Inspiration
Simple Tips for Elevating Your Holiday Tablescape
The holiday table settings are in place, candles lit. Aromas of wintergreen and warm casseroles fill the air. An oven timer dings, the front doorbell rings. Perfect timing.
Hosting a holiday dinner is a wonderland of opportunity to make the season magical. And it doesn’t take much to set the mood. Tableware, centerpieces, and even a few opportunities to decorate outside the box, these tips will make your holiday tablescape the talk of the new year!
Turn Tableware Into the Ultimate Holiday Table Setting
Plates, glassware, utensils, and napkins. Some wrapping paper, some ribbons. That’s just about everything you need to turn your table into a festive delight. Set the scene with these easy DIY tips:
1. Stage Your Dinnerware
Build a snowman with white dinner and salad plates, use utensils to make its arms. Stack red plates into a cute little Santa Claus. Multicolor dishware is perfect for making an ornament, but any color can feel holiday-esque with the right touches.
2. Mix Up Your Glassware
Step outside the drinking glass and grab an assortment of jam, jelly, and mason jars for a jolly eclectic look. Fill those wine glasses with cheerful sparkling water instead. Make any drink merry with simple additions like cinnamon sticks, winter berries, and edible glitter.
3. DIY Your Napkins & Placemats
Wrapping paper isn’t just for presents — it’s also for DIY placemats! Cut a 12×18-inch piece of cardboard from those broken-down boxes in your basement. Jolly it up with themed paper and presto! A magical holiday place setting. Roll your silverware and tie it off with a ribbon or bow. Or try your hand at festive napkin folding, like this easy and beautiful star-topped tree napkin.
Chef’s-Kiss Centerpieces
Chef’s KISS: Keep It Simple Silly. That’s the main ingredient of beautiful holiday tablescapes. Sprinkle in functionality, a dash of ingenuity. A recipe for delight.
1. Go Proportional
Strike the balance in size and shape of your centerpiece. A rough rule of thumb is 12 to 30 inches in diameter, scaling from the smallest to the largest tables. Shape them with the table — round table, rounded centerpiece. The good conversation and cheer flow best when centerpieces are 12 inches tall or less so they don’t interrupt the eyeline.
2. Use Food as Decoration
Don’t have a lot of space? Your food makes the tastiest decor. Use clear glass containers and some plating skills for eye-pleasing foods like salads and green beans. Garnish the turkey plate with pine sprigs. Create pops of color with festive towels under your warm casserole dishes. Use your pasta shapes to tell a holiday story. Bow Ties are gift bows, curly Cavatappi a celebratory dish. Get extra creative and save some of your dried Ronzoni shell pasta to make the merriest pasta Christmas tree.
3. Warm It Up With Lighting
Elegant and warm tapered candles are a classic holiday table setting — but if open flames are a no-go, battery-operated tea and votive candles can offer similar warmth. Place them throughout and around the centerpiece in groups of threes to enhance their effect. If you’re using garland, string it with some twinkling mini Christmas lights or fairy lights.
4. Avoid High Maintenance Decorations
What makes a fun table topper doesn’t usually make a tasty food garnish. Glitter, tinsel strands, and fake frost are all on the naughty list. They may look beautiful but they’re time-intensive to clean off anything within a 1-mile radius, including your guests.
Seek Out Unexpected Opportunities
Holiday table settings don’t have to stop at the table. Spread your cheer all around it! Check out these ways to expand your holiday tablescape.
1. Decorate Your Chairs
Chef’s KISS applies to chair decor — function and fashion. Tie a big bow around the chair for simple elegance. Hang a hook on the back of the chair with a miniature wreath. For assigned seating situations, personalize small stockings and fill them with little goodies like candy.
2. Look to the Light Fixtures
Wrap garland or garland tinsel around hanging pendant lights. Dangle some ornaments from your chandelier using clear wire, like icicles or golden stars. Stagger them to add depth but remember to keep the eyeline clear.
3. Use Ceilings and Walls as Your Canvas
You can do a lot of the same light fixture decorations directly on your ceiling. Frame the ceiling above your table with drooping garland and secure staggered dangling ornaments from it. Add seasonal whimsy to your walls by swapping existing framed wall art for winter scenes printed right at home. You can also grab that wrapping paper and cardboard and make “presents” to stick to the wall right above the trim.
‘Tis the season for festive holiday table settings! Snap a pic of your decor and fill our pasta pics page with good cheer — we may even spread it around on social. Happy holiday place setting!
