TUTORIAL
Setting Your Chanukah Table
By Shari Black
H
ave you heard of tablescaping? It’s the art of setting a beautiful table. Until recently, I myself hadn’t heard of this term, until I took over Danke, the Judaica design business, from my mum. Suddenly, I found myself on Instagram, connecting with lots of Judaica and gift shops here and in the US, and following Jewish influencers. It was obvious to me that my products – fun, modern Judaica – would look perfect on a scaped table. And so I tried my best to learn that magical art of tablescaping. It’s pretty fun, I admit – styling pretty dishes and vases, playing around with various themes, and picking the perfect accessories. I won’t lie and say that my Shabbat table looks picture perfect every week, but I do enjoy setting my table a little bit more these days, and my children get excited to help pick out what to use. With Chanukah approaching, I can see the trends on social media as people start to think about their Chanukah décor for Chanukah parties and tables. Obviously, you can go all out and buy Magen-David shaped ornaments, blue crystal vases, Chanukahthemed placemats and silver decorative dreidels, and your table will simply scream “Chanukah!” However, for those of you who want to set a pretty table, but don’t want to empty the Chanukah section of your local shop, I’ve put together some tips for creating a beautiful table using just items that you have at home. My Chanukah table-scape is simple and clean. I went for matching marble-effect trays and boards from Danke Judaica, and added a few little bursts of blue from around my house. As a final touch, I added tealights and fairy lights for a soft, magical look.
Find your starting point This could be a colour scheme or a specific item. Do you have a favourite dish or vase? Have you received the most beautiful flowers ever this week? Or do you want to finally use your new purple tablecloth? Find your focal point and create around it. When I think up tablescapes for my Danke product photoshoots, I use the product as the focus and build the tablescape around it For my Chanukah tablescape, my starting point was a simple, elegant, marble-effect board. I knew that I was going to include some beautifully decorated Doctor Sourdough doughnuts on my Chanukah table, which would add plenty of colour, so I wanted to keep the rest of the table simple. Once you have chosen your starting point, think about what sort of mood you want your table to create: chic and elegant? Fun and bold? Pretty and whimsical? Once you’ve decided, go through your cupboards to see what you can find that will complement your table.
Be adventurous! Definitely look through your serving dishes and glassware, but what else can you find that will add that little something extra to your table? Think candlesticks, ornaments, candy dishes, flowers, and leaves. Depending on the theme or occasion,
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