Every year I tell myself I’m going to “do something totally different” for St. Patrick’s Day… and then I open my storage shelves and fall right back in love with what I already have. 💚
And honestly? I’m not mad about it.
A Little Storage Glow-Up
Two years ago I shared how I use wire shelves and labeled plastic bins for each holiday and season. That system is still working beautifully, but I made one small change this year that feels like a genius-level life upgrade.
Instead of wrapping breakables in cloths and tucking them away inside bins, I’m now placing them directly on the shelves where I can see them at a glance. No more unwrapping. No more guessing. No more “Wait… do I even own green goblets?”
When I’m ready to decorate, I grab my market basket and go “shopping” right from my shelves. It feels slightly ridiculous and wildly satisfying at the same time.
I always treat my beautiful wood table with lemon oil each time I change the tablescape. I am currently using this lemon oil from Milsek and love it. Walmart affiliate link for lemon oil https://walmrt.us/471Hvn2 and for dusting mitt https://walmrt.us/4s1Jgc1
Slim Pickings in the Stores
Have you noticed this too? The stores near me practically leapt from Valentine’s Day straight into Easter. Poor St. Patrick got squeezed right out of the middle.
When I emptied my St. Patrick’s bin and gathered my breakables, I realized two things:
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I already have plenty.
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I only need a few small additions this year.
That is a very happy place to be.
The Foundation: Plaid + Gold + Cabbage
We’re using the same plaid flannel-backed tablecloth from last year because… well… I couldn’t find another one anywhere. And honestly, it still looks great.
On top of that:
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Gold chargers, check them out via my Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/4s4h2xl
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My beloved green cabbage leaf dinnerware from Bordallo Pinheiro (expensive, but worth it! Collect piece by piece starting at my Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/3OtyDjT
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My mother’s 22K gold-embossed Culver Valencia glassware (which feels fancy even if we’re just serving lemonade). You’ll find it secondhand online or at your local flea market.
Now, a little truth: I don’t usually serve meals that require serious knife action on those cabbage plates. Sometimes we set them out for looks and quietly use sturdy paper plates for the actual meal. Real life decorating, friends. 😉
Boys vs. Girls Place Settings
This part still makes me smile.
Three place settings for the “boys”:
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Green derby hats 12-pack Walmart affiliate link https://walmrt.us/3ZMIJyP
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Shamrock bow ties 12-pack Walmart affiliate link https://walmrt.us/4rFJINp
Three for the “girls”:
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Sparkly St. Patrick’s headbands set of 12 Walmart affiliate link https://walmrt.us/4tMdtgY
Most of those little accessories came from the dollar store for $1.25 each, but if not, they are available at Walmart online. You truly do not need a big budget to make a table feel festive.
The Star of the Show: A Treasure Chest
The centerpiece is my absolute favorite part. 😄 You can buy your own treasure box to use as a centerpiece via this Amazon affiliate link https://amzn.to/4rEYvYS
I stuff it full so it looks like an overflowing treasure chest — shiny coins, green beads, sparkly shamrocks. Around it, I wrapped a string of battery-operated green clover lights (you know the kind that have become so popular over the past few years). I also twisted a bit of St. Patrick’s wire garland around the hanging light fixture above the table.
A little sparkle goes a long way.
A Quick Note on the Gold Glassware
My mother’s gold-embossed glassware is vintage and still pops up secondhand on places like eBay. Her sets include everything — wine glasses, shot glasses, trays, even ice buckets and tongs. She received some pieces as gifts and inherited others, and using them always feels a little extra special.
Tradition + dollar store sparkle? That’s my decorating sweet spot.
Decorating Smarter, Not Harder
This year’s table is proof that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every holiday. If your base pieces are solid — tablecloth, chargers, dinnerware — you can refresh the look with small, inexpensive additions.
And if the stores skip your holiday entirely? Use what you already have and lean into it.
Also… I just realized when I was taking photos that I forgot to set out the napkins and silverware. Classic. I’ll fix that and maybe sneak in another photo update later. Real life, always.
Thank you so much for reading. I hope what I share is helpful, occasionally inspirational, and sometimes at least mildly funny. If you’d like a little reminder in your inbox each week so you don’t miss anything, I’d love for you to subscribe to my free Monday newsletter. It’s my way of wrapping up the week and keeping us all on track — without stress.
And if you’re already thinking ahead to future holidays (because I know some of you are planners like me), I also wrote about how I store Christmas decorations in another post on the blog.
Now tell me — are you decorating for St. Patrick’s Day this year, or did Easter push it off your radar too? ☘️ xoxo, Dana
Amazon storefront https://amzn.to/3OZ6GAs
Walmart storefront https://walmrt.us/4c8w9kO