Add a splash of colour to your dining table. These inexpensive ideas show you how to set the scene for a smart grown-up lunch, a pretty, vintage-inspired tea, and an eye-catching breakfast the kids will love.
The trick to creating a striking table setting is to choose a simple colour scheme. Here, a palette of white, soft greens and yellows makes the table feel fresh and spring-like, perfect for bank holiday entertaining.
Oslo white porcelain dinner set, £30 for a 12-piece set, Next; Ava green stoneware dinner set, £30 for a 12-piece set, Next; Alpine Meadow reversible table runner, £16, Next; 100% linen napkins with peach trim, £9.45 each, The Travelling Souk; Decorative Living Full Bloom napkin ties, £36 for a set of six, NotOnTheHighStreet.com; Coro Leaf wine glasses, £25 for a set of 4, LSA International; Water carafe with 4 glasses, £16.50, Rockett St George; Orr cutlery by John Rocha, £150 for a 44-piece set, Debenhams; salt and pepper pots, £12.50 for a pair, The Old Villa; find a similar jug at Franksy Kitchenware; mini bird nests, £3.99 for a pack of 20, Baker Ross.
These simple bird candles add seasonal cheer. Rainbow bird candles, £4.99 for set of six, Rockett St George.
A wooden baguette board filled with mini eggs makes a simple centrepiece. Vintage bread board, £38, Re; Hunting Bunny foiled Easter eggs, from £7.25 for 200g, Rococo; and mini chocolate eggs, £2.66 for pack of 38, Baker Ross.
Creating an individual place setting adds a pretty touch to the table. We used painted duck eggs. To make your own, carefully make a hole with a darning needle at the bottom and top of each raw egg and blow the insides out into a bowl – you may need to puncture the yolk with the needle to break it up. (Keep in the fridge for cooking scrambled eggs.) Rinse out the shells in a solution of water and a little vinegar and leave to dry. Decorate using acrylic paint with a simple painted-on design, such as the initials of your guests. Using the darning needle, carefully thread a length of thin ribbon through both holes (you may need to make them a bit larger) and tie the ends to create a hanging egg.
Click for delicious. ideas for a pretty, vintage-inspired tea, and an eye-catching breakfast the kids will love.