The holiday décor is up, the invitations have gone out and preparations for your holiday feast are well underway! It’s time to start planning how you will set and decorate your holiday table. A table setting is a balance between dining essentials and whimsical décor that set the ambiance of the evening for you and your guests.

It’s important to note what will make both you and your guests well equipped to enjoy the feast ahead and to make sure that you include it in your table setting.  Otherwise, it’s all about having fun and giving holiday flare to the most scrumptious meal of the season!

This season, whether it’s a casual or formal affair, minimalist or embellished style, try something new, keep it personal, but don’t be afraid to indulge in your most festive side!   A holiday table is about showcasing the elaborate feast you have prepared in style and celebrating the holiday with your family and friends.

These tips will help get you inspired to create your most merry tablescape yet!

Go for unconventional charm

Get creative and use something in a new and alternative way. Are you still in love with the pattern from last year’s tablecloth? Fold it lengthwise a few times and use it as a table runner instead, just like we did with our Christmas plaid tablecloth on our table!   Want to make sure your guests will be so comfortable they will want stay at your table for hours?  Use some pillows as seat cushions and add an element of décor like we did with our country poinsettia place mat.  However you choose to use your unique holiday charm, guests will be awed by your decorative ingenuity!

Personalize it

Mealtime during the holidays is a family affair.  Keep things warm and inviting with a few personal touches to your table.   A small treat, or a gift that is at their place setting, or even individual decorated name cards can be a cheerful and festive way to make each and every guest feel welcome.  Not to mention the fact that that it adds an element of organization to your table.  You can be sure that there will be no awkward shuffling around when it comes time for your guests to take their seats! Adding personalized touches will make sure your holiday meal is an intimate event and that’s something your guests are sure to appreciate! We used our chalkboard cheese markers for our place cards.

Layer

Layering gives your décor fullness and can make your table unique. Believe it or not, our table has 3 placemats under each dinnerware setting – and a table runner! We placed the metallic leaf gold placemat (in-stores only) on top of the country poinsettia placemat and the flocon de neige placemat to give depth and variety to our table’s decor. Another way to add depth to your table is layering your dishes, which also can help you save space on your table! We added a little extra to our Regency dinnerware set by placing the poinsettia dessert plate and our red round charger plate at each place. Just be sure that each item that you layer with brings a new element to your table and that they work together and complement each other.

Your food can be your décor

This is a simple and easy way to add some joy to your table – and you’ve already done the work. At our Christmas dinner we are serving punch in our celebration punch set. It’s without a doubt a sweet way to add some cranberry red to the table.   And for dessert?   Gingerbread cookies that are decorated with green and red sugar add another delicious accent to the table. Make it even more effortless by displaying your cookies in our Amalia trifle bowl (in-store only), all you need to do is put them in! This tip will keep your guests looking forward to dessert all supper long!

You can Keep it Classic Christmas

Finally, if what your heart yearns for is to add some plaid patterns, golden touches and sprigs of greenery, don’t worry about being typical. Using these Christmas classics are tasteful ways to make your guests feel the joy of the season. Whether it’s a subtle hint of gold in the plaid of your tablecloth or in a placemat, a touch of any metallic, adds glitz and glam to your table and can help elevate the ambiance to a more formal affair. The Facet flatware set and the poinsettia hiball and wine glass are essentials for any holiday table! We used our gingerbread Christmas trees as a decorative accent to bring greenery to the center of our table and a floral arrangement with plenty of green and hints of red. We added sprigs of pine needles with our red cloth nature napkin and mother of pearl napkin ring and the result couldn’t have been merrier!  There’s no doubt, your guests will approve of your dedication to these décor traditions for the holidays.

Helping  you set your most inspirational holiday table yet,