Tablescaping DIY, Part 5, Storage-Napkin Rings and Place Card Holders

Writing Tablescaping DIY posts a bit out of order, skipped to Storage for this one, will get back to writing about the different parts of the tablescape later. Since I started tablescaping and posting tablescaping photos online many people have asked me how and where I store everything. My system evolved as my collection increased in size. This is a photo of a corner of my study. While it isn’t a particularly pretty area, it works very well for me and I am the only one who comes in here most of the time. I spend a lot of my time in here on the computer doing genealogical research and planning tablescapes. Online you will see gorgeous photos of shelves with perfectly staged minimalist decor, that’s not me. I like to be surrounded by all my bits and pieces. This room was my daughter’s bedroom until she grew up and moved out, it isn’t very large. We added custom built in floor to ceiling book shelves mostly for all my genealogy books but many of them were out of date so I weeded the collection to create space for my napkin rings and place card holders. I use clear shoe box sized plastic containers and I label the end. I like them because I can see what is inside. We bought them on Amazon and at The Container Store. If I were a perfectionist I would create and print out labels to use but I just wanted to get them organized quickly so I could find things. Before they were scattered all over the house and I wasted a lot of time looking for things.

We had the custom book shelves turn the corner and had them put a large desk area in the corner for me so I could spread out all my paperwork when I am doing genealogy research. It created a large space underneath and to the right you can see more containers of napkin rings and place card holders. To the left are boxes of table scatter and other miscellaneous table decorations. To the left of the boxes are my containers of flatware. I will talk about them in another post. I feel lucky that I have this space that is out of the way but easily accessible.

The containers are arranged by holiday, theme, or color. These are my Christmas napkin rings and place card holders. Keep in mind I have been tablescaping for 10 years, lots of stuff!

Above Christmas you can see some nautical and ocean themed containers and some containers arranged by color or metal.

I have inventoried all of these napkin rings and place card holders. Each one has a photo and a record of how many I have. I have the information stored in folders on my computer. The folders are arranged by holiday, theme, or color. I can easily look at the photos and think about the tablescape that I want to create. I am still working on inventorying other tablescape items. People often ask me how many I have of things and I always say I don’t know. Once I have inventoried them I do know but I don’t say!

Hope this gives you a few ideas about tablescaping storage!

To see over 260 different tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my new Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas Facebook group for lots of tablescaping inspiration! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape and Table Settings Ideas or click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2553689988183392

If you live in Southern California join our Facebook tablescaping group Southern California Tablescapers BTS Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/440356398581157 We are planning a gathering for tablescapers in January in the Los Angeles area..

Don’t miss the Tablescape How-To tab at the top of my blog for DIY tips and tricks.

I put a new tablescape on my blog every week, please check back!