COLORFUL SNOWMAN CHRISTMAS TABLESCAPE

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hobby Lobby. The opinions and text are all mine.

I am thrilled today to have been challenged to create a Christmas tablescape with products from one of my favorite stores- Hobby Lobby- and to do it for less than $100 (it's a cinch with their great sales!). You all know that I love putting tables together staying true to my colorful style and keeping everything simple. Even if there are a lot of layers and parts, nothing is difficult and is usually easy to replicate with what you might have on hand.

I wanted to do a snowman theme and had an element or two in mind that I wanted to include on my table, so I headed to Hobby Lobby in search of things to inspire me to fill in the rest of the table. I knew I needed something to anchor the center, as well as layers for the table and accents for the place settings.

The first thing I spotted in the seasonal Christmas merchandise was a red and white striped runner... sold! I was thrilled to find this pattern, I know I'll use it for so many other gatherings and holidays throughout the year. And, as faithful Hobby Lobby shoppers know, most Christmas items are 50% off this time of year, so it was a bargain at $10. And now that I think about it, I think I need one more for my other table before they're gone!

Next, I started browsing the selection of Christmas crafts. I've lightly glanced over these crafts in the past, but this time I was considering everything and how it might work on my table, and let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised at all of the darling craft options there were! Before I went to shop I had been mulling around making some snowmen napkin rings with pom poms for the body, but then I saw a kit right in front of me, with everything I needed to make just what I had in mind! And for $3 at half price, I don't think I could have rounded up all of the individual parts for such a good deal. This kit wasn't specifically for napkin rings, just the snowmen, so after thinking for a minute about my options for a ring, I chose some peppermint striped chenille stems to shape into the ring (does anyone else still call them pipe cleaners? I do!).

Even though the snowman kit included the pom poms I needed, I picked up a few more white pom poms in a variety of sizes to sprinkle on the table to look like little snowballs.

Still in search of a centerpiece, I continued browsing the Christmas crafts, and came across some paper mache type cone shaped trees ($5 each sale price). Perfect! I chose 3 large ones to group in the center, and found some darling pom pom trim garland to accent them, as well as more small rainbow colored pom poms.

I wanted to paint the cone trees, but had never done that before on this type of material and wasn't sure if it would take spray paint well or not. So, I experimented on one of them, and it worked perfectly! Just one coat covered them nicely (I used Rustoleum Gloss Spray Enamel in Meadow Green and Maui Blue). With just a few drops of hot glue here and there, I attached the pom pom garland spiraled around the cone, then attached the colored pom poms in between the rows. (Sorry for the bad night time photo, this time change is killing me for project photos!)

The snowmen for the napkin rings were super easy to make with the step by step instructions included in the package. Basically, you just assemble all the pieces. I did alter them just a bit by using a black chenille stem for the hat rather than the green ones that were enclosed in the kit. These would be so fun for kids to make and feel a bit of ownership in doing their part to decorate the table.

To finish them off, I used two of the peppermint chenille stems, wrapped them tightly around a bottle that was about napkin ring size, and twisted them closed. After trimming the ends, I used hot glue to attach the snowmen to cover the twisted ends of the ring.

In addition to the trees, I wanted to use these snowmen that I had just made on the table as well. All of these supplies can be found at Hobby Lobby as well, and I'm going to tell you more about these soon. But for now, they were just right to complete the centerpiece.

I'm using jewel tones in the rest of my Christmas decor this year, so I used those colors on my table as well. I have a set of plastic plate chargers that I spray paint to work with various tablescapes, and I brought some turquoise in with those. I added a mix of jewel tone mini ornaments in the base of the baskets that hold the big snowmen.

I usually get a question about the logistics of using large centerpieces. The snowmen are actually easy to see through and/or around, but I would relocate them as the meal is served to ease the conversation. I like to "wow" my guests and family when I use larger pieces, but I always make sure they can easily and quickly be removed if they are in the way during the meal.

I used simple place cards made with card stock and a strip of ribbon glued on, and added a large red jingle bell beside them to tie in with the table runner.

So what do you think? I believe my total came in at around $60, and did you notice that I didn't use any fresh flowers? So, all of this is re-usable and can stay out throughout the season (and the snowmen even after Christmas!) or switched around to other holiday vignettes around the house- and I'm definitely pulling the striped runner back out for Valentine's Day and patriotic holidays!

I hope you're encouraged to think outside the box a little bit for your Christmas decor this year and create something new! Even just adding one or two new little details in with what you might already have can help freshen up the old, and Hobby Lobby is the perfect place to get your creative juices flowing. Just remember... spray paint and glue guns are your friends! :)

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hobby Lobby. The opinions and text are all mine.  It's no secret that Hobby Lobby is a company that I fully support, promote, and have shopped at since I was a little girl, so it was my privilege to partner with them for this post today. Thank you for supporting companies that help keep fresh content coming at Dimples and Tangles!