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How to dress a Christmas table with example ideas
The festive season is upon us! As this time of year can be hectic, any pre-planning you can do before the big day will save you stress on Christmas Eve, when you would rather be relaxing, enjoying time with your family, and getting into the Christmas spirit.
One thing you can do in preparation for Christmas Day is plan your table setting design. Making your Christmas dining room table a little festive will make the day feel extra special. But where to start?
If you’re struggling for inspiration or don’t know what to include on your table at Christmas, we’ve created this complete guide on how to dress a Christmas table with ideas and examples to give your Christmas dining table the festive flourish it needs to “Wow” your guests and get you in the spirit of the season!
TL;DR: How to dress the Christmas table in easy steps
- Pick your theme: Decide on a cohesive look (e.g., Traditional, Rustic, Modern) before buying or setting anything.
- Lay the foundation: Start with a tablecloth and a festive table runner.
- Create a centrepiece: Achieve the “wow” factor by combining different-sized candles, fresh greenery, and small Christmas ornaments to add height and texture.
- Set the place: Use placemats or plate chargers and lay out the full set of dinnerware and cutlery (outside-in).
- Fold your napkins: Elevate the look with a decorative napkin fold (like the “Christmas Tree”) or use a festive napkin ring and a sprig of foliage.
- Add crackers & glassware: Place a cracker and ensure you have all the necessary glasses (water, wine, etc.) at each setting.
- Personalise: Finish with handwritten name cards or small, personalised details to make your guests feel special.
Table of contents:
- How to dress the table for Christmas: Pick a theme
- How to dress a Christmas table: What You Need
- How to decorate a round table for Christmas vs. a long table
How to dress the table for Christmas: Pick a theme
If you’re learning how to dress a Christmas dining table, first choose a theme. Choosing a theme beforehand will help focus your plan around a single idea, making the overall aesthetic more cohesive and intentional.
Here are some example themes you can choose for how to style a Christmas table, or create your own!
Traditional
If you love the look of traditional Christmas colours for a cosy, nostalgic aesthetic, stick to reds, greens and golds.
Winter Wonderland
Winter Wonderland is also a fantastic theme for a Christmas dining table; just stick to silvers, whites and icy blues.
Rustic
Rustic Christmas dining tables are popular for an authentic, cosy Christmas aesthetic. Reconnect with nature through natural tones, burlap textures, and lush greenery.
Glamorous
If you love a touch of glitz and glamour, let this shine through in your Christmas table setting design. Select items featuring sparkling metals, such as gold or silver, to dazzle your guests.
Modern
If you find the Christmas period overwhelming and Christmas table settings cluttered, there’s no reason why you can’t make your Christmas place settings look minimalistic and chic. Choose monochrome colours with flecks of metallics for a modern look. Less is more with this theme.
How to dress a Christmas table: What you need
Now you have your theme in mind, you can start shopping, rummaging, thrifting or DIY-ing the items you need for your Christmas dining table. This next section will list everything you need, as well as instructions on how to set a christmas table.
1. Table Runners
Firstly, start with your tablecloth or runner. A table runner can add elegance, drawing attention to the centre of the table. Choose contrasting colours within your colour scheme to make your table linen pop.
Braided Rug table runners are an all-year-round addition to the dinner table that can be accessorised at Christmas to add festive appeal to your table. We also have a new Christmas holly-themed table runner by the Braided Rug Company to get out for the big day!
Think about patterns. Snowflakes, sprigs of holly or other Christmas motifs can provide a cosy Christmas vibe. Or, choosing a plain colour can make your table design look more minimalistic and elegant.
You can also experiment with texture to complement your theme. Textured linen pairs excellently with a rustic theme, or opt for velvet for a sumptuous or glamorous look.
2. The Centrepiece
Next, consider your Christmas table centrepiece, as you will lay everything around it. Christmas centrepieces are a great way to decorate a Christmas table. The centrepiece will provide the “wow” factor to your Christmas table, and you can do it in multiple ways, depending on your theme.
How to decorate a Christmas table (with ideas) and how to make a christmas table centrepiece
1. Add candles
Disperse candles down the length of your table; choosing multiple long dinner candles and candle holders or adding short candles at different levels can create an effective focal point. Add stylish dinner candles in vibrant colours from box sets or as individual candles.
Depending on your theme, weave garlands, greenery or tinsel between the candles to create a long centrepiece.
Add candles with Christmas scents like orange, pine or cinnamon for a cosy festive aroma.
2. Incorporate festive greenery
Incorporating green fern garlands or Christmas tree sprigs in a long centrepiece or round wreath creates a charming effect if you’re going for a traditional or rustic Christmas table theme. Intersperse holly, ivy, eucalyptus, mistletoe or festive flowers like poinsettia into your centrepiece to elevate your masterpiece. Alternatively, you can use miniature potted Christmas trees as your centrepieces.
If you prefer using fake foliage, Christmas picks and clips work well on both table decorations and the tree. Add dried citrus fruits, star anise and cinnamon sticks to make your centrepiece smell amazing, too!
3. Add levels
Adding levels can make your centrepiece stand out. Use chopping boards, log rounds or bowls to elevate your candles, garlands and Christmas table decor.
4. Add Christmas ornaments
Add Christmas decor to your centrepiece to keep within your theme. For example, add pinecones and dried fruit for a rustic theme. Add red and white candy canes, embellish with ribbons and a miniature ornament or two for a traditional Christmas theme. For a glitzy, glam look, disperse sparkling baubles amongst your centrepiece.
5. Add lights
If you want to create a sparkling winter wonderland-themed tablescape but don’t want the risk of open candles, opt for small battery-operated string lights to illuminate your centrepiece and create a cosy glow. Perfect for the afternoon as it turns to evening.
6. Placemats/ coasters
Next, lay out the number of place settings, including placemats or plate chargers, and coasters that match your table theme.
4. Napkins and napkin rings
Every Christmas table design needs napkins, which can also feed into your table theme. Whether you use paper napkins with a festive design or linen or cloth napkins for an elevated or rustic look, the choice is yours!
How you display your napkins can also enhance the table design. Whether you fold them neatly under your cutlery, create an elaborate swan napkin fold, arrange it decoratively in a wine glass or use a napkin ring, doing something creative can go a long way.
How to fold napkins for a Christmas table
Here are some easy napkin-folding ideas for your Christmas table design.
The pinch and pull
- Pinch your napkin in the centre and let the ends fall loose.
- Pull the middle through a napkin ring to create an effortless napkin arrangement.
- Place in the centre of the placemat, plate charger or plate for a modern look.
The fold and tie
- Neatly fold your napkin in on itself to create a rectangle shape.
- Use a napkin ring or brown string to tie the middle for a rustic look.
- Add festive foliage, such as a fern sprig or a piece of holly, to the knot for a creative festive flair.
- Place in the centre of the place setting.
Champagne glass
- Fold your napkin in half, then fold it in half again.
- Take the folded centre corner and twist the bottom half of the napkin.
- Place in a wine glass and gently fluff the loose ends to create the illusion of a fizzing glass of champagne. This fold is perfect for a glamorous table setting.
The Christmas Tree
If you want to attempt something more ambitious, try folding a Christmas tree napkin. Once learned, this is a great way to impress your guests by showcasing your napkin origami skills!
- Fold your napkin in half and then in half again, and spin so that the loose outside corners face you.
- Fold each corner upward one at a time to create a tier of triangles.
- Flip the napkin over.
- Fold both outer corners to their opposite side and flip again.
- Fold each flap up, starting at the top, and tuck the one below under the previous flap, hiding the pointed corner.
- And you’re done! Place in the centre of your place settings.
5. Dinnerware and Cutlery
Next, it’s time to get out the Christmas dinnerware! Whether you have a fancy set for a formal Christmas sit-down dinner or prefer Christmas plates and bowls with whimsical, festive artwork, the choice is yours; just stick to your theme!
Make sure you have enough plates for all your courses; we recommend small plates for starters or hors d’oeuvres, large dinner plates for the main turkey dinner and smaller plates or bowls for your Christmas desserts, whether that be a christmas cake, pudding or Yule log. Don’t forget your matching Christmas mugs and jugs for tea and coffee at the end of your festive feast.
Shop some of our most popular Christmas tableware sets, like the Emma Bridgewater Christmas Collection.
Similarly, when it comes to cutlery, you may want to have a special set for Christmas Day; just make sure you have enough for each course, including tea spoons for tea and coffee.
Alongside dinnerware, consider serveware if you want to incorporate it into your tablescape, especially if you plan to have people serve themselves at the table. Choosing matching dinner and serving wear can create a cohesive look. Lastly, don’t forget your matching salt and pepper cruet set!
How to set a table at Christmas
Consider the table settings if you want your Christmas table to look polished for the big day. Here is how to lay a christmas table:
- Place dinner plates on placemats or plate chargers.
- If you’re having a starter, place the starter plate on top.
- Place your napkin arrangement on top of the plates.
- Now place the cutlery: forks on the left and knives on the right.
- Cutlery should be laid out from the outside in, with starter cutlery on the outside and dinner cutlery on the inside. Desert spoons and cake forks sit at the top of the plate, facing opposite directions.
- Place coasters and glasses to the right of the place setting, diagonally.
6. Glassware
Ensure you have enough glasses for the drinks you plan on serving. You may want to include
- Water glasses
- Wine glasses (separate for white and red if you’re feeling fancy)
- Champagne glasses
- You may also want port glasses for a post-dinner tipple.
You can use classic plain glass for a sophisticated look or incorporate glasses with subtle holiday etchings or gold rims to enhance your festive table setting.
7. Crackers
And now for the pièce de résistance of the Christmas table setting: the Christmas crackers. Love them or hate them, the goofy hats, bad jokes, and fiddly toys are an essential part of the Christmas table setting. So whether you opt for traditional, whimsical, DIY or eco-friendly, choose a set of Christmas crackers that keeps within your table theme.
Where do christmas crackers go on the table?
You can either place them on the plates or plate chargers or line them up with cutlery on top or to the side. In reality, the cracker placement doesn’t matter, as long as they don’t interfere with the rest of your table setting.
8. Finishing touches
And lastly, it’s time for a final flourish. Add the finishing touch to your Christmas table setting with individual name cards. Handwritten name tags or small ornaments with guests’ names add a personal touch.
Why not bring out some after-dinner games when dinner is over? They’re perfect for bringing the family together over a quiz or trivia game.
You could also include DIY festive items, such as mini candy canes or festive foliage, attached to your place cards.
Why not also dress your chairs? Add festive seat cushions that match your theme or drape faux fur throws over their backs to add texture, warmth and style.
How to decorate a round table for Christmas vs. a long table
Decorating a round table for Christmas shouldn’t be more difficult than decorating a long rectangular one; you only need a few minor adjustments.
- If using one, change your tablecloth from a rectangular one to one that fits a round table.
- You may want to save your table runner for your long table setting design, but there is no reason you can’t use one on a round table, either. Just make sure it doesn’t drag on the floor!
- On a rectangular table, your centrepiece might also be more oblong to match the length of the table, whereas a round centrepiece will fit much better on a round table.
Dress and decorate the rest of the table as you would, but make it fit the round table shape.
Christmas dining table essentials at Cotswold Trading
Hopefully, you now have a better idea about how to dress a Xmas table for the big day and have gained some inspiration for your own Christmas table theme.
There is no right or wrong way to dress a Christmas table, as most is left up to your creative flair. As long as you stick to your theme and have everything you need to eat dinner, you should make a spectacular display. Shop our Christmas collection to find everything you need for setting and decorating your dining table for your Christmas dinner.
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