A Vintage Garden Tablescape for Easter

Easter is almost here, and that means three of my favorite things:  (1) Cadbury eggs, (2) my dad’s sauerkraut, and (3) my grandmother’s china.  We’ve started hosting Easter lunch at our house, and it’s the perfect occasion to pull out my grandmother’s ivy leaf china.  It was the inspiration for this vintage garden tablescape.  Because this tablescape uses neutral colors, you can easily re-create it with any dinnerware.

The china is Franciscan Ware in the Ivy Pattern.  My grandmother had a pretty large collection, including ivy leaf-shaped salt and pepper shakers and a teapot.

I found these adorable cracked egg planters at HomeGoods ($4.99 each!).  If you can’t find something similar – or you aren’t doing an “Easter” theme – small terra-cotta pots would be perfect.  I filled the planters with spearpoint ivy plants, but I also thought it would be fun to use an herb, like parsley, mint, or lavender.

(Tip:  If you’re plant isn’t quite tall enough to reach the top of the planter, put some crumpled paper or plastic bags underneath the plant to elevate it to the top of the pot.)

I also found the woven rattan chargers and the fringed linen napkins at HomeGoods, but these chargers and napkins are similar.

(Do you like how the dog chewed the corners of our table?  I guess he preferred the “distressed” look…)

The white flowers are azaleas from our garden.  The azaleas have been truly spectacular this year.  If you don’t have any in your yard (or a kind neighbor’s), then you could use any other clippings from your yard.  White alstroemeria would also look lovely (and they’re only about $4/bunch at the grocery store).

In keeping with a subtle Easter theme, I tucked some moss and a paper mâché egg into a bowl on each person’s plate.  If you have assigned seats, you could write names on the eggs.  And, if you’re not doing an Easter theme, you could put a packet of seeds or sachet of lavender on the moss instead.

Instead of using candleholders, I put the candles in small glass bottles.  The mismatched candles, glass bottles, and mason jars give the table a more rustic and vintage look.

The silver place settings were also my grandmother’s, and I like to use them for special occasions, even if it means I can’t throw them in the dishwasher at the end of the meal.

A key to keeping this tablescape from looking too formal was to avoid lining everything up directly down the center of the table.  There is symmetry and balance, but some items are pushed forward and others are pushed back.  It gives it a more casual, collected feel.

One of my favorite things about moving into our new home is that we now have the space to host large family gatherings.  I’m looking forward to hosting my family here in a few weeks.  We’ll have an Easter egg hunt for the kids outside followed by lunch, which includes my dad’s sauerkraut.  It’s a family recipe – and something my grandmother served on this china for many years.  I’m happy to carry on the tradition!