Inspiration for a table setting can come from seeing a color or colors together. The inspiration for my retro Christmas table setting came when I was walking through a Dollar Tree store and saw some pink, turquoise, and cream twisted paper cord packs.
There was something about the three colors that I knew I needed to use them together. And something about them that made me think of a vintage tablescape that my Nana would have done.
I hadn’t planned to create a pink and turquoise holiday tablescape, but I just loved the idea of putting together a vintage table setting.
Something unique, but using items I could find today, or easily make myself.
Plus, retro Christmas decor is SO IN right now!
I mean, you walk into any store and you see sisal bottle brushes in a wide variety of colors. You see mercury glass vases, candleholders, and bowls. There are even vintage holiday decorations in light pink and turquoise.
This theme was seriously speaking to me.
There was NO WAY I couldn’t do it.
I had to!
And I LOVE how FREAK’N CUTE it turned out.
“Cute” is the best word to describe this vintage Christmas tablescape.
And you know what …. It was SUPER CHEAP to create!
Please, feel free to R&D (rip-off and duplicate) it.
It must be shared for the world to see (lol). It’s too dang cute to keep to myself.
Supplies for Retro Christmas Table Setting in Pink & Green
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- Silver charger plates
- Pink plates
- Red & white salad plates
- Silver flatware
- Pink glasses
- Pink throw blanket
- Bottle brush trees (diy project)
- Snow globes (diy project)
- Retro reindeer
- Colored mercury candle holders (diy project)
- Twisted paper napkin rings (diy project)
- White napkins
- Pink ornament balls
How to Recreate this Vintage Holiday Tablescape
Step 1: Choose Your Table Covering for the Retro Table Setting
I decided to go with a vintage-looking off-white tablecloth for my retro-inspired tablescape. I’d found it at an antique store for about $10.
(Antique and second-hand stores are great for finding inexpensive, quality table linens!)
Because I had already decided that I was going to be using pink, turquoise, and cream for my table’s colors, I knew that my table covering needed to coordinate with those colors.
I also didn’t want it to have a pattern, because I didn’t want the tablecloth to compete with the table decorations or centerpiece.
So, an off-white tablecloth would work well, as it would be the foundation to the tablescape and wouldn’t compete with the retro table decorations.
*Tip: If you don’t have a tablecloth that will coordinate with the colors you will be using, you can also get a few yards of fabric to use as a tablecloth. There are tons of colors and patterns available.
Step 2: Create the Pink and Turquoise Christmas Centerpiece
The base for my retro holiday centerpiece is a fluffy pink baby blanket.
Yep, that’s what I said.
A baby blanket.
It’s perfect for this table setting, because of its color, softness and size.
I didn’t want something that would take up most or half of the table. I wanted something that would cover just the area for my vintage Christmas centerpiece.
The pink baby blanket was perfect!
I put the blanket on a diagonal, and bunched it together in areas, instead of laying it out flat. Bunching it together helped to give it a soft and coziness. And I could nestle the vintage centerpiece decor into the blanket.
Then I spaced three of my diy colored mercury candle holders in a row, placing cream taper candles in them.
Next, I added the two adorable holiday snow globes I diy’d. (You’ve gotta check out the how-to instructions. Super easy!).
Don’t they just make you think “retro”?
After placing the snow globes between the candle holders, but a little off-center, I added two large reindeer. One pink and one teal. I found them at Target.
Too cute!
Then I added pink, turquoise, and cream bottle brush trees. I bought the pink ones, but couldn’t find turquoise ones to match my tablescape. So I dyed the turquoise and cream ones from dark green ones I wasn’t going to use.
Talk about a crazy easy diy. Changing the color of bottle brush trees was SO simple and quick. You’ve gotta try it!
To complete the look of the retro Christmas tablescape, I added a few old pink ornament balls. You can tell that they aren’t new because some of the color is off in a few places.
But that’s okay.
This is a vintage-inspired Christmas table. I don’t want everything to look new.
Step 3: Lay Out the Christmas Pink and Turquoise Place Settings
To complement the mercury glass candle holders, I used silver as an accent on the table.
You can see it as the tinsel on the snow globes, but I also incorporated silver charger plates (from Dollar Tree) as part of the place setting.
And silver flatware too.
On the silver chargers, I placed pink dinner plates and then cute salad plates that had a light red and cream design. The red is so light, that it looks pink when used in the place setting.
I really like the layers and the dimension of the pattern on the salad plate.
Then I took linen napkins I had previously made (these no-sew napkins are the easiest diy!) and slid them through pink and turquoise napkin rings.
Aren’t the napkin rings sweet!
I made them from the twisted paper cord that I bought from Dollar Tree. (The cord that inspired this table setting) They were really simple to make and cost almost nothing!
Plus, they have that retro vibe I was going after.
Then to complete the place settings, I added pale pink glasses.
That’s it for my retro Christmas table setting. There’s nothing else you need to do or use.
Wasn’t that simple – and affordable?
Isn’t this vintage holiday tablescape the cutest! It is SO sweet I could eat it up!!
I know your friends and family will gush over how darn cute it is.
Enjoy recreating your own pink and turquoise retro Christmas table setting!
Share your pictures with me. I’d love to see them
Check out the easy DIY projects used to decorate this tablescape:
- Colored Mercury Glass Candle Holder
- Holiday Snow Globe
- Color Bottle Brush Trees
- Twisted Paper Flower Napkin Rings
Shop the Table (if you don’t have time for a DIY)
