Hi friends! Welcome those of you who came from Annie’s blog! I cannot believe how close we are to Christmas! At work I have been buying and preparing for it since March, so it feels surreal that it’s actually here!

The holidays can be so stressful - a jam packed calendar of social engagements, school functions, etc.; feeling like you have to spend a ton of money; and the pressure to create holiday magic for your family. The list can go on and on, but I am here to tell you that you do not have to spend a ton of money decorating your home for the holidays. Myself a long with a few friends are here to show you how to use secondhand, thrifted, and foraged elements to create the Christmas version of The Secondhand Table!

For this project, I popped over to my local Goodwill to see what I could find, and I hit the jackpot!
I found:

A set of 7 Pfaltzgraff ironstone dinner plates for $1
A set of 10 low-profile brass candlesticks for $4.99
A set of 6 gold shimmery cotton/linen napkings for $1.99
A set of white ceramic bird and owl napkin rings for $2.99

It was a great haul and the simplicity and neutrality of everything I found allowed for me to have fun with the centerpiece elements. I also added in my the secondhand Laguiole silverware set that I found on Facebook Marketplace back in November and the Dollar Tree recycled glass wine glasses that I have had for 12+ years. My advice is to always go for simple and neutral dinnerware elements over patterned or colorful items because a neutral set allows more freedom to have fun with flowers and decorative table elements.

For the centerpiece I was struggling with what to use - I wanted to do something different than traditional holiday pines, but there was not much else to forage from the yard. I had been holding on to my dried hydrangeas for a while, but I did not think that they felt Christmassy enough. In the midst of my brainstorming the centerpiece, my friend Chelsie, an uber talented floral designed, posted a picture of a wreath she made with dried hydrangeas and silver mercury Christmas balls. A beyond beautiful combination!

All that I did was place the candlesticks where I wanted them, and then gently filled in the space between them with dried hydrangeas. I criss-crossed the hydrangeas so that the would look full on both sides- creating a “hydrangea cloud.” Then, I place a few other delicate dried flowers into the hydrangeas. Because the hydrangeas are so fluffy, yet stiff they hold the other dried flowers in place very well. Lastly, I placed a few groupings of vintage silver Christmas balls at the base of the “hydrangea cloud” to give it that holiday shimmer. That’s it!

I hope my Secondhand Table inspires you to shop secondhand, use what you have, and forage! Want more inspiration? Check out the next blog on the hop - my friend Rachel from Cherry Street Blossoms!

I am so inspired by all of the beautiful tables that my friends put together!

Rachel - Cherry Street Blossoms

Aimee - Aimee Weaver Designs

Ally - The Tiny White House

Annie - Most Lovely Things