Decorating a Party with Burlap

Invite your girlfriends over for a ladies casual party of fruit, cheese, and wine, or favorite simple dishes. Decorate your buffet or dining table with versatile burlap. It can easily be made into informal table linens and decorations, and requires no sewing. Burlap is an inexpensive fabric that can be incorporated into a number of holiday and casual everyday party themes. It comes in many colors, with the most common being the natural beige.

Fringed Burlap Tablecloth

Measure the length of your tabletop. Purchase enough burlap to cover the table and hang over the edge slightly. Fray the overhanging fabric by pulling the threads from the burlap edges.

Cut a length of craft wire about 18 inches long. Wind one end around a pencil, one time, to form a loop. Thread assorted beads on the wire, covering about half of it's length. Insert the wire through the burlap tablecloth at a top corner edge. Thread more beads on the other half of the wire and wind remaining end around a pencil, one time, to form an ending loop. Bend the wire where it is threaded through the tablecloth, so that the beads hang down. Repeat a beaded wire decoration on each corner of the tablecloth.

Serving Dish Risers

Determine the serving dishes and platters that will used for your gathering. Place boxes and overturned bowls in the center of your tablecloth. Set the serving dishes on top of the boxes and overturned bowls until you have a pleasing and functional set up for buffet serving. Remove the serving dishes and platters and drape one or more cuts of burlap over the boxes and overturned bowls to create risers for your dishes. You can tuck the edges of the burlap under itself to give it a finished look. Scatter beads or small stones over the folds and valleys of the draped burlap for additional decoration.

Burlap Utensil Containers, Napkin Rings and Wine Glass Markers

Cut a piece of burlap fabric big enough to wrap around an empty vegetable can, with the edges tucked inside. Cut a strip of burlap or ribbon. Tie it in a bow around the center of the can to hold the burlap fabric in place. Make enough to hold the eating utensils you will be using for your party.

Cut several burlap strips for napkin rings. Roll paper luncheon napkins and tie a burlap strip around the centers, tying them into a bow. Hot glue buttons or beads on the knots of the bows.

Cut several burlap strips for wine glass markers. Tie a strip in a knot around each wine glass stem. Hot glue a different colored bead or button on the knot of each burlap strip.