Entertaining: Coffee and Roses Tablescape

If I gave you... half a bag of coffee beans, 6 red roses, a large roll of wire edged ribbon, some pillar candles in small hurricane lamps, and some white table linens, and asked you to come up with a tablescape for 10 people, what would you do? This is what I did for a recent Moroccan style dinner party...

• White tablecloth
• White napkins
• Small hurricane lamps (if you want to save money or cannot get hurricane candles, large mason jars could be used instead)
• Small pillar candles
• A bunch of large headed roses (small/miniature roses don't have the same impact)
• A roll or two of ribbon (depending on how many guests you have - allow about 32" to 36" per napkin)
• A bag of coffee beans (or for a more exotic and pungent scent - star anise)
• Extra votive candles (optional)

1. Set out the silverware into place settings.
2. Cut lengths of ribbon about 32" to 36" long pieces. Fold or roll napkins and secure each napkin with a piece of ribbon tied in a bow. Set out a napkin for each place setting.
3. Put a 1/4 cup of coffee beans in each hurricane lamp and then nestle a pillar candle in the beans.
4. Place the hurricane lamps down the center of your table spaced evenly. Then place the additional votive candles (if you are using them) between the lamps.
5. Set out any glassware and/or dinnerware.
6. Just prior to your guests arriving, gently remove the heads off the roses and separate the petals. Scatter the petals down the center of the table around the candles.

• Swap the coffee beans for star anise which would create more pungent and exotic fragrance.
• Use black beans or red lentils instead of coffee beans.
• Use votive candles or pillar candles with saucers or small dishes instead of hurricane lamps.
• Have colored table linens and use a white or pale colored roses.

Not only is this tablescape inexpensive to put together, many of the items such as the hurricane lamps and the ribbon can be reused for future tablescapes.

What I loved the most about this tablescape was firstly, that it was visually stunning, and also as the candles heated up they warmed the coffee beans which released a beautiful, gentle scent through the dining room.