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A Simple Nautical Tablescape for Dining Alfresco

By Natasha Senko

You’ve invited 10 of your closest friends to a fabulous dinner at your beach side cottage where dining alfresco is the only way to go.  All the food is together and drinks are chilling as we speak.  Time to pull together a tablescape that will be the icing on your proverbial cake and make your friend’s swoon with envy over your incredible style.  Let’s think of the elements you have already.

You know you have those great white semi-modern dishes and clear glassware you keep on hand for dinner parties. You also have the sea grass placemats, solid royal blue dinner napkins, and white tablecloth you got from mom last year when you christened your beach domicile.  Ok check on the basics but now what about the beachside pizzazz that will zhoosh up your table just so and keep your friends talking about it till the next event?  Think. Think.  Ah ha!!

The hurricane lanterns you have on hand for summer storms would make a great light source placed down the center of the table.   But before you do that, its time to hit the beach for decor straight from Mother Nature.

Grab a couple small buckets and hit the beach before the sun goes down. Load one bucket with dry sand and leave by your back stair.  Take the other down to the seashore and start grabbing shells.  Bring all this back to your table.  Now the fun begins.

First, lay the tablecloth over the table. Next grab the bucket of sand and sprinkle some down the center of the table mimicking a narrow table runner being sure to leave enough space for the two guests at either end.  Follow with equally distributed lanterns placed on top of the sand; four should do the trick for a table for 10. Next, scatter the shells haphazardly on top of the sand between the lanterns.

Now for the place settings: lay out a placemat in front of each chair, and stack the dinner plate followed by the salad plate on top of the mat.  Next fold the dinner napkins into a triangle, point up.  Open up the first, stack silverware knife, fork, and spoon on top and place in the center of the napkin in line with the crease made by your fold.  Fold the napkin back into the triangle and grab both the napkin and silverware together so the side and top points of the napkin fan out flowerlike.  Use a piece of raffia ribbon to tie the silver and napkin together just under the head of the spoon and fork. This will keep the napkin in its flowerlike shape and group the bunch together.  Place one on the center of each of the salad plates.

Lastly, add the glasses to each setting, light the lanterns, and Viola!! Your easy, nautical themed tablescape is complete.  Simple and casual but still oh so chic.  Bon appétit!!