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An Easter Table With a Neon Twist

Today’s post is by a new contributor to Making it Lovely, Andrea Howe. I met and roomed with her at Camp Mighty last year, and I know you’re going to adore her as much as I do.

Yesterday, we saw my take on an Easter table. Andrea has been celebrating neon for the past week over on her style blog, For the Love of…, and today she’s sharing some crafty ideas for bringing a little neon to the table for the holiday.

I’ve loved neon for as long as I can remember, and am thrilled to see it make a resurgence, in a very updated and modern way. While neon may be most used in the style world, I wanted to add a touch of it to the home, and so created an Easter table setting infused with subtle touches of neon.  I like neon best in small doses and when displayed back to neutrals, so set against the rich wood of a farmhouse dining table the bright colors pop, yet the overall feel isn’t overpowering.

I began by focusing on using things I already owned as key parts of the table setting. These include pieces from my milk glass collection that belonged to my Grandmother, a couple of plain white Easter bunnies, simple white napkins and placemats, and my never-ending supply of mason jars.

I began by spray painting mason jars first in a coat of primer, then with a couple of coats of neon and plain white spray paint. I wrapped some neon and white twine around each jar, held in place with a spot of hot glue. I also added a coat of spray paint to some adorable little ceramic bunnies I had found at Michael’s. The ceramic absorbed the spray paint beautifully.

I took fabric paint and plain white napkins, and simply added polka dots in a random pattern using a round sponge brush available at any craft store. The trick to working with neon is to just focus on 2-3 colors at a time. Anymore and it starts to look a bit dated.

The last thing I did was add a few eggs, first brushed with neon paint. Once dry, the eggs were coated with standard craft glue, then dusted with Martha Stewart neon glitter. Placed in a hobnop candy dish, for me it’s the perfect blend of vintage modern.

By using a mix of pieces I already own and love, and creating some easy and inexpensive DIY’s, I’m thrilled with the results of my modern neon table setting for Easter.

Making Everyday Mornings Feel Special

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We mix greek yogurt with strawberries and blueberries pretty often here for a simple breakfast. Normally I just spoon a little yogurt in a bowl, throw the berries in, add a spoon, and call it done. Sometimes it’s nice to put some extra thought into a routine meal though, and sitting down to breakfast at a cute table setting made the day feel a little more special. You could switch out the yogurt for whipped topping and make this a dessert too.

Here’s how I put it all together for Eleanor, smiley face included…

We like to use a tray for her place setting because it’s easy to wipe down and it catches crumbs, but a placemat would be a good way to bring in some pattern too (and still protect the table). I used a scalloped bowl for the yogurt and a heart-shaped dish for the strawberries, along with a tumbler as a vase. A cloth napkin feels more special than a disposable one, and the glittery teaspoon on top is extra cute. I had all of these things on hand and most of them aren’t available anymore, but I put together some alternatives below.

Of course, the setting would work just as well for an adult as it would for a kid. I’ll let you decide whether you want to omit the Krazy Straw or not. And flowers help too, even if they’re just carnations. Eleanor sat down and exclaimed “Flowers, wow!”

Do you ever play around with table settings too, or do you tend to wait for special occasions?

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Glitter Teaspoons

Woah. How badly do you want these? They’re a little ridiculous, in the best possible way.

Colorful Appetizer Plates

The cutest little appetizer plates, all done up in candy colors.

Home Stems Melamine Plates

I finally found melamine plates to compliment my Thomas Paul (from eBay) set! I love melamine for parties and eating outside (and now for the kids too), but I didn’t have enough of them. The new ones are available individually in Target stores. And the undersides are hot pink!

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