Goodwill entered the Wisconsin Restaurant Association’s Table Top Design Competition last spring. Our ski chalet theme won Most Innovative Design! 

The beautiful table and benches were designed and made by Goodwill’s talented facilities crew. It’s a solid, custom, one-of-a kind dining set.

The individual place settings started with rustic chargers made from tree trunks! Then I shopped Goodwill stores for enough dishes to feed eight. I liked the contrast of the snow-white and black plates. The glass domes are from cheese platters. But, instead of cheese, the domes are sheltering gold-and-white ornaments. Every guest gets a party favor (or three) to take home. 

Because we’re dining in the mountains, I made seat cushion covers from comfy cable knit sweaters. Then I made little mittens from the left-over scraps for the silverware. I wrote initials on mini wood discs instead of using place cards.

White napkins are tucked into cut glass water glasses that remind me of ice and frost on window panes. No respectable winter dinner table would be complete without matching mugs for hot cocoa or hot toddies! 

The centerpiece is a collection of pine trees, a pair of skates and more cut-glass votives.

Ceramic houses add more light to the table. I painted plain candle houses with various shades of cooper and bronze, and then added faux snow and glitter. They look just like little cabins in the mountains!

I’m not a fan of cold weather or snow, but this table could change my mind!