Funny Phrase Written on Wooden Tailgate

It's tablescape day for my dinner club group, and I love creating and sharing tablescapes with you!! That's why I can't wait to show you how to create a football tailgate party tablescape, or at least my twist on the theme.

Since the Superbowl is right around the corner, this would be a perfect for a game day party!

If you are coming over from Kristin at White Arrows Home, welcome! Wasn't her festive tailgate party ideas so fun??

I have to admit I was a little concerned when we decided on a football theme this month. I had no ideas for what to do, but knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a specific theme table.

So, I started making a list of everything I already had that I could use. Like an old football that was in the garage, a silver urn that could look like a trophy, faux grass squares from my Easter decor, and a memorobilia football helmet that my husband had in his office.

football theme place setting. faux grass square for placemat, white dinner plate stacked with white salad plate, yellow napkin and wooden football cutout on top of napkin for a place card

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I pulled out a roll of heavy brown paper that I already had on hand. You can find this paper in the paint section at Home Depot.

I rolled it out on my table and cut it to fit the width. Then, I cut it just a bit longer than my table, folded it over the end and taped it down underneath the table to hold it in place.

I bought a roll of thin white electical tape and used it to create "yard lines". I started in the very center of the table for the 50 yard line, then measured out evenly to create the other lines.

brown paper rolled out on dining table to create a table runner. white electrical tape creates yard lines

When I finished, it looked like this.

white chalk pen and number stencils - supplies to create yard line numbers for a football themed table runner

I used some number stencils I had, and a white chalk pen to create the numbers for each yard line.

brown paper table runner with yard lines created from white tape and stenciled numbers at each yard line

That finished off the table runner.

Honestly, if you have a cricut machine and could cut the number stencils out of vinyl, it would be much faster. Even white number stickers would be great too.

I had a roll of green moss and I cut it to make placemats that look like grass. My plan was to use this,

then I remembered I had some faux green grass squares with my spring decor, so I ended up using that instead. I just wanted to show the moss runner, because it is great option if you don't have the grass squares. I will share sources for both at the bottom of this post.

white dinner plate stacked with white salad plate on top of faux green grass square placemat

Each place setting was layered with a white dinner plate and a white salad plate. All of my white plates are thrifted. I highly recommend starting a collection of them if you don't already have white dishes. I use them all the time and they can be dressed up or down for any occasion.

When I was thrifting last week, I spotted this yellow scarf and thought it would be perfect for "penalty" flag napkins.

It was big enough to cut into 8 napkins. I only needed 6 for this table, but I have extras if I want to use them at my larger table. They would be great for a fall tablescape, as well.

You could certainly use yellow paper napkins to get a similar look.

I bought wooden football shape cutouts at the Dollar Store. There were 2 on a strand with wooden pumpkins and were $1 each, so I bought 3 strands. This gave me 6 footballs to use for place cards and I only spent $3.

I didn't like the design on them, so I painted the back side with brown paint I already had, and wrote names with a white paint pen.

These made the perfect addition to my football theme place settings!

football themed centerpiece, a football with the ends cut off to use as a vase and filled with white flowers , a silver wine bucket used as a trophy and holds green moss and a football and pennants made from scrapbook paper, and a football helmet

I used a signed memorbilia helmet my husband had in his office for part of my centerpiece.

A silver wine bucket filled with green moss resembled a trophy, and I just added a football (that I borrowed from a friend) and some pennants.

silver wine bucket used as a centerpiece for a footbll themed tablescaped, with green moss inside and a football tucked in

The pennants were made from scrapbook paper and sticker letters I had on hand. I hot glued wooden skewers to the back and stuck them down into the moss.

My flower vase was made from an old football I found in the garage and my husband gifted it to me because it was so old and wouldn't hold air anymore. I tucked a vase down inside the football and filled it with white flowers from my yard/garden.

I cut both ends off of the football. This creates a hole to put the vase of flowers and also a flat bottom for it to stand up on its own.

old football with both ends cut off to use as a vase. Glass vase being placed inside football to hold water and flowers

I used a glass vase I already had that fit down in the hole. I filled the vase with water and placed my flowers inside.

vase made from an old football filled with white flowers

Thrift stores and garage sales are a great place to look for an old football if you want to create this centerpiece and don't already have a football you want to destroy.

football jersey chair covers

Last winter I had the idea to use sweaters as slipcovers for a winter themed tablescape. I thought it would be fun to do a similar look for my football tailgate themed tablescape, so I borrowed football jerseys from a couple of friends.

football jerseys over the back of chairs for slipcovers to go with my football themed tablescape

overall view of football tailgate tablescape. football jerseys over the back of chairs for slipcovers, football helmet and silver wine bucket "trophy" for centerpiece

I think it added a fun finishing touch to my table!

mason jar wrapped with a strip of narrow black and white striped paper and a whistle on a string around neck of glass to resemble a referee

A strip of black and white striped scrapbook paper, taped around the center of a mason jar resembles a referee. I finished if of with a whistle tied with a string around the neck of the jar.

The whistle slips off the glass easily so it can actually be used for drinking.

football plays written on the brown paper table runner with a white paint pen for added decoration

I drew football plays with a white paint pen to finish off my table. I had a lot of empty space on the table runner, so I drew plays in several places on the table.

And no, I don't know a thing about football plays! Googled everyone of them, and I'm sure this is not even close to what they are supposed to look like, but you get the idea.