I was browsing the online after-Christmas sales on Pottery Barn and came across these beauties:
The first thought that went through my head was: “I want that!”
Then I saw the price tag of these magnolia chargers: $64 for FOUR. On clearance for $34.99.
The second thought that popped into my head was “I can make that!”
I put it in my head that I would attempt it before next Christmas. But then I stumbled upon these on clearance at Michaels for .5 each:
But what would I attach them to? I was heading to IKEA after Michaels, and… well, I found these for $1.99 each:
SERENDIPITY!
After putting it all together, I came up with this:
First, I cut the IKEA chargers a bit smaller so they didn’t overwhelm the table.
Then, I cut out the leaves and divided them into two piles by size: small and large.
I arranged them on the chargers to see how many would fit, and then used my glue gun to attach them. First I attached the large ones on the outermost rim, then the small ones on the inside of that.
That’s it!
If I wanted to go all out, I could have spray painted the entire charger silver. But I worry about chemicals, so I let it stay green. Had I been able to find more of the leaves on sale I would have covered the entire charger, but I can live with it as is. No one would see the green part unless they lifted the plate anyways.
Here they are with a dinner plate:
Or a salad/ dessert plate:
And with BOTH!
For about $2.50 each, I was able to make Pottery Barn-style chargers for MUCH less than the originals. Hmmm… about $54.00 less than the original, actually. Why, that MORE than covers the amount of my new boots!
I’m looking forward to using them at our next Christmas dinner. But I’d like to experience spring and summer first, thank you very much!
Very cute and great idea! Love it!
What a fabulous idea! They look great!
You are one creative, smart and talented lady! WOW!!! What a great idea! It’s lovely! They look so fancy!
TFS!
Paloma.
Very, very cute!
Fun! I’ll have to look around for some pretty silver leaves.
They turned out fabulous!
I *love* it… what a great idea!! It adds so much to the table!
very nice…what a great idea to add to the presentation…
terina
http://goddessofmycottage.blogspot.com
Very cool! Love the texture and whimsey!
Thanks for linking it up to SNS!
FJ Donna
What would you US girls do without PB for inspiration! Love this.
Great idea and use of materials!
Cindy at Lakewood
Wow I love these. Great idea.
Those look great! Love the creativity!
I totally love this! It’s going in my inspiration file NOW. 🙂
You did a wonderful job on these and yours are so much more elegant than the PB ones, love metallics!!! Enjoy!
Totally cool, I love these. You have inspired me. I guess I know what I will be doing next week. Thanks for sharing.
Cha Cha
So glad everyone enjoyed this project! Yes, Pottery Barn is a little TOO much of an inspiration. I probably need to get some of my own ideas, but until I do… PB RULES!
Gorgeous! You are so creative! 🙂
Oh, Wow! This was a great idea. I have some greenery that I now know what to do with it.
I just love that header. I am still sitting here with a smile on my face. You just made my week.
Thanks for sharing.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Your chargers are lovely!! I saw your link on Finding Fabulous, and I thought I’d let you know that Holly over at Homebody (http://www.homebodyholly.com/) is having a Pottery Barn Knock-Off party today. 🙂
Looks great and goes well with your dishes
Stopping over from Homebody. These turned out beautifully! I think your are better looking than PB’s! I love that silvery color against your dishes.
Very,very clever!!
They turned out GREAT!!!
Those are great!!! 🙂
That makes such a pretty table! Love your ingenuity, and 5 cents for the leaves? That’s unbelievable!
Thanks for linking up 🙂
Wow, I love the silver even better. Great knock off. Looks beautiful with the red.
My, my, my! I think I will be making these with green, they look fab!
Very crafty! They look great with your china 🙂
I think your version looks better than the PB version– and at a fraction of the cost! I think it’s because they’re silver, and they look less like outdoor greenery and more high-end!
~Elizabeth
Confessions From A Working Mom
Wow, what a unique look! You really did it well.
🙂
I love it!!!
What a great job!!!!
I like your version even better than the PB ones! The silver color looks beautiful with your dishes!
I think I like your ones even more than the PB ones, great job!
Yours are prettier than PB and look wonderful with your dishes!
~Nancy
Beautiful!!! I am going to feature this project on my blog tomorrow morning. You can stop over and grab a brag button if you would like one.
madincrafts.blogspot.com
I love them! Beautiful! Great job! 🙂
I’m late – but thanks so much for sharing in the DIY Show & Tell!
Roeshel
How smart is this! I saw these just the other day and thought how easy they would be to make..thanks for the inspiration! Visiting from CSI
Lovely idea – but I found this initially very confusing. I always thought a “charger” was a large, deep bowl or plate for serving food i.e. charging or filling peoples regular plates.
So I thought you were making the crockery not the place mats.
@anonymous: sorry for the confusion! Another definition of charger is a large plate that goes under a plate for decorative purposes.