With spring holidays approaching including Easter, treat your family and friends to an elevated dining experience and go BIG with your tablescape - without SPENDING big. Liz Morgan with Goodwill of North Florida is here to show us some festive and frugal ways to set up a spring holiday by thrift shopping.
Tip #1 - Shop by Color Scheme. The best way to thrift shop for table decor is to find things that catch your eye and gravitate toward a color scheme that will tie everything together. For example, I’ve gone with greens, purples and pinks for this Easter tablescape.
Tip #2 - Mix and Match Is The Way. You CAN find fully complete matching sets of dishes. But mostly, you find partial sets. You can purchase placesetting of real dishes for 8 people at a thrift shop for about $75. You can buy disposable for less, but it’s not reusable and it doesn’t elevate the experience. Look for pieces that have the same color theme and even if they don’t match they will look great.
Tip #3 - Think Big. So you want to look for pieces that you can use again and again, not sure one and done. For example, I found these beautiful green glass bowls and salad plates that we’re using with floral china here, but these could be used again at the holidays. It makes it that much more sustainable.
Tip #4 - More is More. To me, if you’re going to do a gorgeous tablescape - more is more. Take the theme into your serving pieces, like these super cute bunny themed ones I found at Goodwill. You can use them for serving pieces, but you could also fill this bunny-footed bowl with jelly beans or flowers for a great centerpiece.
Tip #5 - Always Check for Colored Tag Sale. Every week, Goodwill has a sale color, and all items tagged that color are an ADDITIONAL 40% off. Your dollars will stretch even further.
Goodwill Industries of North Florida, Inc. is the area’s largest not-for-profit organization specializing in job training and placement services for individuals with barriers to employment. Ninety two cents of every dollar generated is directly invested in our programs and services. For more information please visit www.goodwilljax.org