A See America First Summer Tablescape

A different kind of informal tablescape this week that could be subtitled, “Let’s use a collection that has been stored in boxes for decades before we donate it”. Years ago I collected steins from all over the United States because I loved the colors and the graphics and we were taking driving trips across the country with the kids. I found them on Ebay from time to time. I have been wanting to use these steins on a tablescape before I donated them (I have about 20 more that I didn’t use here from other states and attractions). I decided to look for a United States map tablecloth to help create an America travel theme tablescape. I found this tablecloth on sale at Spoonflower online a few months ago. I chose it because the colors matched some of the colors on the steins.

I chose the plate stack colors based on the colors on the map tablecloth. This salad plate is Fiesta’s Bistro pattern in the color Ivory. I bought them a few months ago at Fiesta Factory Direct online.

I was looking through all my blue dinner plates a few weeks ago and I realized that I didn’t have any baby blue dinner plates. I did a Google search and I found these porcelain ones on Amazon last month. They were made by Madam Marble. You can read about what you need to think about when you are buying dinner plates here.

I bought these iced glass sage green chargers at Pier 1 several years ago after I saw them on another blog. I love using them in the spring and fall. To read about what you should be considering when you are buying chargers click here.

I have used this frosted green flatware set often in the past few months. If you read my blog you have seen it recently on a few different tablescapes. The pattern was called Madeline Green and I bought the set at World Market several years ago. I really like the frosted design on the handles. After red, I think green flatware is the most used flatware color on my tablescapes because it can be used during both Spring and Fall. You can read my blog post about what to consider when you are buying flatware here.

Each table setting on this tablescape has a different state for its theme. This is the Virginia table setting and I created a Virginia state napkin ring by attaching a Virginia puzzle piece to a green napkin ring I had. I got the puzzle piece from a United States map puzzle that I found on Etsy a couple of weeks ago. It is actually the same kind of puzzle that my children had when they were young. (My son and his family live in Virginia so I wanted to use that state for one of the settings.) I think the butterscotch colored cotton napkin probably came from World Market several years ago. To read about the What, Where and How of napkin rings please click here.

These place card holder small state posters are actually stickers that I found on Amazon last month. I am using two clear place card holders to hold them here. The top one is a small rectangular acrylic stand that is made by Yalikop. I found them on Amazon. It is sitting on one of my Oleg Cassini clear glass place card holders. I bought the place card holders at HomeGoods several years ago when I first started tablescaping. They are heavy and solid and I really like the simple design. I often use them as a stand for place card items. You can read my blog post for ideas about how to store napkin rings and place card holders here.

I really like the raised detail designs and the colors on all these steins. We took the kids to Williamsburg when they were young and it was a great trip. I know these steins are a bit odd serving as water glasses and wine glasses on this table but use your imagination!

I placed a post card from each state on the salad plate for added visual interest.

The back of the Tennessee stein has the Memphis Queen steamboat and Lookout Mts. Chattanooga on it.

The back of the Mount Rushmore stein has The South Dakota Badlands and Wall Drug Store. The back of the Corn Palace stein has Mount Rushmore on it. We took the kids to see Mount Rushmore on one of our trips across the country.

The front of the Grand Tetons stein has Little America, Wyoming and a penguin. I had to look up why there was a penguin on the stein. The Little America motel in Wyoming was built in a remote area not unlike the Little America base camp in the Antarctic.

The back of the Pike’s Peak stein has Seven Falls, the Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, and North Pole on it. The back of the Rocky Mtn. Nat’l. Park stein has Big Thompson Canyon on it.

This is kind of a funky centerpiece but I wanted to use as many steins as possible on the table. I just love how they look.

This tablescape makes me want to hit the road again for another cross country trip!

To see 200 other tablescapes that I have created please click here. If you are on Facebook, join my Tablescape Ideas group! Just click on the Facebook Search box at the top of the page and type in Tablescape Ideas. Don’t miss my Tablescaping How-To section at the top of this blog post for more tablescaping tips and tricks.

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