN, it can be to entertain on a budget! Just use your thrifty skills and some creativity!
Almost all of the place settings we made used a woven jute placemat that we found at Ikea for three dollars a piece! We grabbed a set of six when we saw them, and it was one of the best purchases we’ve made! They’re completely versatile – style them right, and you can use them all year round! The red and cream stripe tea towel that we used was also from Ikea and they were three for four dollars. They also came in blue/cream and green/cream (and of course we grabbed those, too).
Several of our items were from Hobby Lobby including the buffalo check napkins (we have a set of six) and the red charger plates! Items like these can be picked up at Hobby Lobby pretty much year-round, almost always on sale, and sometimes on super clearance! If I have time, I love to pop into Hobby Lobby whenever I can to just browse through the seasonal decor, clearance, and tableware areas to see if there’s anything I can use
The white embossed dishes that we used for a couple of styles are from the Pioneer Woman for Walmart collection. We have these white dishes as well as her daily colorful bowls and the Christmas dishes she launched last year, and I LOVE them all! They’re so fun and people always ask where they’re from!
The Christmas tree dishes are some of my favorites – they’re the Christmastime pattern by Nikko. They don’t make them anymore, but you can still find them on Ebay or resale places for a pretty reasonable price. These dishes have been a Christmas staple ever since I can remember, so I love getting to use them whenever we can! And lastly, our little details! My mom made the Joy wood slice ornament for her shop, Art and Soul and the mini boxwood wreath is from one of my favorite local shops, Euna Mae’s!
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