Christmas Table Decorations with Shoppe by Scoutmob

My maternal grandmother grew up in Germany, and when she came here to the States in the 1950's she brought many of her cultural touchstones with her. One of those was the kaffeeklatsch, an informal afternoon gathering of women over coffee, pastries, and conversation. (The word literally translates as 'coffee gossip'!) While it's a charming tradition year round, the kaffeeklatsch is especially ideal for the holidays when you want to host your friends but don't have time for a big to-do. Simply brew a pot of coffee, put out a plate of cookies, and get to chatting!

When Shoppe by Scoutmob approached me about using some of their handmade pieces to style a holiday tabletop, I knew that I wanted to use the kaffeeklatsch as my inspiration. Scoutmob started as a compendium of local artisans, and their retail site makes that curated selection of independently produced goods available online. Because each and every Shoppe by Scoutmob find is one-of-a-kind (and therefore heirloom quality!), it felt fitting to create something that paid homage to my heritage. 

But I had ulterior motives too. The kaffeeklatsch is supposed to be simple and low-stress, which is exactly how I wanted these Christmas table decorations to be. Even though this tabletop looks sophisticated, I threw it together quite quickly using a mix of Shoppe by Scoutmob pieces and items from big box stores. That's the beauty of incorporating handmade elements into your decor: you only need a few to make a big impact! 

Another way to keep table settings looking refined and effortless is to limit your color palette. In this case I went with shades of white and grey to give it a clean, wintery sensibility. Shoppe by Scoutmob has over 8000 carefully curated products from more than 1000 independent makers, so even with my narrow criteria there was no shortage of gorgeous goods too choose from! A few strategically selected ceramics and linens added that extra special something to my existing collection of plates and cutlery.

From there, all that was left to do was add a few dusty green eucalyptus branches as an organic accent. A couple boxes of European cookies provide a tasty and exotic touch. (If you get stroopwafels be sure to set them atop your steaming cup of coffee to melt the inner layer of caramel!) Take my word for it that a kaffeeklatsch is the way to go this holiday season. Don't give it too much thought. Just call a couple girlfriends, pull out your favorite dishes, and klatsch away!