How I Created A Red White and Blue Tablescape on a Budget
The next few months are all about cooking outdoors and red, white and blue since most of the patriotic holidays are between May and September. I am so excited to show you how I created a red, white and blue tablescape on a budget.
Every other month, my dinner club friends and I host a virtual dinner party. We love creating themed parties and sharing our tablescapes and menus with you!
If you missed last months tablescape you should check out my Peachy Summer Tablescape and the recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Peach Sauce.
Also, I created a fun Garden Inspired Tablescape for a birthday brunch that you might enjoy. And a recipe for easy carrot muffins and a creative way to serve them.
Since we are going for a patriotic theme, I decided to scour my house for things I already had that I could use.
I had to think outside the box a bit, since I don’t have lot of color in my home. I did purchase a few things, but I did my shopping mostly at thrift stores and the dollar store.
red, white and blue place settings
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For the place settings, I used a flag in place of a charger or place mat. I purchased 12″ x 18″ flags at Walmart, and placed them under my plate. I draped it over the edge of the table, so more of the flag could be seen.
Next, I layered red, white and blue plates, starting with a large white dinner plate.
I topped the dinner plate with a blue transferware plate that is slightly smaller.
The next layer is a fluted edge salad plate, topped with a red transferware saucer.
All of my plates are thrifted with the exception of the blue and white transferware plates that were my great grandmothers. However, I often see the blue and white pattern transferware at thrift stores and estate sales.
You can create a similar look with a festive paper plate if you don’t happen to have red or blue pattern plates. I have linked some really cute options I found, at the bottom of this post.
For a napkin, I chose blue bandanas.
I wrapped them around my silverware and stood them inside my favorite clear thrifted glasses.
I thought it would make the tablescape a bit more fun and casual instead of putting them beside each plate.
And my last addition, and probably my favorite, was scrabble tiles at each place setting with a patriotic word.
I have been buying scrabble games at thrift stores for years and I use the tiles for so many different things.
red, white and blue centerpiece
This is where I had to get creative, since I don’t have a lot of red or blue decor.
Deciding what to use for a base to my centerpiece was a challenge.
I didn’t really want a typical table runner or a tablecloth, since I was trying to keep this very casual.
I remembered I had purchased a blue and white checked rug at an estate sale last summer, so that became the starting point of my centerpiece.
When I was digging through my July 4th decor I also found a navy rug with white stars that I had completely forgotten about.
I put the checked rug on an angle and placed the star rug on top of it, at a different angle, and love how the patterns worked together and also worked with my flag placemats.
Next, I went digging through my vintage books and found a couple with a blue binding, and one of them actually had a title about stars.
The two of them stacked in the center of the table made a great riser for my focal point piece.
I have a few vintage baseballs I bought a few years ago at a thrift store, and my husband had a few since he grew up playing baseball and also played in college.
I decided to use those in a clear glass bowl for the main centerpiece. I mean, does anything scream Summer, like baseball??
A few small flags that I picked up at a thrift store last summer were tucked in and I finished it off with a few sparklers.
You have to have sparklers for a patriotic tablescape, don’t you think??
On either side of the baseball centerpiece, I placed potted plants that have tiny white flowers, which I already had.
And my last piece was a cute blue patterned berry basket that I bought on a recent trip to Magnolia in Waco, Texas. Filled with cherries, it will be a great snack for guests until dinner is ready!
This patriotic table would be perfect for Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day gatherings.
I hope you enjoyed seeing how I created a red, white and blue tablescape on a budget!
If you make a patriotic tablescape, I would love to hear. I love reading your comments and questions!
Are you planning something fun for the upcoming Memorial Day holiday??
blessings,
Be sure and check out all the other amazing and creative tables, by clicking the links below the photos.
If you liked this post, be sure and Pin It to remember it….
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Michele,
As usual, you knocked it out of the park with your all American table. I loved the baseballs centerpiece and well everything.
Aww, you are always so kind Rachel! Your table was amazing, as well!
Michele I love your vintage red white and blue setting! What a great idea! It looks so beautiful! xoxo
Thank you so much Stacy! I am loving doing this dinner club with you!
Everything is so beautiful, Michele. I love all of the gorgeous layers you created, and the addition of the scrabble tiles is such a fun and creative touch!
Thanks so much Jen! I love doing these creative tablescapes with you ladies!
OMG Michele, I’m not sure what I love more the flag placemats…the baseball centerpiece…the star rug as a table runner…or…there are so many fun & creative details. Pinned!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that AnnMarie! I love doing these tablescapes with you ladies!
Michelle I wish I had just a tenth of the talent you have this is amazing love love love
Aww, that is SO sweet for you to say! I truly appreciate it and so glad you enjoyed the post!
How cute is that! Love how your table turned out! Thanks for sharing! ❤️
So glad you like it!! I appreciate your kind words!
Love your ideas! The table looks great.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
Thanks so much for following along.
Love this, really a nice job, and a little different, My fav. The sparklers are a great idea, but hard to see in the photo, what if you gathered them them in a bunch with a ribbon?
Good idea, thanks! It was very hard to get a photo of the sparklers since it wasn’t dark.
I appreciate you following along and commenting!!
Cute, but doesn’t feel right using the flag as a placemat/runner.
It’s SO PRETTY!!! I love all of the layers that you created!! How creative to use baseballs and I love the use of vintage books..so fitting that one of them was about stars! That berry bowl is adorable. I love this so much Michele…beautiful job!!
Thank you so much for the kind words Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed the tablescape and found some inspiration!
Oh my goodness! You are amazing. This tablescape is stunning. So many great ideas. Hugs to you, my friend.
Thanks so much Renae! I really enjoyed putting this one together!
This is one of my favorite red, white, and blue tables I’ve seen Michele. You are so talented and I always walk away with the best ideas after being on your blog.
Oh, that is so sweet of you to say Kim! I really enjoy creating tablescapes, and it brings me so much pleasure to know that someone found inspiration from them.
I am so on the hunt for vintage baseballs! I love your ideas!
Thanks Amy, and I found all of the baseballs at thrift stores. Good luck!
Absolutely love this patriotic tablescape, Michelle. The vintage red and blue transferware layered is adorable. Great idea to use the flags like placemats. I always enjoy using baseballs, too; your centerpiece is adorable. Always enjoy your amazing style!
Thanks so much Lora! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and found some inspiration.
I love all your design choices… and how you place everything. Thank you for sharing
Oh, I’m so glad you find inspiration here! Have a wonderful week.
LOVE all your budget-friendly elements for this patriotic tablescape! Pinned, and I’m happy to be featuring you at TTA this week!
Thanks so much Julie! I’m so glad you liked the table and I really appreciate the feature!
This is so cleaver! I love the scrabble piece “signs by each place setting. So many great tips for using what you have.
Thanks so much, I am so glad you liked it and found some inspiration!