Wining & Dining
You guys already know that we like to keep all of our idle decorating objects in one cabinet that we lovingly refer to as the Decor Store for easy (and free) new arrangements whenever I get the urge:
So when I started jonesing for a new look for our dining room table, I looked no further than our trusty little collection of already-on-hand options. Here’s what the table looked like before the mini makeover (I did love having table-setting items right at arm’s reach, I just wanted something new…):
So I stashed the bowls and the silverware back in the kitchen and decided to keep the plant and the napkins for the green pops of color that they (literally) brought to the table. And I wasn’t quite ready to retire my favorite woven & glass cups so those stuck around too. But what else could I introduce to keep things interesting and maybe even a little romantic? One peek into the accessory cabinet- er, Decor Store- had us seeing red. Wine that is. A giant ziplock bag of collected wine corks (thanks to friends and neighbors who save theirs up for us- no we didn’t actually “earn” them all ourselves) caught my eye and a plan began to emerge. I love corks as vase filler, but did I have a larger vessel for the center of the table? Yessss, I quickly grabbed a cheap hurricane snagged a while back at Ikea and a pillar candle for the center. Here are my supplies all laid out before the super simple “assembly” process began:
But what’s that juice glass in front? Well, I introduced that after I tried putting the pillar candle and corks in the hurricane only to notice that it didn’t look as full or as dramatic as I’d hoped. See, by placing the glass upside-down under the pillar candle it became a stand of sorts and raised the candle up a few inches…
… it also took up a good amount of volume in the center of the hurricane so the next time I began to add the cork “vase filler” it instantly looked a lot more full. Score.
Here our new centerpiece bursting with corky goodness. Isn’t it funny how some collected corks, a juice glass we had hanging around, a pillar candle and an old Ikea hurricane can come together like they were meant to be?
I love how the woven basket-turned planter works with the woven cups and the corks for a natural and rugged texture that really complements the more polished looking ceramic candlesticks and the gleaming glass hurricane.
And speaking of those candlesticks that we snatched up at Goodwill for $1 a few months ago, we actually have a little oldie-but-a-goody taper candle tip to share with anyone who is at their wits’ end with a wobbly candle (because the last thing that you want a flaming stick to be is precarious). It’s actually something that John’s mom taught me in passing, and it has since come to the rescue many many times (and possibly saved Casa Petersik from going up in a cloud of smoke). Just light the wick of your candle a bit and drip some hot wax into the base of the candlestick. Then place your candle base in the candlestick (taking care that you’re inserting it so it looks straight and even) and the hot wax will bond to the bottom of the candle to hold it in place like glue.
Ta-daaa. No more obsessive candle straightening necessary. And no more fears of your new cork centerpiece going up in a fiery blaze. Wax on, guys. Wax on. And you gotta love how candles and wine corks keep the dining table feeling inviting and even a little, dare we say it, romantic…
So that’s our latest little mini makeover around these parts. Any favorite candle tips of your own? Any unusual vase filler suggestions or centerpiece solutions? We wanna know what’s living it up on your dining table.
Update: One of our readers replicated our corks-&-candles-in-a-hurricane idea using skinny taper candles instead of a big fat pillar candle and did note that they burned down a lot faster and posed a potential fire hazard if they weren’t being watched (since corks are certainly a flammable material if the flame burns down to that level). We definitely recommend using a large slow-burning pillar candle set about eight inches above the corks and never leaving it unattended. Safety first!
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Comments
Hey Sherry, great work! Love the cork idea – would have never thought of that. Completely off topic but I saw something today that immediately made me think of you (apologies if that sounds a bit stalker-ish) – http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5397008
Hey Kate,
Cannot get over those porcelain mixed nuts. Seriously I love them. Thanks so much for the link!
xo,
s
Sherry,
This looks great! It does look romantic :) You might like my post yesterday – a list of 50 things to put in apothecary jars (or in this case, a hurricane vase!).
xoxo Maggie
I love the bowls! May I ask where you got those from? Also, what is the name of your granite color? I’ve been looking for light colored granites with no luck! So, I would LOVE to know!
Thanks!
Amanda
I love your blog – I’ve been reading for a couple months now. I love using wine corks around the house. I’ve been saving mine for a couple of years now and I used them last fall in my dining table centerpiece. I mixed the wine corks with coffee beans and candles in a big hurricane glass. I got so many comments on it – and the coffee beans made the area smell great!
Hey Amanda,
The bowls are from Target. They’re from a while back and might be seasonal so if you don’t see them now just check back every few months or so. Happy hunting!
As for the granite it’s called Pashmina from Home Depot. We’ve heard that they’re since discontinued it but any local stone yard should have something extremely similar (describe it as marble-like, veiny, and white & gray with granite flecks). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
You are so stinkin creative! You come up with such great ideas! This is a really cute table setting.
I love this idea! It’s making me think differently about the stuff that’s laying around my house!
Visiting extended family in Atlanta a few months ago, I noticed a huge old table-mounted corkscrew in the kitchen and a bowl of corks nearby. I asked if they had any plans for the corks and they didn’t… so I ordered this kit from Wine.com (http://www.wine.com/V6/Cork-Trivet-Kit/gift/80193/detail.aspx), took the corks home with me to NYC, and made a trivet for the “donors,” which I sent back to them. The remaining corks are waiting for us to drink a few more bottles of vino so that we’ll have a trivet, too. Something fun and inexpensive (and useful) to do with your corks so you can enjoy them for years to come! I’m sure you guys could make your own frame for the trivet but living in Manhattan, I lack power tools…
I just came across this on Bed Bath & Beyond. Thought some of you might like to look at it to give you an idea for using cork. So cute.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=16084794&RN=926&
Love your website…. I have a question, regarding the 3 Ikea shelves behind your dining room table how much room is between the outside shelf base and the dining chairs? Not sure about how much clearance is needed. I am wanting to put something like this for more display options behind my table. Right now I have 2 mirrors but not sure if I have enough space to do it. Thanks
Good question! Around 35″ from the wall to the edge of the table should do the trick. It allows people to pull out their chairs quite a bit, although if you want people to be able to walk behind the table while the chairs are in use you might want to add even more space (we use the other side of the table to do most of the ciculating and serving). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
This has been a really fun project for us. And our father-in-law loves to bring a handful of corks every few weeks when we see him. “I wasn’t GOING to open that 2nd bottle of wine, but since its for decorating your new house, I had to do my part, har har har har.”
Hey Jen,
Feel free to upload photos to Flickr or Shutterfly and add the link in your comment. That’s the easiest way to share things… and your wine-related wedding decor sounds so fun!
xo,
s