Table Centerpiece & Bookpage Fruit

My mother-in-law gave me this cake stand to see if I could use it. Well the truth is I hardly ever bake, and if I do it more than likely isn't a cake. For the 2 to 3 times in a year I do happen to make a cake it is unlikely that it will fall around the Christmas holiday. I loved the simple shape of the piece so I had some "magic-working" to do. After taking the dog out at 3 a.m. it hit me, make it into a centerpiece for our dining room table!

I started by spray painted the entire thing with a couple coats of jade spray paint. While that was drying I started on the fruit. I picked up some apples and pears at the dollar store and got to work Mod Podging them with ripped book pages. To add a little color I soaked the pages in food coloring and a little white vinegar. After they dried the red was more pink than red. So with a brilliant idea from my hubby, I added red food coloring into the top coat of Mod Podge. It worked but at this point they were very VERY bright red. We added a drop of blue and little more red and I did one more thin messy coat to give the apples a darker look. I love how they ended up turning out.

A trashy romance novel should do the trick.

Then with the addition of some clearance place mats I had a whole new look for our table.

I couldn't pass up these adorable ruffled place mats, especially when they were on sale!