A gorgeous new Pier 1 Imports store opened a few weeks ago and I was thrilled to participate in the Grand Opening Event by demonstrating some creative and outside-the-box ways to entertain with Pier 1 products! Amber and Alyssa came with me, and we had a great time chatting with guests about entertaining ideas and teaching them how to make different types of DIY paper flowers. Another fun piece of “grand opening” news: Pier 1 JUST launched a brand new website complete with ONLINE shopping!

ENTERTAINING OUTSIDE THE BOX

From rustic coffee mugs used as dessert pedestals to a colorful tube wine rack reinvented as a table centerpiece, I’m excited to share a recap of the event’s entertaining tips & highlights with you today! The best thing about all of these tips is that they can be utilized with ANY sort of theme or occasion you have in mind.

KEY TIPS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

– DIY Paper Flowers (4 different styles)
– Theme & Color Palette Inspiration
– DIY Cake & Dessert Stands made from dishes, bottles, and candle holders
– Repurposing & Reinventing (necklaces as mini garlands, napkin rings as bottle accents, etc)

DIY PAPER FLOWERS

We showcased a few different types of paper flowers, but the easiest variation (pictured above) was probably my favorite style, due to both the “quick & easy” factor AND the fun whimsical vibe they gave when attached to floral wire! I displayed some individually in mini glass bottles used as “bud vases”, and combined a whole bunch of them with fresh flowers for the table centerpiece:

*Note: A tutorial on the whimsical paper flowers will be posted separately.

VINTAGE BOTTLE DESSERT STAND

I also used a trio of the mini glass bottles ($14/set of 4) to create the playful dessert stand below. Despite what you may be thinking, this was actually very sturdy! The bottles are secured to the plates using 3D craft glue dots.

THEME INSPIRATION

The dessert/accent decor idea table is pictured above. I chose this vibrant owl wall art (only $19.99!) as my “starting point inspiration” for the entire theme and color palette. It served as part of the dessert table “backdrop”, and a coordinating print was featured at a different angle further down the table.

DIY DESSERT STANDS

Pillar candle holders are one of my favorite things to use for DIY cake/dessert stands. They’re affordable, sturdy, and come in a variety of different styles and heights, which is great for adding visual interest to any table. In the dessert stand pictured below, I also decorated Pier 1’s White Wash Wooden Candleholder ($11) with adhesive scrapbook embellishments to further tie it in with the rest of the theme…easy peasy!

You can also use upside down mugs and bowls as “pedestals” for dessert stands and centerpieces! :)

VINTAGE BOTTLE TRIO

This next arrangement was definitely one of my favorites… a trio of decorative recycled glass bottles “wearing” metal flower napkin rings! Pretty darn cute, right? Not to mention as easy as it gets as far as centerpieces go. :) The tall glass bottles are only $8 each, and the small one is from the mini bottles set referenced above.

MORE PAPER FLOWERS

Here are some of the other styles of paper flowers we displayed. The petals were all cut free-hand from decorative scrapbook paper and pages torn from an old book I own that was simply gathering dust before being reinvented in flower form.

For the table place settings, 4 different colors of Hemstitch napkins were embellished with paper napkin rings that I designed + bookpage paper flowers.

WINE RACK TABLE CENTERPIECE

Here’s a close-up of the table centerpiece, which was made from Pier 1’s colorful tube wine rack + fresh flowers + paper flowers. Inside each wine bottle slot is a plastic cup filled with floral foam, which all the fresh flowers are inserted into first, followed by the tall paper flowers. I really love how playful and whimsical it turned out!

Side note: this centerpiece was put together on the flat bed of my truck, in the parking lot before the event started. When you’re outside of your own workspace/comfort zone you just have to wing it sometimes! Alyssa got some good iPhone pics of the process, which I might share later. ;)

Did you know that Pier 1 carries jewelry?! And it’s super cute and affordable too. The pretty Red & Gold necklace pictured above is less than $15! I used this one and the same design in teal to add some extra sparkle to the dessert table.

THAT’S A WRAP

Thanks again to everyone at Pier 1 for being so gracious and welcoming! I can honestly say that it’s the most beautiful Pier 1 store I’ve personally been into – everything is so spacious and bright! Pretty much everything featured in the images above can be found at your local Pier 1 store or online at Pier1.com (at least as of now!). Please note: prices may vary by store.

Last but not least, I couldn’t resist designing a few themed printables to coordinate with the “wine rack” centerpiece… such as “Life’s too short to drink bad wine.” So true. ;)

*****

CREDITS:
– Event Styling & Graphic Design: Jenn Sbranti / HWTM
– Photography: Kelly Donohue (located in San Luis Obispo, CA)

Have any fun, outside-the-box entertaining tips to add? Please feel free to share them or post links to your own pics in the comments section below!