Looking to create a tropical tablescape for your next gathering? Bring the tropics to your table with a vibrant tablescape, including flamingo placemats, colorful roses, and palm leaf plates. Then, add some flair with rattan glassware and orchid napkin rings. This easy-to-set table will transport your guests to the tropics for an evening of fun!
Whimsical Placemats for Tropical Tablescape
This tropical table features flamingo placemats and a black chalkboard table runner, which were also used on the Tropical Mimosa Table. Compare the two tables to see how different looks can be achieved with the same placemats. This tropical table features a casual look with disposable plates and flatware, making it easy to set up.
I used Tropical Flamingo Placemats from Hester and Cook (click here for similar ones). These paper placemats are packaged like a notepad. You pull off each placemat when ready, and the rest of the sheets remain attached until you are prepared to use them.
How to Position the Placemats
These placemats for this tropical tablescape are whimsical with bright pink flamingos and tropical green leaves. To keep the flamingos visible, I slid the placemats closer to the center of the table, leaving a wide margin around the table, as shown below. Then I placed the plates lower on the placemats to leave more of the placemat design exposed. You can also offset the dinner plates to the side of the placemats and opt to cover only one side of the placemat. When placemats are this eye-catching, you don’t want to hide them!
Disposable Plates for the Tropical Tablescape
I used pressed palm leaf plates, which complement the tropical theme. They are sturdy plates, and you can see the leaf imprint across each pressed plate. The plates are made by a process that starts with naturally shed palm leaves. They are heated and pressed into plate shapes without the use of chemicals or additives. Because they are made from shed leaves, no living tree is cut to produce them, making them a more sustainable choice.
Depending on what you serve on them, you can reuse these plates by wiping them with a damp cloth.
Disposable Flatware for the Tropical Tablescape
I used rose gold-colored metallic disposable flatware. It is an inexpensive alternative to buying real cutlery when you want a different look or color for a party. The good news is that there are numerous realistic flatware choices available in a wide range of colors. Additionally, you can wash and reuse plastic flatware, making it last longer than just one party.
Napkins and Napkin Rings
I used handmade raffia-wrapped napkin rings, but any basic plain wooden or metal ring will work, as well as rattan napkin rings. I used a blush-colored ribbon to tie together a fern leaf, a mimosa leaf, and a faux orchid, all wrapped in a ribbon that matched the napkins. Then I spread the napkin flat and gathered it in the middle, pulling it into a cone shape. I slid the napkin ring around it and stuck the tied flower and greenery in between the ring and the napkin.
Flowers and greenery are a pretty way to dress up napkins for a tropical tablescape. You can also prepare the flower bundles a day in advance. Then, place them in a sealed plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator. Also, you can use real orchids from a grocery store plant if you don’t want to use faux orchids. A bonus is that the orchid plant will eventually bloom again.
Glassware for a Tropical Tablescape
This tropical tablescape features pink reed-wrapped stemless glasses, which are currently trendy for casual and tropical-themed settings. Although glasses made by different manufacturers have different names, such as seagrass, cane, reed, wicker, and rattan, most of them have a similar appearance. When purchasing these types of glasses, look for ones that can be removed from the wrapping, as they are easier to clean.
These types of glasses come in various colors, including white, pink, blue, and natural, which is the most popular and easiest to find. You can also achieve a pink look by placing a pink drink in a clear, natural-colored glass.
Flowers for a Tropical Tablescape
I used colorful roses and mimosa leaves that look like ferns for the centerpiece. I chose the roses based on the flamingo colors featured on the placemats. When selecting flower colors to complement flamingos, opt for warm colors like pink, salmon, peach, and orange.
A Flower Tip for a Tropical Tablescape
Mix real and silk flowers to achieve the desired look. Many silk flowers are hard to tell from real ones, and can look like all real flowers if placed in a vase of water.
Cut the Stems Short
Cut the flower stems short and place them in small water-filled vases in the center of the table. Short arrangements ensure that your guests can see over the arrangements, and require no special skills to arrange.
Make an Impact with Color on the Tropical Tablescape
For maximum color impact, choose at least three different colors of flowers. Arrange three to five blooms of the same type and color in a vase, and place them down the center of the table. To enhance the tropical look, incorporate greenery such as ferns or mimosa leaves into the vases. The short flowers and vases will create a vibrant and colorful table runner. For an added touch, slice fruits like oranges, lemons, or limes in half and arrange them around the flower vases to provide extra color and texture to the table setting.
Watermelon-Flavored Macarons
I used watermelon-flavored macarons on this tropical tablescape because I associate the pinkish-red color of watermelon with the vibrant colors of flamingos, as well as the pink and green placemats.
These macarons have watermelon-flavored buttercream filling and vanilla-flavored shells. They take a little practice but are not difficult to make. You can find the recipe here.
Tall Arrangements for a Tropical Tablescape
Tall arrangements look pretty on the table, but can block guests from talking to each other across the table. Sometimes I place tall flower arrangements on the table before the meal. Then I move them to the food table or bar cart right before the meal starts. That way, your guests can enjoy a decorated table before the meal, and you can use the tall arrangements on other serving tables while everyone dines.
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