Candle Ambience and How to Make Those Cute Little Napkin/Silverware Roll-Up Thingies

Welcome to another episode of...


This week, as inspired by Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, I focused on using candlelight to create ambience in my tablescaping. We had Sunday dinner out in our courtyard again, and I used Walmart special glass candle holders, all-white tapers and 3-inch pillars. I've experimented with using other candle colors in decorating, but it seems as though white or off white give off the most light, which works well if you're using candlelight as the only source of light. I also liked pure white, rather than off-white because it worked so well with the white dishes I planned on using...


A simple rule of thumb when it comes to using candles is that if you are burning them during a meal, they should be unscented, so as not to unpleasantly mingle with the aroma of the prepared meal. Most tapers sold in stores are unscented, as were mine...,


...but I had a little trouble when it came to the pillars. They were only to be found in the scented variety, but when I discovered that the scent was "fresh cotton", I realized that these might work well, as perhaps my guests would think they were smelling my fresh tablecloths rather than a candle.

In addition to using candles to create ambience, we use cloth napkins to add a touch of formality at every meal. Guests almost always make comments about the fact that we use cloth napkins, but we have grown so accustomed to it, it doesn't seem like a big deal. For every day dinners, we use the Sam's brand (found in the restaurant supply section)..,


...but for more special occasions, we use colored varieties, like this...


I've also found TONS of really cute napkins at my favorite thrift store, for CHEAP, and it is fun to mix it up with those finds as well.

If you're wondering how to do the above napkin/silverware roll, it's really easy. The nine-year-old boy did the examples in the photos. Here's how...

Step 1: Lay out the napkin in a diamond...


Step 2: Place a knife, fork, then spoon on top of each other in the exact middle of the napkin...


Step 3: Fold the top over...


...then the bottom...


Step 4: Fold the left side in...



...then roll up...


Place with corner end down, so it doesn't not become unrolled...


It's fun to have some of these in a basket, pre-rolled, so that if unexpected guests arrive, they can simply grab one and join the fun!

Thanks for listening and have a great "Tablescape Thursday"!

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