How To Create The Perfect Christmas Table Setting

I’ve never really bothered with Christmas table settings before. Every year it was a rushed effort of whatever was in the decorations box, shoved on the table an hour before everyone arrived. This year I actually planned it, and it turns out a bit of thought (and not much money) makes a proper difference to how the whole meal feels.

I didn’t want to buy new dinner plates, so I built the whole thing around what we already had. We’ve got black plates, so I went green, gold and black rather than the traditional red and green. It felt a bit more grown-up, and it meant I wasn’t buying a full new dinner service for one day a year.

What’s on my table

I used the black plates as the base and kept everything else layered on top of that. For napkin rings, I didn’t buy anything Christmassy, I just used the golden bee ones we already had. They matched the colour scheme, and it felt like a waste of money to buy rings that would only come out once a year. I did treat myself to some felt Christmas tree cutlery holders though, they’re doubling up as a decoration and somewhere for the cutlery to sit, so I don’t feel too guilty.

For glasses, I kept it simple. We’re not big drinkers in this house, so there’s just one Christmas glass at each place that works for water or wine, rather than a full run of stemware nobody’s going to use.

A few bits that made the biggest difference for not much effort: pine cones and a bit of greenery down the centre of the table (free, if you’ve got a garden or a walk nearby), a couple of candles for atmosphere once it gets dark, and fairy lights woven along the runner. None of it’s expensive, it’s just about layering a few things together rather than one big statement centrepiece.

Five table looks if you want a change from mine

If green, gold and black isn’t your thing, here are a few other directions, depending on what you’ve already got in the cupboard.

Traditional red and green — the classic, and an easy one if you already own red or green dinnerware. Add pine cones, holly, and a red runner or tablecloth. Hard to get wrong.

White and gold — if you’ve got plain white plates, this is the easiest upgrade. Gold cutlery or gold-rimmed glasses, white or gold napkins, and a few white flowers or candles. Feels a bit more grown-up for an evening meal.

Rustic and cosy — wood, burlap, twine, mason jars with a tea light in each. Good if you’re hosting somewhere more relaxed, or if you’ve got kids at the table and don’t want to worry about anything precious.

Minimalist Scandi — white, grey and natural wood, kept deliberately plain. A bit of eucalyptus or a plain green sprig on each place setting is enough. Good if your dining room is already fairly neutral and you don’t want to fight it.

Playful and colourful — if you’ve got young kids, let them have a colour that isn’t red or green. Turquoise, pink, whatever, mixed in with some mismatched patterns. Nobody at a kids’ table needs colour-coordinated napkins.

My tips for actually pulling it off

1. Build around what you already own. Don’t buy a new dinner service for one day. Pick your theme from your plates, not the other way round.
2. Free greenery is your best decoration. Pine cones, holly, ivy from the garden or a walk. It looks expensive and costs nothing.
3. Layer height, don’t overdo it. A few tall candles with lower greenery around them looks intentional. One giant centrepiece can end up blocking the view across the table.
4. Don’t buy napkin rings you’ll use once a year. Use what you’ve already got if it roughly fits the colours.
5. Keep glassware simple if you’re not big drinkers. One glass per person that does water and wine is fine, you don’t need a full formal set.
6. Candles and fairy lights do a lot of the work. Turn the big light off and let the table do the atmosphere instead.
7. If you’ve got kids at the table, give them their own thing. A different colour or some crayons goes a long way to keeping them entertained through a long meal.
8. Don’t stress about matching everything perfectly. Mismatched glasses or an old runner from a different year still look lovely once it’s all laid out together.

I’m dead pleased with how ours turned out this year, and it took maybe twenty minutes on top of the normal table-laying. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got a colour scheme you swear by, I’m always nosy about other people’s tables!

Related posts:

• Christmas gift guide for women
• Christmas gift guide for toddlers
• What do other countries leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?
• Easy Mince Pie Pinwheels Recipe
• A new table setting with La Redoute Interieurs