Red, White & Blue Table

Block Printed Linens

I love a red, white, and blue table because there are so many ways to combine these three colors! For this table, I used a summery floral blue and white block-printed tablecloth with red and white napkins that have block-printed suns. These linens from August Table, are lightweight and also very airy.

Dinnerware

This table has a mix of tableware because I used items that complemented each other. Although I tried several plates on this table, my favorite scalloped plates with blue trim worked the best and were pretty with the blue tablecloth. Unfortunately, they are no longer available but you can find similar melamine plates here.

The small melamine bowls have a “sun” similar to the napkins. How cute is it to find a pleasing design at the bottom of your bowl while eating! It is even cuter when the design matches your napkins! These bowls by Dansk are no longer available but an alternative with a design in the bottom of the bowl can be found here.

Flowers

White hydrangeas formed the base of my flower arrangement and then I added red and white roses, purple tulips, and blue veronica. The purple tulips had a blue hue before opening and added an unexpected look that tied back to the purple-blue veronica flowers. None of the flower colors felt heavy on this table because of the white hydrangea base so it created a very summery look.

Veronica flowers, also called speedwell, look so much like salvia flowers that it is sometimes hard to tell them apart. Veronica flowers open from the bottom of the plant and many times will have green tips as shown below. These spike flowers are perfect for a red, white, and blue table.

Blue Drinkware

The blue glasses by Rose Ann Hall Designs were the focal point of this table. It is not always that way when blue and red compete. Usually, red wins out and dominates, but in this case, the blue glasses draw your eye. These glasses are actually a cross between blue and purple. Like a chameleon, they seem to change color to match their surroundings. To see very different looks with these glasses, click here for a graduation table and here for a Halloween table.

The Rest of the Table

For the rest of the table, I added various accents of red like these cute firecracker popsicle salt and pepper shakers…

…and these sour red cherries in a clear glass star bowl.

On each corner of the table, I used red lace Vietri plates that had an image that reminded me of a sun.

Red roses in a bud vase gave the table a red accent and were the same color as the sour cherries.

To keep a table light and airy for a summer look, use a lot of white as the background color. Dark plates and bowls would have given this table a different look. Also, mix and match what you already have. Sometimes items that were not made to go together will give you a unique look.

Creating a Centerpiece

Lots of things can be used for centerpieces such as a grouping of candles, mason jars filled with red, white, and blue windmills, white bowls with food, a patriotic cake on a cake stand, and the list goes on. Look around for things you have that might make a centerpiece.

If you like the idea of flowers but are not comfortable arranging them, use small bud vases, each filled with a single color, and scatter them across the table. Several bud vases can have as much visual impact as a large arrangement. By putting several flowers that are the same color, type, and height in a vase, the flowers will have a stronger color presence and will be much easier to arrange.

Making Bud Vases

Follow these steps to make bud vases:

Get several clear or white bud vases and fill them with water. They do not have to be identical and can vary in height.
Cut all like flowers to the same length that you plan to put into the same vase.
Take off all the greenery that will be below the vase waterline (which may be most of the greenery).
Place the flowers that are the same in a bud vase. For example, if you have red roses, cut them all the same height and place them in a vase together. Some flowers such as Veronica spike flowers are better if left a little taller than say a vase with roses.
Scatter the vases in the middle of the table.
Change the water in the vases every day so the flowers last longer.

Patriotic Table

This table can be a colorful summer table or give a nod to a patriotic holiday because of the red, white, and blue colors. Sometimes I prefer this rendition for a patriotic holiday, but sometimes I love adding a few kitschy items! To add more patriotic flavor to a red, white, and blue table, place little flags in the floral centerpiece.

Another way to add patriotic touches to a red, white, and blue table is to serve patriotic-themed food. For ideas, click on any of the links below: