Setting the Christmas Table

One of my favorite things to do for the Holidays is to set the Christmas table!

Here I thought I would share some ideas with you on how to make beautiful the place where we gather to share the meal that is prepared with such thought, care and hard work. Why not go that extra mile to pull it all together?

This year is my sister's turn to host Christmas Eve so I will not be setting the Christmas table until a later celebration with my husband's family next week. Until then, here are some simple ideas that you can utilize when setting your tables over the next few celebrations for the holidays.

When setting a table for a festive occasion, the first thing that I do is to go through all of my dish ware and china. Than based on what I already own and the celebration, I pull together a color combination. I mix and match pieces especially if the guest count is large for I do not have too many place settings of any one dish. I have collected and picked up pieces over the years and many are in small numbers. That is okay and makes a table much more interesting I think.

Cream dinner plate with pale hued Christmas plates, greens tucked into napkin ring, a shiny ornament and a place card holder made out of a terra cotta garden pot enliven this little table vignette.

 Here a silver charger set beneath a blue and white china plate holds a small white putz house and the terra cotta pot at each setting.

Traditional reds and greens, although a paler shade of green, sit atop a white charger with silverware tucked into a beautifully folded linen napkin

Thanks Jill from Vintageologie for this tablescape!

Don't be afraid to use unusual chargers like pieces of wood! Here we have a brown, cream and green color scheme going on with a small pot of moss with silver ornaments tucked inside.

The colors do not have to be in the traditional fashion that you normally think of for Christmas. Add a few elements that bring the season into your tablescape. 

A paler blue hue, silver, gold and white take the cake in this setting.

Silver, grey and white are the focus here.

If you are having a sit down dinner, brunch of lunch, use a conversation starter at each place with a black and white photo of each guest placed inside a Ball jar. Add a little artificial snow and set at each place setting. 

Be creative in what you can use to make place cards out of. Vintage glass Christmas tree bulbs look cute tied with a piece of twine and a handwritten place tag.

A beautiful roll of velvet ribbon can be given out at each place for the guest to take home and use for their gift wrapping. Handwrite a tag and pin it to the ribbon with a beautiful sewing pin.

Jill came up with this simple yet elegant idea of punching two holes through the top of the place card and threading a piece of fresh rosemary through it.

Pinecones make simple place card holders and they are abundant in many back yards!

If you are having a buffet, you can put just as much thought into making the presentation comparable to the food about to be served! Greens, pretty stacked plates, lights, ornaments and sweets spread about make a festive presentation.

Just remember, be creative and take a risk. Blue and brown dishes that have nothing to do with Christmas can make a beautiful statement for a Holiday table. Run a piece of burlap upholstery ribbon underneath each plate. Tuck some greens in behind the plate and maybe even add an adorable sugar cookie that you made as a conversation starter and as an appetite spoiler...opps! not the intended purpose but sure to happen! Take it from experience!

Whatever you do, don't sweat it, have some fun in setting it up and be creative! Most of all enjoy the moment...for it is a blessing to have such special guests gathered around your Holiday table all at one time! 

~Blessings~

Meg