State Fair Tablescape Competition #2 – Setup

So there I was at the fairgrounds again! Only this time I was setting up my first entry into the Tablescape Competition!

This is part #2 of the State Fair Tablescape Competition Trilogy. Part #1 was about what started this whole thing, and all the planning I did beforehand. And in this second post, I’ll tell you all about the process of tablescape setup.

Packing & Loading In

As you might remember from State Fair Tablescape Competition Post #1, I set up and dismantled my table several times at home. And the last time I dismantled it, I packed it all up for the hour long journey to the capital.

I took a lot of notes based on “challenges” I had with this particular tablescape setup. So I’ll let you in on those as we go along!

I ended up fitting two plastic bins, two garbage bag-wrapped packages, and a folding card table in my car. Fortunately that first year, the Fair people had some shopping carts available to haul our stuff in.

NOTE – However, things change, and carts haven’t been available the last couple years. So now I bring a little folding hand truck along!

My table linens were cream and white, so I wrapped them all up in big garbage bags to make sure they didn’t get dirty in transportation. I also had a variety of other goodies in my bins besides my actual table items. (Cleaning supplies, extra table items just in case, lint brush, scissors, measuring tape, etc.) But if I remember, I think I got them all inside in one trip!

Registration

Oh boy! I was so excited, and a little nervous, to be entering my first competition.

Here’s what the registration area looked like. I walked up to the Online Registration table and handed over my confirmation printout. The nice Fair people gave me some paperwork, and showed me to my spot.

My Tablescape Setup Spot

And here it is! Fortunately the person next to me wasn’t there yet, so I had a little extra room. It can get a little squishy.

NOTE – This first year, we did the tablescape setup so that the curtain was in the back. But last year, they changed it so the tables were enclosed by a curtain corral. Needless to say, that changed the way our tables needed to be set. But that’s probably my biggest lesson to date – always be prepared for new things and last minute changes!

Up goes the table! See the white Velcro strips on the edge? That was one of my own brilliant last minute ideas, which didn’t necessarily work out well. I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.

NOTE – That first year, I didn’t realize that my card table was only 34″ square. According to the official rules, we got 36″ x 36″ for our tabletops! Also my table sagged in the middle – oops! Now I use a plywood top that keeps my table flat and gives me more space too.

Electricity for Ironing

I knew the linens had to all be perfectly pressed. And I knew that even though I rolled and wrapped them carefully, they would be all wrinkly by the time I got them there. So two of the goodies packed in my bins were an iron and a mile long extension cord!

I had to go all the way out of the tablescape area to find this solitary little outlet.

And then I just very nonchalantly unwound the extension cord as I walked back to my table. Nobody said anything, so I guess it was ok!

Now, I wouldn’t even show you this ridiculous table skirt if it wasn’t in the name of education! One of the reasons I always set up my entire table beforehand, is that on this first table, I forgot about the table skirt. I got to the night before and realized that the way I’d planned to do it didn’t really work! So I had to make something up on the fly. And to say that this is a last minute and terrible job, is a large understatement. However, it’s done, and let that be a warning to all!

Measuring

One of the things I love – and that drives other people crazy – about this competition, is the rules. I love trying to get every little thing exactly right. And this is where the tablescape setup gets tricky. The place settings have to be centered. Chargers need to be exactly one inch from the edge of the table. Etcetera, etcetera.

I wanted to make positive sure that my stuff was all lined up just so. SO I measured exactly half way along each edge and marked it with a straight pin. Then did the same with the diagonal line that my glasses would sit on. Black thread showed up very nicely when I attached it to the pins – and voila! Tablescape setup was never so easy!

Flowers & Candles

The centerpiece flower arrangement went on first, smack in the middle of the table. (Try to ignore all those shadows if you can. The lights were harsh!)

The rules say NO real food, liquids, or flowers on the tables. So this was actually the first faux flower arrangement I’d ever done. As you might imagine, I messed around with it for weeks before I got a design I liked. Then I packed it so carefully, so I could get it to the Fair in mostly the same condition. You can see one of the flowers is trying to escape out the front!

Then I put out the brass candlesticks, which I had polished to within an inch of their lives. But they did shine in those super bright overhead lights.

Place Setting

Next came the place settings. See how all I had to do was lay them on top of the threads? It was pretty exciting! (I know the flatware is all wonky, but we’ll fix that.)

Of course, at a regular fancy dinner you wouldn’t bring the teacups out until the dessert round. But for this competition, they want them on the table with the place setting. I was elegant and laid the teaspoon upside down on the saucer instead of putting it on the table.

NOTE – I got style points for the teaspoon maneuver on this setting. But the next year, the judges marked me down for it. So if you’re thinking of entering, remember that the judging isn’t always consistent. You just have to resign yourself.

Then I put on all the glassware and napkins. (In more brutally polished brass.) Then finally, the finishing touch of the place card holders and the menu.

Menu

Coming up with the menu is another really fun part of the competition. I love a many-course dinner, so I had many courses on my menu! Which entailed many glasses, and lots of china and flatware. But heck, that’s what we’re here for, right?

One of the trickiest things about tablescape setup is finding a good place for the menu. The people who come to see your table have to be able to read it from pretty far away. So it has to be large enough, but you don’t want it to overpower your table.

NOTE – For this first table, I also didn’t realize that you needed to pick a sub-theme. And the judges like for you to have a little description or story about that sub-theme. So that usually means you’ll end up having yet another piece of paper on your table. As you can see, it would have been really crowded if I had known to put a description.

Final Adjustments

Now you get to make the final adjustments! I have a long piece of interior trim that’s exactly 1″ wide that I bring along with me. I lay it on the very front edge of the table and make sure the charger, napkin, saucer, and all the flatware is right up against it. Downton Abbey precision!

And with that, our tablescape setup is complete! The whole business took me about two hours, but it was so much fun! You can see a couple other tables in the background of the picture above. Even though I didn’t meet the people next to me, I did get a chance to chat with some of the other entrants. It was great to compare notes and share ideas while we were setting up. That part was truly my favorite.

I hope you’ve enjoyed installments #1 & #2 of the State Fair Tablescape Trilogy! Tune in in a couple weeks for #3, the 2019 Table Reveal – I can’t wait to share it with you! Thanks so much for being here!

———- Shop the Tablescape Set Up Post ———-

Click on the pictures for links to pieces I used for this table.  If the exact item isn’t available any more, I chose a similar option.

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