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Saturday 15 October 2011

Won't You Join Me For The Witches Ball?

The inspiration for this tablescape was an image, from The Graphics Fairy, of an invitation to a Witches Ball.


I added an elegant menu, sure to appeal to all the best witches and warlocks.  Since my witch attends balls and hosts dinner parties, she is really quite elegant and her table setting had to match her style.

I started with a simple table covering of black tablecloth and two overlapping table runners. ~


These runners are easily made with plain cotton and mine cost $5/yd.  Using the Citrasolv transfer method (as in my DIY post Citrasolv Fabric Transfers) I decorated them with a Graphics Fairy design of a French cornucopia.  The fabric ends and sides were frayed and a line of stitching ensures they won't fray any further.  Crossing the runners is a great way to replace placemats, with or without a table cloth underneath.


The centrepiece is a grouping of white pumpkins, one wearing a Mardi Gras mask, a vintage mercury glass candlestick with antique girondelle and two silver candlesticks.

Black chargers, Royal Doulton Regency White dinner plates and black and white transferware salad plates from HomeSense make a simple, yet dramatic, place setting.  Normally, she uses silver flatware but she stupidly sold it (accidentally of course) at a yard sale.  Well, that's another story.

The chandelier is decorated with a simple pouf made from a scrap of mesh fabric scrunched together and held with some florist wire.  A piece of grey chiffon ribbon is frayed and tied around it.  Perched beside a couple of black and bronze silk roses is a dollar store owl.




Have you noticed my witch's wand?  This is sooo much fun to make!  The full tutorial is found on www.instructables.com.  Put Sir-Zeke in the search bar and see how great his look!

I started with a plain 8X10 piece of computer paper.  I didn't have any two sided tape so fudged it with a rolled piece of scotch tape.  Start rolling a titch tighter at one end until you reach the tape.


Coat the paper that is past the tape with white glue and hold it for a few minutes until it sets.  With a glue gun, fill both ends.  I stuffed some kleenex in the larger end so it didn't take so much glue.  I'm stingy like that.  Try to get the larger end to round out by building up layers.  If you need to smooth the ends out, use the hot end of the glue gun to remelt and shape it.  Then, draw a glue gun pattern along the shaft, leaving a space at the bottom for your hand.  Somewhere along the line, notice you need a manicure.


When the glue is dry, paint the wand to look like wood.  I used some rust coloured craft paint.  When that was dry, I watered down some black craft paint and let it drip into the cracks and ridges made by the glue.  Quickly wipe that off the flat surfaces and your "wood" looks aged.  I highlighted the glue pattern with silver craft paint.  I added blue "stones" but decided I didn't like them and painted them over in silver.  Other than the drying times, this is a quick and easy craft that kids would enjoy.  You have to freak out over them handling a glue gun, of course.



Here she is done ~



My youngest grandchild, Stella, points at things and expects them to change or appear to suit her whims.  I call that her Harry Potter wand finger.  Now, Grandma can challenge her to a wand duel!  Who do you think will win?

Have a bewitchingly, magical day!


Head on over to http://debbie-debbiedoos.blogspot.com/ to see my link up to her Newbie Party!

4 comments:

  1. AWESOME! I used the same graphic for some DIY kitchen art. I love it. Thanks for sharing your cool table with us.

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  2. Thanks Debbie for giving the Newbies this forum!!!

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  3. Wow I really like the wand. It looks great.
    Rebecca

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