DIY: A FRESH CITRUS & FLOWER TABLE RUNNER

During the summer months, we often find ourselves immersed in citrus flavors, whether it’s in our food, cocktails, or dessert. Lemons specifically, are reminiscent of an ice cold glass of lemonade, enjoyed on a hot summer day. To symbolize the carefree days of summer, I decided to style my table by utilizing the bright and cheery citrus fruits by creating a citrus table runner…lemons, oranges, limes and grapefruit…it’s a citrus sensation! For an added vibrant feel, I also incorporated flower petals in coordinating colors.

Let’s take a look at this oh-so-sweet summer tablescape….

I used a mix rich of colors with subtle contrasts to create this vibrant tablescape. While I could have used a white table linen for a totally bright tablescape, I opt for variance and went with a grey table linen. To coordinate with the neutral gray tone, I pulled out my white and gold-rimmed dinner plate and layered my vintage salad plate that features a grey color design. Inspired by the outdoor lush green surroundings during summer, I used my boxwood leaves placemats (on sale now!) for a natural element to the table.

All my china I found at an antique store, from the gold-rimmed plates and glassware to the gold flatware and the adorable ombre green gold-rimmed dessert bowls. For the final touch, I added a bloom in each of the bowls. For your table setting, by adding an element in the center of your plate or bowl, whether it’s a floral petal, place card, a wrapped candy, or a decor element, I find it’s a great way to welcome your guests as they pull up to the table and it finishes off your tablescape with a polished look.

To create this simple DIY Citrus & Floral Table Runner:

You are going to create a line across the table from one end to the other with your whole fruit. Start with the center of your table and place a large orange in the middle of the table.
Next you will add lemons. Place a lemon on the left and right side of the orange. You are then going to alternate on the both sides of the table (orange, lemon, orange, lemon, and so on) until you reached your desired length
You will now concentrate on the center and two ends of the line. Start adding your whole limes, creating a triangle shape with your orange and lemon.
In continuing with only the center and two ends of the table, you will now add your sliced oranges, limes, and grapefruits. For the oranges and limes, I cut them in half but for the grapefruit, I only needed one and I cut in into 4 halves.
The final step is cutting the stem off your favorite flowers and nestle each bloom wherever you see holes in between your fruit layout. (note: when you are ready to clear the table, you can save your blooms by filling up a large bowl and create a floating floral arrangement!).
If plan on having your table set until the sun goes down, nestle a few tealight or votive candle holders in between your runner.

For my DIY table runner – I used 5 whole oranges, 6 whole lemons, 7 limes (2 of which were sliced in half), and 1 grapefruit that I cut into 4 pieces.

We still have a month before we say goodbye to summer (38 days to be exact) so while the weather continues to be warm, I’m continuing with outdoor summer entertaining. This tablesetting is perfect for a sweet bridal brunch (bring on the bubbly!), a luncheon with your girlfriends…heck, you already have the fruit, add some more to your bar and bring on the citrus flavored mimosas, or set up a table in the middle of your backyard on top the grass for a candlelit dinner!

I hope you enjoyed today’s citrus & floral tablescape and it has inspired you to create your own diy table runner, or pulling out your vintage dinnerware and entertain outdoors! Let me know in the comments section below, what you think of today’s feature!

Below is a video snippet to show a “live” look of the tablescape.