With True Blood nearing its season finale, I thought a little Sookie Stackhouse Supper was in order. Since my Dexter party theme was based on the show’s dark horror vibe, I wanted to do something a little different for True Blood. Using the Bon Temps Cemetery and Sookie’s fairy world as inspiration, I created a setup that’s all about southern comfort.

Placecards + Grave Stands

My first order of business was making placecards and holders. For the cards, I created little 2×4.5″ photo collages that with illustrations to frame each character name. Each doodle contains icons representative of the characters, some icons are repeated (like the Tru Blood bottles for vampires) while some are specific to the character (such as the Piña Colada for Sookie).

The placecard holders are mini gravestones made from craft foam (for the top of the headstone) and 2x4x2″ wood blocks (for the base). For the detailing, I etched out RIP letters for each headstone top and painted both the tops and bases with different shades of gray, using a paper towel to get a nice texture going. After that I added some craft store artificial grass for another layer of texture, as well as a pop of color.

Party Tablescape

I found a great source for the Tru Blood beverage label (thanks to pixelworlds on deviantART) and slapped those babies onto some good ol’ Jones Soda bottles of the berry variety. To finish off the country spread, I included Mason jars and red checkered tablecloth.

A view of the scene once it got a little darker outside:

Dinner consisted of fried chicken on the grill (yup I said it!), grilled green beans, and mashed potatoes. To accompany a Southern-inspired dinner, what better dessert than a trifle! (For those unfamiliar with trifles, it’s a combo of cake, custard, whipped cream, jelly, fruit, and liquor. In other words, a very intimidating cake.)

Cheers to the vampires, fairies, and supernatural creatures alike!