Gathered and Glowing: Another award-winning season at Holiday Tables

At the recently concluded Holiday Tables event hosted at Mark Arts, Wichita Habitat for Humanity and ReStore Wichita took home first place in the corporate and nonprofit exhibitors category. While we are incredibly grateful to continue our winning streak, the true highlight was showcasing the boundless potential of repurposed materials.

By utilizing items sourced almost exclusively from ReStore Wichita, our display demonstrated how everyday community donations can be transformed into holiday magic without a steep designer budget. Christine Moser, our community outreach manager, was the creative force behind the tablescape. Looking back on the event, she shared how the display reflected our core mission of building homes, communities, and hope.

The initial spark of inspiration for the design came from a common store donation.

“The ReStore just gets so much beautiful glass donated, and I was trying to think of a creative way to showcase it,” Moser said. “I thought it would be awesome to make a Christmas tree out of green glass.”

To bring the vision to life, ReStore staff spent the year collecting green glass pieces with handles or necks that could be easily secured. Moser also commissioned a custom structure from Bill Bauck, a longtime Wichita Habitat partner and core volunteer, to support the tree. After some last-minute concern about moving the heavy structure safely, Bauck added castors, a move Moser noted was an absolute lifesaver.

When Mark Arts announced the event theme of “Gather and Glow,” Moser knew her concept was a perfect fit. She named the tablescape “Gathered and Glowing” because the items were lovingly curated from ReStore donations, and the design relied heavily on light to make the glass tree shine.

Competing against displays with substantial financial backing challenged our team to lean fully into our resourcefulness.

“Our goal is to showcase what you can do with imagination,” Moser said. “Almost everything we use is thoughtfully sourced from ReStore donations, so we aren’t starting with designer pieces or a big budget. That makes the challenge finding ways to transform those items into something extraordinary. It pushes us to be more creative every year, especially knowing the incredible caliber of the other exhibitors.”

Some standout elements came together purely by chance. When the ReStore received a large donation of retail Christmas ornaments, Moser used the iridescent baubles to create a visually striking art installation on the back wall. The rest of the scene, including the candlesticks, area rug, dining set, plates, glasses and silverware, were all sourced directly from the ReStore sales floor or our eStore.

Beyond the aesthetics, the tablescape carried a deeper meaning directly connected to our work in the community.

“ReStore is all about turning donations into funding for affordable housing,” Moser said. “For me, the holidays are always less about the table itself and more about who is sitting around it. When families move into safe, affordable homes, they get a table in a house they own to gather around with their children, grandchildren, friends, and families.”

Reflecting on the core concept of gathering, Moser noted that the brightest part of any home is the people inside it. Around the holiday table, ordinary moments become lasting memories, and when people have a secure place to gather, a house becomes a home.

As attendees walked past our award-winning table, Moser hoped the underlying message resonated with them.

“I hope they really saw the possibility and value in secondhand goods, and the value of investing in the community and the people around you,” Moser said., “I hope it made them think about how donating, shopping, or volunteering at the ReStore can change a family’s tablescape for years to come.”