How to Make Table Decorations With Paper by Hand
Table decor adds a festive touch to a plain dining room table, whether for a special dinner party or everyday enjoyment. Make your own paper table decorations for an inexpensive and eco-friendly alternative to store-bought table decor. Give the project a "green" turn by recycling old magazines, using inexpensive paper doilies or transforming paper lunch sacks to create a simple centerpieces and table runner.
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Things You'll Need
- Paper lunch bag
- Ruler
- Craft knife
- Cardboard
- Stencil
- Pencil
- Battery-powered tea lights
- Magazines
- Double-sided tape
- Wide glass vase
- Paper doilies in a variety of sizes
- Spray adhesive
Instructions
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Lanterns
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1
Measure the width and height of the paper bag. Measure and cut a piece of cardboard to those dimensions with a craft knife. Slide the piece of cardboard into the flattened bag.
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2
Trace a stencil onto the bag. Cut along the outlined design with a craft knife, cutting through only one layer of the bag (the piece of cardboard will protect the other layer).
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3
Remove the cut-out portion of the bag and the cardboard from inside the bag, and open up the bag.
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4
Place a battery-powered tea light in the bottom of the bag to provide a pattern of illumination on the table.
Magazine-Page Centerpiece
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5
Cut off the spine of a magazine with a craft knife to slice through all the layers. Make the cut several times if necessary to ensure the spine is completely removed.
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6
Place a strip of double-sided tape along one of the long edges of a page. Begin rolling the page from the opposite long edge. Roll the page tightly all the way across -- the double-sided tape will keep it that way.
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7
Place the rolled-up magazine page into a glass vase. Continue rolling magazine pages until the entire vase is full.
Doily Table Runner
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8
Spray part of the edge of the back of one paper doily. Overlap that sprayed edge with the edge of another doily.
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9
Spray the edge of another paper doily and overlap it with one of the first two. Continue piecing together doilies to form a cluster of slightly overlapping doilies that is as long as your table and 12 to 18 inches wide.
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10
Place the doily table runner down the center of your table, with place settings on either side of the runner. Pair the runner with a darker-colored cloth so the design shows clearly.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Place single real flowers in test tube bud vases among the rolled-up magazine pages to add a floral touch to the vases.
