Skip to content

Top Navigation

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Food
  • Home
  • Life
  • Health
  • Money
  • Style and Beauty
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • News
  • Shopping
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Real Simple

Real Simple Logo Real Simple Logo
  • Explore

    Explore

    • How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

      How to Measure Your Ring Size at Home

      Try one of these three easy methods to make sure your ring fits perfectly, every time. Read More
    • Here's the Right Temperature for Your Refrigerator and Freezer (Because a Few Degrees Makes a Difference)

      Here's the Right Temperature for Your Refrigerator and Freezer (Because a Few Degrees Makes a Difference)

      Keeping foods chilled properly helps them last longer and stay fresher. Sticking to the ideal refrigerator temps can help you avoid potential foodborne illnesses, too. Read More
    • 34 Great Books to Suit Any Mood or Interest

      34 Great Books to Suit Any Mood or Interest

      This list has you covered, no matter how you're feeling. Read More
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food
    9 Cheeses You Can Eat Even If You're Lactose Intolerant

    9 Cheeses You Can Eat Even If You're Lactose Intolerant

    Not all dairy is created equal. 
    • Recipes
    • Real Simple Cooking School
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping and Storing
    • Kitchen Tools and Products
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
    • Decorating
    • Gardening
    • Home Improvement
    • Green Living
    • New Uses for Old Things at Home
    • Quick Fix
    • Real Simple Home
  • Life

    Life

    See All Life
    • Family
    • Entertainment
    • Technology
    • Wedding Planning
    • Travel Ideas
    • Career
    • Get It Done
  • Health

    Health

    See All Health
    Feel Like You Don't Enjoy Anything Anymore? There's a Name for That—Here Are 8 Ways You Can Break Through It

    Feel Like You Don't Enjoy Anything Anymore? There's a Name for That—Here Are 8 Ways You Can Break Through It

    Mental health experts explain anhedonia and how you can bounce back from this joyless state of mind.
    • Preventive Health
    • Mental Health
    • Health Coach
    • Crisis Coping
    • Fitness & Exercise
    • Sleep
    • Healthy Eating
    • Well Fed
  • Money

    Money

    See All Money
    Are You Keeping Too Much Money in the Bank? Here's How to Tell

    Are You Keeping Too Much Money in the Bank? Here's How to Tell

    Putting money in the bank is smart, but too much cash savings can actually be a poor use of that money.
    • Money Confidential Podcast
    • Saving Money
    • Money Planning
    • Money Confidential
    • Spending
    • Money Etiquette
    • Invest Better
  • Style and Beauty

    Style and Beauty

    See All Style and Beauty
    How to Measure Your Bra Size at Home

    How to Measure Your Bra Size at Home

    All you need is a tape measure and a little free time.
    • Clothing
    • Skincare
    • Shoes
    • Hair
    • Clothing Care
    • Makeup
    • Hair Body Face
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining
    PowerPoint Parties Are the Party Trend You Have to Try: Here's How to Host One

    PowerPoint Parties Are the Party Trend You Have to Try: Here's How to Host One

    PowerPoint nights are the new fun way to party together—even when you're far apart.
    • All Holidays
    • Gifts
    • Father's Day
    • Passover
    • Entertaining
    • Home for the Holidays
    • Come Together
    • Hanukkah
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter
    • Mother's Day
  • News
  • Shopping
  • About Us

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • My Account
  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Free Organizing App this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Real Simple
  2. Home
  3. New Uses for Old Things at Home
  4. New Uses for Things in the Dining Room

New Uses for Things in the Dining Room

Real Simple Author
By Real Simple Editors Updated January 31, 2014
Skip gallery slides
FB Tweet
Coasters made from place mats
Credit: James Baigrie
Surprising tricks for table linens, serving pieces, and more.
Start Slideshow

1 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Place Mats as Coasters

Coasters made from place mats
Credit: James Baigrie

Prevent water rings by cutting mismatched or damaged plastic placemats into smaller squares with pinking shears, discarding parts that are torn or stained.

1 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Chalk as Tarnish Prevention

Dinner set on a table.
Credit: Monica Buck

Slow the tarnish on your good silver by tying up a few moisture-absorbing pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your cutlery for shinier flatware that reflects well on you in no time flat.

2 of 20

3 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Pumpkin as Place Card

New use: pumpkin as place card
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Spell out guests’ names with adhesive letters (or write them with a permanent marker); send the mini gourds home as party favors.

3 of 20

Advertisement

4 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Doily as Candle Holder

Doily as Candle Holder
Credit: Erica McCartney; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Looking for an easy and inexpensive way to dress up tables? Give pillar candles delicate, lacey embellishments by folding doilies in half, wrapping them around candles, and securing with tape.

4 of 20

5 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Wrapping Paper as Napkin Ring

Wrapping Paper as Napkin Ring
Credit: Erica McCartney; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Cut even strips of leftover wrapping paper, wrap around a napkin, and affix with tape. There’s no easier—or cheaper—way to dress up place settings.

5 of 20

6 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Use a Wineglass as a Candleholder

New use: wine glass as candle holder
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Give some height to a candle display by perching a pillar on an upside-down wineglass.

6 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Pine Cone as Place Card

New use: pinecone as place card holder
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Dust off pinecones from the yard to make rustic (and free) place card holders for a fall dinner party. You can also paint them for a more modern look.

7 of 20

8 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Ribbon as Place Card Embellishment

New Use: Ribbon as Place Card Embellishment
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Punch four holes around a piece of cardstock, then tie two pieces of ribbon along the top and bottom to make a striped place card.

8 of 20

9 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Holiday Tags as Drink Labels

New use: gift tag as glass label
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Merlot gone missing? A small, adhesive gift tag keeps each drink in the right hand.

9 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Wrapping Paper as Placemat

New use: giftwrap as placemat
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Turn rectangles of giftwrap into placemats you don’t mind getting dirty. You can even write guests’ names on the edges to designate seats.

10 of 20

11 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Kazoo as Place Card

Kazoo use as a place card
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Ready to blow it out at your next dinner party? Use a permanent marker to write guests’ names on kazoos to designate seats—perfect for New Year’s Eve.

11 of 20

12 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Ribbon as Utensil Holder

New use: ribbon as utensil holder
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

When utensils are wrapped together, guests can grab what they need in one go—great for a buffet table.

12 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Quilt as Tablecloth

Quilt used as table cloth
Credit: Anita Calero

Give your table a cozy vibe by covering it with an extra quilt. Just make sure it is machine washable, so a spill won't ruin an heirloom.

13 of 20

14 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Tree Bow Ornament as Napkin Ring

New use: ornament as napkin ring
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Use tree bows (with built-in loops on the back) to hold napkins for Christmas dinner—or turn any ornament into a decorative tie by threading a ribbon through the wire loop on top.

14 of 20

15 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Paper Towel Tube as Linen Organizer

New use: paper towel roll as linen organizer
Credit: Nicole Hill Gerulat; Styling: Kristine Trevino

Keep linen placemats and runners crease-free; roll them around a paper towel holder instead of folding.

15 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Shells as Salt Cellars

Shells used to dispense spices
Credit: Jose Picayo

Enhance flavors—and your table setting—with a salt pinch pot made from a shell.

16 of 20

17 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Soup Tureen as Centerpiece

Soup tureen used as centerpiece
Credit: James Merrell

Arrange an easy centerpiece. Fill with a little water and float flowers on the surface, or stack citrus fruits inside.

17 of 20

18 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Mirror as Centerpiece

Mirror and candles as a table runner
Credit: Annie Schlechter

Place an inexpensive full-length mirror (the kind you attach to a closet door) atop the dining-room table. Set vases or candles of various heights on the mirror. It's an easy and elegant way to adorn your table.

18 of 20

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Salt and Pepper Shakers as Bud Vases

Salt and pepper shakers used as vases
Credit: Mark Lund

Screw off the caps of spare salt and pepper shakers (or empty jam jars or perfume bottles) and use the receptacles to display flowers on a bedroom night table or a guest-bathroom sink. You can also put potpourri inside.

19 of 20

20 of 20

FB Tweet
Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Storybook Pages as Placemats

Storybook pages as placemats
Credit: Mark Lund

Add some character(s) to a table setting by sandwiching favorite storybook pages between lamination sheets (available at office-supply stores). Catchy text and colorful pictures (think Dr. Seuss and nursery rhymes) are especially attention-grabbing.

20 of 20

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Real Simple Editors

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 20 Place Mats as Coasters
    2 of 20 Chalk as Tarnish Prevention
    3 of 20 Pumpkin as Place Card
    4 of 20 Doily as Candle Holder
    5 of 20 Wrapping Paper as Napkin Ring
    6 of 20 Use a Wineglass as a Candleholder
    7 of 20 Pine Cone as Place Card
    8 of 20 Ribbon as Place Card Embellishment
    9 of 20 Holiday Tags as Drink Labels
    10 of 20 Wrapping Paper as Placemat
    11 of 20 Kazoo as Place Card
    12 of 20 Ribbon as Utensil Holder
    13 of 20 Quilt as Tablecloth
    14 of 20 Tree Bow Ornament as Napkin Ring
    15 of 20 Paper Towel Tube as Linen Organizer
    16 of 20 Shells as Salt Cellars
    17 of 20 Soup Tureen as Centerpiece
    18 of 20 Mirror as Centerpiece
    19 of 20 Salt and Pepper Shakers as Bud Vases
    20 of 20 Storybook Pages as Placemats

    Share & More

    Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Real Simple Logo

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Help
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithAll products and services featured are selected by our editors. Real Simple may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Real Simple is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Real Simple. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.realsimple.com

    Sign in

    View image

    New Uses for Things in the Dining Room
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.