we are pretty easy going about furniture at our house. we have dogs, friends with kids, and wouldn't ever want to tip toe around something to keep it clean… there is one thing that we (and by we i mean my husband) put a little effort into, our dining table. we bought a huge solid wood table because we loved the size and style. but we hated the finish. so we put a few weeks of sanding and staining into it and now have our perfect table. it's the one thing i try to protect when guests are around. but i have yet to find placemats i really like, and i figured you guys might have the same issue too. so for this entertaining season, why not try out some diy placemats that you can customize for your guests or holiday? these are super simple and you won't feel bad about spilling on them or tossing them when the night is over

start with watercolor paper (9x12 is the perfect size), it's thick, easy to embellish and will lay nicely on your table. i went with black watercolor and some paintbrushes but you can use anything from acrylic to markers to stamps to get the look.

come up with a list of words. i mixed together all of the words i could think of for eating and drinking. i then painted them in varying sizes all over the watercolor paper filling it in like a collage.

repeat until you have enough for all of your guests!

you can set the table with clear glass plates to really let your work shine through, or go with simple white as i did here.

how do you set the table for the holidays?