Beachy Christmas Brunch Tablescape ~ DIY Stenciled Cloth & Napkins

I am excited to work with Royal Design Studio and their lovely Victoria Lace Doily stencil for my Beachy Christmas Brunch Tablescape. I love the art of stenciling. I even edited a stenciling magazine (The Artistic Stenciler) for 12 years. Today, I am creating a tablecloth and napkins with the stencil. I even have a special use for the stencil itself later in this post. 🙂 Look for more holiday DIY ideas by following #royaldesignstudio on social media!

Here in Florida, we can host outdoor events in December. On Christmas morning, we will head down by the lake for some casual food and mimosas. Bubbly is always in order at Angel Wood Cottage. In case you missed it, I love to entertain. I like casual feasting and féteing, even at a moments notice. I enjoy searching out beautiful things to mix and match upon my tables. My tablescapes are one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I adore breaking bread with friends and creating stunning vistas on which to break the bread…

Royal Design Studio stencil patterns are fabulous. I love all the many wonderful choices available. I think the lace doily stencil adds that special somethin’ somethin’ to my holiday brunch table. Don’t you?

The color scheme emerged from some beautiful aqua seashells I found for my wedding last year. They just make me smile when I see them. The aquas, coppers and golds look beautiful paired with my favorite blue hydrangea blossoms. The stencil helps create the relaxed atmosphere I desire for my Christmas morning meal. I was after a casual elegant look and feel here. My home and my Christmas is always based on the aquas I so love. Toss in some silvers and golds, and you have a peaceful, inviting space to enjoy the season.

Beachy Christmas Brunch Tablescape Styling Ideas

I love to use things I already own to create my tablescapes. I am a repurpose and reuse kind of girl. You can see the stenciled tablecloth and napkins in this image. They add pattern and texture to the mostly white background. THRIFTY STYLE TIP: The tablecloth is for a patio table. I just flipped it over and stenciled the back. The napkins were picked up for 25¢ each. Stenciling transforms a dull white tablecovering and estate sale napkins into statement pieces. It also adds my ever-present ‘handmade with love’ touch.

Tucked around the base of the white iridescent shell tree are a few of my favorite holiday treasures ~ a white ceramic reindeer head, white bottle brush trees, shiny reindeer and a few tiny, silvery Christmas balls. You can see the detail of the stenciling below. Those colors really do sing against the whites and silvers! I was not going for full coverage in my stenciling. I love a rustic feel to my stenciling…heavier areas with lighter areas and several colors are used to achieve this look. Tapping a hint of gold and copper here and there adds sparkle and flair.

I love to place a little Peace, Merry, Joy or Noel sign at each place setting for my guests to take home. I prop them on the shell and in lieu of a place card. Each guest can sit at the sign that they want. It is a fun and festive addition to the table and gives a subtle nod to the season.

Below is a close up of the stenciled napkins in the morning sun. You can see how the gold paint adds a hint of glimmer to the creamy place setting. A well-stenciled item says love to those present. DIY is in my DNA. I love creating a special touch for my tables.

I love the glasses and plates I have collected over the years. I don’t need or want everything to be all matched when I lay a table. The glasses are another estate sale find. I think I paid about $12 for all eight of them. They are hand-blown glass and the aqua color is stunning on my beachy tables. The clamshell plates were a yard sale find and the coppery-golden starfish came from a roadside tourist shop in South Carolina (think South of the Border).

As promised above, I have a very special use for the stencil. It was so beautiful after I finished stenciling, that I hated to clean it and put it away. So I used it to top the buffet table. I think it just may find its way onto the wall as an art piece after the Christmas morning féte. Isn’t it beautiful?

Should you have the time, stop by on Christmas morning. I promise to have a mimosa ready for you out by the lake.

Stenciling Tips

Always use a dry brush to stencil. Dip your stencil brush, tips flat, into a puddle of paint then swirl it on a foam plate to work the paint into the bristles. Then swirl it on a stack of paper towels to remove any excess. Tap or swirl the brush over the openings of the stencil. Build up the paint slowly to prevent the icky run-unders! For this stencil project, I used fabric medium to ensure that the paint adheres to the fabric. I also washed and ironed the fabric before I stenciled it to remove any sizing. Then I heat set the painted areas with an iron before use. (Be sure to cover the painted areas with a cloth before ironing.)

For more festive and fun Christmas DIY decor ideas, watch this video…