An Editor Saw This Surprising 'Coquette' Table Styling Trick on a Recent Trip to Paris — It Uses a Hair Accessory You Wouldn't Expect

Substitute them for napkin rings, use them to identify wine glasses, or style them around small candles — the options are endless (and ever so stylish)

outdoor table set with glasses, plates, and napkins for a meal
Use a set of mis-matched scrunchies to act as napkin rings to dress your table. Once guests arrive, have them tie the scrunchie to the base of their wine glass, so they know whose glass is whose.
(Image credit: Future)

If you're anything like me, you likely have dozens of scrunchies scattered all over your home. They're an ideal hair accessory, for sure. But what if I told you they could be more than that? That's right. This summer, we're turning scrunchies into the hottest new table accessory.

How, you ask? Well, scrunchies are decorative elastics, so naturally they wrap around anything and add a bit of style. That means you could substitute them in for napkin rings at a dinner party, to tastefully set your table, or even loop them around the base of your wine glasses, so guests know which glass is which. What about styling them around a tealight candle as a playful votive? The options are endless.

And as much as I'd like to take credit for this brilliant idea, it was actually Livingetc's interiors editor Emma Breislin who you need to thank. "I saw it in a homewares store on a recent trip to Paris, and I was awe-struck," she told me. "It's always the simplest ideas that are the best, and it's bound to impress even the most discerning guest."

Now, if your scrunchie collection isn't quite up to scratch, I've found some sweet, French-inspired scrunchies that would make the perfect styling piece for your next summer dinner soirée.

close up at homeware store of scalloped-edge napkins, backgammon board, and champagne flutes with scrunchies around the base

The scrunchies in question that Emma saw in a homewares store in Paris.

(Image credit: Future/Emma Breislin)

Want to know another clever trick to enhance your table setting? Enter: wine bottle candle holders — a chic and smart way to make use of all the empties.

Devin Toolen
Style Editor

Devin is a New York-based Style Editor for Livingetc who is keen on all aspects of personal style. From a young age, she was drawn to the design world, whether that was taking sewing classes in her hometown, or flipping through the pages of her mother’s interior design magazines. She spent hours on end watching HGTV home improvement and design programs, often sharing her opinions as if the TV could hear her.

After graduating from Villanova University with a BA in Communication and Spanish Language Studies, Devin moved to Paris, France to pursue her Master’s Degree in Fashion Studies at Parsons. It was here she refined her love for style in every sense of the word. While there to study fashion, living in Paris allowed Devin to fall in love with interior style. She grew fond of the city’s mix of both classic and contemporary designs that felt intentional and personal.

After moving back to the United States, Devin worked at Tom Ford and later Cosmopolitan Magazine. She loves sharing design choices with her readers, from explaining how to incorporate trends into interior spaces to sourcing the best products for your home. Devin believes style should be inclusive, exciting, and at its core, fun