Silverware for a Fall Dinner Party

In case you haven't heard, over here at 5 O'Clock Design Co. we are pretty excited about the preparations for an awesome fall dinner party that's coming up! Last week we took vintage wooden napkin rings and gave them some pizazz, this week we are jazzing up some silverware to go with our theme. I have to thank my friend, Shauna, at Maeflowers Vintage for this fabulous idea. Shauna and I share a passion for mid century furniture, thrifting, and gold spray paint. When I saw her spray paint silverware (genius!) I fell in love with the result and knew I had to give it a try as well!

When my husband and I were planning our wedding, I was insistent that I wanted real silverware. Pricy rentals didn't fit the budget so I turned to our local restaurant supply store and ordered boxes of cheap, restaurant quality silverware. I have since dispensed of most of it, but I did hold on to a few dozen sets in case of big parties or company. I am so glad I did! I pulled out it out for this project and once it met a coating of gold spray paint, it's hardly recognizable!

To start, I decided how far up the handle I wanted the gold to come. It was important to keep the paint away from the parts that would come in contact with someones mouth so I stayed well within the bottom two-thirds. First I taped a nice clean line where I wanted the paint to end, then I went back and covered anything else still exposed. A quick coat of what is quickly becoming my favorite gold spray paint, and tada--gorgeous silverware that is perfect for a fall dinner party!

If you don't have two dozen sets of extra silverware sitting around, check your local dollar store or Christmas Tree Shops. I've had great luck buying decent, inexpensive silverware for projects at both of these places. Or, as an alternative, try this wooden silverware dressed up with washi tape! It's adorable, easy, and a little more informal. 

I bought my supplies at Joann Fabrics and, with coupons, got everything for less than $6. The wooden silverware came in a package of service for 6 and I picked up a few different styles of washi tape to experiment with.

I played with placement of the designs for a few minutes, settled on a pattern I liked, taped the first piece, and then just repeated the pattern. This was soooo easy, not at all messy, and completely customizable depending on the washi tape you choose.

Whether more formal or casual, custom silverware is a total win for your dinner party! Which is your favorite? Comment below and vote!

Fall Napkin Rings

A quick, easy, DIY project to get you in the fall mood! 

These vintage wooden napkins were an amazing find on Etsy. Aren't they gorgeous!? I was tempted to abandon my plan of painting the facets because they were so beautiful but I'm glad I followed through because I love the finished product and I think you will too! 

Here are the before pictures:

I love the lighter lines between the facets and the wood tone is so rich and warm!

To get started, I used a small piece of 220 grit sandpaper to gently scuff the surfaces I wanted to paint. After a good wipe-down I started painting the first side of the napkin rings. I chose a light peach and darker coral and did 4 of each color. When those were all dry I flipped them over and did the opposite side of all 8 in gold metallic. These colors are great for fall and will pair beautifully with the other pieces we are making to use for our fall dinner party. (Stay tuned for those posts!) When purchasing or re-making items I really strive to get multi-season use out of things. I'm excited that these will also look great paired with pastels for spring or bright colors for summer picnics. 

All of the paints were acrylic craft paints, but of the three, I had the hardest time with the light peach. This may have been because it was the lightest and, as you can see, the wood is quite dark, but I also think it may have been because it was a satin finish. It showed brush strokes, left ridges even with suuuuper light coats, and it took more coats overall to cover. I think next time I would stick to a more matte finish and add gloss overtop if needed.

Ok, friends--light a fall-scented candle, pour some pumpkin spice coffee, jump over to Etsy to pick out some wooden napkin rings, then choose your colors and get painting! When you're done, pin your pictures to Pinterest and tag 5 O'Clock Design in the comment so we can see your masterpieces!