Embellish

Vine-ripe tomatoes are not only delectable; they’re decorative. Author and Westchester, N.Y.-based lifestyle expert Colleen Mullaney shows you how to create a ripe and respected work of art for an intimate outdoor gathering this summer.

Materials:

40 cherry tomatoes

1 large green cabbage

12” topiary form

6” clay pot and saucer

green moss

raffia

hot-glue gun and glue sticks

How to:
1. Cut bottom of topiary form to fit pot. Glue to secure. Cover foam at top of pot with moss and glue in place. Start gluing tomatoes to form, placing them close together, alternating with top and bottoms showing. Continue until form is completely covered.

2. Using the points of a pair of scissors, fill in small gaps between tomatoes with moss. Glue in place.

3. Cut large cabbage leaves and place on sides of pot. Trim bottoms of leaves so tops just graze rim of clay pot. Fold bottoms under pot and glue leaves in place.

4. To finish, wrap several strands of raffia around pot and tie knot.

To make votives:

1. Cut smaller leaves from cabbage head.

2. Wrap around votive, trimming bottoms so that tops leaves graze rims of votives. Fold bottoms under votive and glue in place.

3. To finish, wrap several strands of raffia around votive and tie knot.

Tip: Other possible fruits and vegetables for topiary (all with the same round shape) are lemons, limes, small peaches and apples or any large berry.

Mullaney is the author of several crafts books, including Crafting On the Go: Shells, Crafting On the Go: Felt, Faux Fabulous Florals (Sixth&Spring Books) and One-of-a-Kind Weddings (Creative Publishing). Check out her blog!

-Taniesha Robinson

Photo by karenwithak. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Have you ever marveled at perfectly creased napkins presented on dinner tables at fancy restaurants? Create those fancy folds for your table at home. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started.

Candle napkin fold

This napkin fold mimics a pillar candle. To get the look fold a square napkin - cloth works best - in half diagonally and fold the long side of the triangle up an inch and flatten. Tightly roll either end until the napkin becomes a cylinder and tuck the end into the base.

French napkin fold

What’s fancier than French? Fold a napkin in half diagonally and turn the fold vertical. Fold the far corner down diagonally to the right. Fold the farthest right corner toward you, pivoting at the same place as the last fold.

Find step-by-step photo guides to these napkin folds and others at www.napkinfoldingguide.com.

–Taniesha Robinson