Planning a wine and cheese Engagement party is a great way to celebrate during the fall season. We’re excited to share this simple yet elegant idea for enhancing the table decor at your winery themed party; it’s a DIY chalkboard-look table runner. Using just two simple craft supplies, this runner makes identifying wine and cheese pairings a cinch. Black art paper looks just like a chalkboard when rolled out on your appetizer table, and white chalk markers provide the rustic and whimsical look of chalk, without the messy dust.
Measure out the length of your table, then cut your paper to that length, adding twelve to twenty four additional inches, for overhang. Unroll the length of black art paper flat on the table. Fold in the paper about six inches on the top and bottom, so that you have perfectly straight edges. This will also help the paper to lay flat when placed on the table.
Plan the arrangement of your pairing suggestions, we like to put our wines at the top, or back, and the cheeses in the front, so that they aren’t blocked by the height of the wine bottles. You can also add in enhancements like fruits, nuts, chocolates, and cured meats, for a more robust display.
Once you know where everything will be placed, it’s time to write! Shake your chalk marker well, (with the lid on), and test the flow on a separate piece of paper before applying it to your project. Practice different handwriting styles and letter formations. Then when you’re ready, you can begin to write the name of each wine next to its corresponding bottle, and do the same for your cheeses and other edibles.
We drew a bordered area, on which each bottle of wine would be placed. Then, we added the words, “pairs well with” between the wines and the edibles, and drew lines to the items that matched up well with each wine. Get creative with your drawings, if you want to!
Lay your table runner out on your presentation table, and place your wine and food pairings as written.
Add in some decor, like these beautiful pine cone candle holders and sprigs of seeded eucalyptus. We also added in extra appetizer items like our easy and elegant Fig, Pancetta and Arugula Flatbread, and an assortment of sausage, crackers and fruits. The complete look is robust and festive.
This chalkboard table runner is a great addition to parties of all types. Try using it to create a quick and easy seating arrangement, labeling dishes on a buffet table, or listing out suggested combinations at fun stations like an ice cream sundae bar or make-your-own-pizza bar. We have more fun ideas to go along with this theme! Be sure to check out my: Winery Styled Engagement Party, Pancetta and Arugula Flatbread, Cork Cheese Labels.