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House Beautiful Inspired Tablescape

Tablescape by Donna Karan, Image from House Beautiful April 2010
****Edited to add, instead of boring everyone with a repost, for Lindsay’s $5 challenge, I am just entering the eggs in this event :).  I wanted to join in the fun!****

When I saw this gorgeous tablescape in the most recent issue of House Beautiful, it was love at first site.  All the natural elements, the simplicity of green and white, the manzanita branches, the moss, the egg vases, (not to mention the gorgeous windows and stacked stone out the window) spoke to me.  Loudly.  I wanted to try and recreate something similar in my own home.  However, do you have any idea how expensive manzanita branches are?  No?  Well, let me enlighten you then.  The cheapest ones I could find run $9.99 per BRANCH !  So the above arrangement would cost around $80 in branches alone.  Uh…no.  I knew I had some spray painted branches in the basement that wouldn’t look nearly as cool, but would work.  And, they were free.  However, before I dive into all the little budget friendly details let me show off what I came up with spending around $5 out of pocket!  Not as gorgeous as the original, true, but not bad either.
  
Okay, now for the breakdown.  With branches covered, my next challenge was creating those egg vases. 

Last year on clearance, I had purchased these plastic eggs at Gabriel Brother’s for $.25 an egg.  (They had some gross candy inside that the kids were begging me for.  On a totally random note, these eggs remind me of the Leggs pantyhose eggs.  Does anyone remember those?  So weird.  Why would they sell women’s pantyhose in an egg?  I can see the ad campaign people sitting around the table dreaming that one up.  I know!  Pantyhose go on your legs.  Egg rhymes with leg.  Women have eggs AND legs. Let’s call them Leggs and sell them in eggs!  Yeah.  Had to be men that thought that one up.  But I seriously digress here.  Where were we?  Oh yes, spray painting your egg Leggs.)
I took the eggs apart, primed them, let dry, and then sprayed them with Heirloom White. Is there any other choice?
To speckle the eggs, I used some Dark Walnut Minwax stain that I had in the closet and using a combination of a q-tip and a toothbrush I dabbed at them.  
I wanted a messy polka dot look so the q-tip worked great for the dots and the toothbrush for the mess ;).
Next, I drilled some holes right into the plastic.  If I were to do this again, I would advise drilling first.  I messed up my paint a bit with the drill and had to go back and touch it up.
Using some flowers I found at Dollar Tree, I filled my vases and called them done.

Then to get the mossy look, I took a bag of dollar store moss and placed balls of it here and there on my branches.  More cheapo dollar flowers finished off the look!
The sheets of moss came from Joann’s and one package at 50% off cost about $3.  The bunnies were from Target’s dollar spot 50% off last year, and the rocks were from a centerpiece on my coffee table.  
I originally had my windowscape in the, uh, window…but I couldn’t close my curtains (drop cloths) at night which was driving me crazy.

It was also driving me crazy that I couldn’t for the life of me get a good picture with all of that backlighting.  Soooo frustrating when something looks gorgeous in person and crappy on camera.

At least my egg vase looked cute in natural light.
So I draped a piece of burlap behind my fireplace, tacked it up with 3 small nails, and moved this windowscape to the mantel. 
These bunnies are cute but honestly they won’t last long.  My boys seem drawn to having them do battle with dinosaurs.  Sorry bunnies, but you’ll be T-Rex fodder before long.

And, I can’t resist adding candles to any mantel creation.  They just make a mantel for me.
Love it!  Look at how warm and glowy everything is.  I feel like I can almost smell rain and earth.
So here is the cost breakdown:
  • Sticks                Free
  • Stones               Free
  • Candles            Already had.
  • Vase                 Already had (but purchased for $4.99 at Marshall’s)
  • Eggs                 Already had ($1)
  • Bunnies            Already had ($1)
  • Flowers            $2
  • Moss covering  $3 from Joann’s.
Beautiful knock-off tablewindowmantelscape to enjoy this season? Priceless.

DIY Day @ ASPTL

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Comments

  1. Hi Beth,
    I love your tablescape and I think the Boa is a nice touch. Your blog is funny, creative and informative! I love the white bunnies on the table. Where did you find them? I have been looking for something like that for on my table. I'm hosting Easter this year for 20+ people, so I want my table to look just right. Thanks for all your creativity and inspiration.

  2. bah-hahaha! Yes, the L'eggs. Oh, my word, yes. I laughed right out loud.

    Lovely, branches. What an impact!

  3. beth, i love what you put together! i especially like the nightscape. It GLOWS Easter!

    thanks so much for stopping by my Mossy Egg post yesterday… but especially for giving me the heads up on the link error! I got ahold of Lindsay right away and she fixed it for me.

    it had been like that for a couple hours before anybody mentioned it!!! THANK YOU!

    your home is GORG!!!! I'll be coming back!

    angie

  7. It all looks so gorgeous!! I do love the little egg vases. What a clever idea!!

  8. Beth, you crack me up…eggs and Leggs! 😉

    LOVE what you did for your mantel…so Springy and fresh looking!

    Blessings, Grace

  9. I just love it! The price is even more of a bonus. Your so creative. Thanks for the nice comment on my mantel.

  10. HI Beth, I'm totally impressed and laughing like a fool about the Leggs thing! Have a great one.
    ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

  12. Just beautiful! Were the eggs top heavy or did you put something inside them so they didn't tip over? Im curious, but this idea is marvaleous! You did an awesome job!

  15. Umm…excuse me?! "Wouldn't look nearly as cool?" I am offended! Those branches are FANTASTIC! Hand-picked and spray-painted by yours truly! 🙂
    Hehehehe…just kiddin'!
    Soooo glad they are getting some use.
    I know I say this alot – but its always true — I MISS YOU.
    -Meg Hoover

  16. "Our L'eggs fit your legs; they hug you; they hold you; they never let you go. . ."

    Oh, yes. I remember L'eggs. They were THE RAGE when I was a girl–and you'd better believe that those eggs were a successful gimmick. I didn't want to have any other kind of pantyhose! I'm afraid that I. am. old.

    Anyway, your inspired-but-thrifty vignette is lovely!

  17. you're amazing! i love how you can see something and recreate it for almost pennies!!

  18. I love your knock off! Great job.
    Oh, and I wouldn't be so sure the bunnies aren't up for the challenge with the 'Rex, who knows, they might come out winning!
    And you fancy DSL owner, you do know your camera has a little trick to make photo's toward a light source, don't you! (if not shoot me an email and I'll try to explain).

  19. i seriously enjoy your own writing taste, very attractive.
    don't quit and also keep creating because it just simply very well worth to follow it,
    looking forward to looked over more and more of your current content pieces, kind regards 🙂

  20. What a fun project! AND you can still fill those eggs with dark chocolate!

    : )

    Julie M.

    ps Thank you so much for stopping by my blog..leaving sweet comments…and following! Yippee!

  24. Wow Beth, you did a great job recreating that tablescape for a fraction of the cost! I am loving your eggs they turned out so well! xx

  26. Absolutely gorgeous! You did a fantastic job on this arrangement. Thanks for the step by step instructions too.

  27. Totally loverly Beth! What a statement arrangement it makes in front of the window. Nice 🙂

  28. ps. i'm a moss girl…so this project is right up my alley..love how you used it!

  29. ok i'm all about this post!! love how you mapped out what you spent..it looks amazing!! and goodluck to the bunnies..hehe. i hope they survive the battles because they are adorable.

  31. Beth
    That is so stinkin cute. Love the new header. I even have that wood down loaded and even the spacer betwen posts–great minds think alike.

    Cheri

  34. It looks good in both spots, Beth! I can't believe those eggs are plastic! They turned out so good. Love your speckling technique!

  36. I saw this in House Beautiful and it "spoke" to me too–it just didn't "tell" me how to recreate it on the cheap like you did 🙂 Am I missing something? What is making those eggs stand up straight! You did a beautiful job with the branches and eggs. Tell the boys that the Easter bunny frowns on having his friends eaten by dinosaurs 🙂 Got a big smile over the Legg eggs. You are right about the men!

  37. Love, Love, LOVE! The branches are gorgeous – the moss & rocks {gasp} My kind of tabelscape. Great idea with the eggs. Always amazing, Beth!

  38. I had totally forgotten about Leggs in eggs, thanks for that reminder. lol Love your arrangement !

  39. Beth… that looks so cute! Great job!! I love the flowers on the branches and I can't believe those eggs started out as the plastic ones!

    ~Jennifer

  40. Oh! LOVE THEM! And I can't believe you made plastic eggs look that good!

    These are going on my blog tomorrow!!

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