Tis the season for wedding showers. Although it is all about the bride, if you are hosting the party, you want to welcome your guests to a fun, friendly and beautiful atmosphere.
The best advice for planning any party, big or small is to plan a theme and choose a color scheme. This is especially a good idea with a shower. Just like any interior decorating project, a theme and color idea will keep you focused and simplify the process.
If you don’t want to do the same-old/same-old bridal thing, you gotta think outside the box.
For something truly different, choose an “Initial” theme. Although you can find lots of things with letters, vintage hankies are unique. Up until the last few decades, women used to carry handkerchiefs with them at all times. Now that we don’t do that anymore, you can find tons of hankies at antique shops and flea markets. Ask your grandmother for hers!
Handkerchiefs come in all sizes, colors and initials
The best thing with hankies is they become the party favor and place setting all rolled into one!
Once the guest list is set, you will know which letters to look for. What you can’t find, you can embroider on an old plain one. If you or your friends don’t sew, look for an iron-on letters at the craft store.
They can be found in every color and style
If the hankies are big enough and in good condition, use them as the napkin.
If the hankies are big enough, they can stand alone as napkins
Chances are they won’t be, so pair them up with regular napkins. Use a napkin ring or ribbon.
If the hankies are too small or fragile, fold them up with regular napkins
Use a simple napkin ring or ribbon to hold the two together
White hankies can be paired with your color theme
Or wrap them around a pair of candles…
Candles are great party favors
Or soap! Two party favors in one! Be sure to use unscented soap so it doesn’t compete or over power your lunch!
Initial hankies make personal party favors
Tuck in a silk flower for added color
Have your guests find their place at the table, by looking for their initial. Sort of a grown-up musical chairs (except everyone gets a seat)!
Next time, invitations!
Hi, been reading your blog page for a long time. I operate a comparable blog site however I always keep getting a pile of spam remarks, tips on how to keep your blog so unpolluted?
I love the dinner plate that you used. Does it have a marking or a name on the back??
What a fabulous idea to incorporate monogrammed hankies with napkins. I am so doing that after I hunt for vintage hankies. Your collections is very nice. I love this idea.
Thanks!
Spam is really time consuming! I have an Akismet Plugin installed on my blog that filters out the spam. Worth looking into getting something like that.
The dinner plate is marked Johnson Brothers, made in England. It doesn’t have a pattern name. Not bad for $1.00 each from Goodwill. I have the matching salad plates too!
What a lovely placesetting, like the idea of using the hankies as napkins.
What a creative idea! Dropping by from BNOTP, #1.
Allison
Atticmag
I love vintage hankies. What a creative theme for a shower!