Make Yourself at Home with Hunker
1) Why did you start Hunker? What was the motivation behind it?
Our mission behind starting Hunker was (and still is!) to inspire people to create a home that expresses who they are, shows off their unique style, and helps make their life happier and more productive.
We fully believe that our homes are expressions of our identities, so we love sharing ideas, trends, photos, and advice to help people feel empowered to create their own authentic spaces.
2) Are there shortcuts to decorating the table for the holiday? Especially if you are looking to do it on a budget?
Did someone say budget? Oh, we love a good budget idea or a clever hack when it comes to decorating or DIYing our home for the holidays. For decorating the table, there are several ways you can get more bang for your buck. Usually, it involves looking to Mother Nature for some help:
Use seasonal fruit – buy fruit at Costco, Trader Joe’s, or your local grocery store. Think: a large bowl of clementines, pomegranates or persimmons. Not only are these colors gorgeous and the fruit looks robust, but you can also eat them later after your celebrating is over. It’s a no-waste win-win.
For greenery, no need to spend big bucks on a floral arrangement that most likely will wilt within several days. Instead place greenery across the center of your table. I love using a mix of eucalyptus, such as silver dollar eucalyptus and seeded. Or, if you have a yard, clip some greenery from a tree or bush, and either drape that across your table or go dramatic and place large branches within a large vase for your centerpiece. This is a natural look that is trending these days and it’s totally affordable.
Are you in an area where you can find pinecones on the ground when you walk outside? Fill a large centerpiece bowl or glass vase with them or place them about your table. I’ve also found large colorful leaves on the ground and have used those on my table for extra decor.
3) Can you give us a few tips on making a table look festive?
Here are some DIYs and tips to making a table look festive:
Candles, candles, candles! Mix different heights and shapes, from tealights to pillars. The glow of candlelight makes any table feel so warm and festive. I personally love the look of all white candles. And be sure to use scentless candles – you don’t want them to compete with the aroma of your meal.
Or, if you don’t want to use candles, place battery operated mini fairy lights under glass cloches. This look is so enchanting. Place some greenery around the cloches to cover any wires that might be sticking out. Also, if you can’t find a cloche, simply place the fairy lights into a variety of glass vases in different shapes and sizes, or glass lanterns.
You can create mini wreaths using rosemary sprigs and place them upon napkins. All you need to do is take floral wire and shape it into a circle. Then take fresh rosemary sprigs and twist it around the wire. Simple, yet so sweet!
Another place setting idea: dry slices of oranges and wrap them with a cinnamon stick using twine. You can even attach a name tag to this as well. Festive and fragrant.
What to do with all those Amazon boxes you’ve been saving? Wrap them in wrapping paper, tie them with a bow, and set upon your table. Ideally these boxes should be on the small to medium size. (Or find boxes at craft stores such as Michaels.) Choose a variety of different holiday-themed wrapping paper. (And while you’re at it, why not place a real gift for each guest at their place setting, such as some flavored salts or chocolates?)
Grab some pretty scrapbook paper and make cone-shaped trees in different heights. We love the look of marble paper or light oak tones for a truly elegant look that is easy to make and inexpensive. You just need a pencil, a piece of string (for drawing out the cone), and some tape to create the shape. Or you can buy cardboard cones at a craft store and wrap them in colorful yarn.
One last DIY: buy clear plastic or glass ornaments (like these that are $15 for 12) and give them a vintage mercury glass look using mirror spray paint. There are a few easy steps to follow, so use this DIY as a guide.
4) Where can we follow you for more ideas?
We have so many more ideas around holiday entertaining and decor (and more) at Hunker. Come visit us:
· Website: Hunker
· Instagram: @hunkerhome
· Laurie Gunning Grossman (that’s me!) on IG: @laurie.gunning.grossman
