As the big day approaches and you’re ordering all the food you need for your Christmas Day meal - its time to turn your attention to how you will style your Christmas table.
If you’re the host for a big gathering - or planning something more cosy - getting the right look for your table can make the day seem a bit more magical. In this blog, we’re going to walk you through what you need to create that picture-perfect table which looks as good as the food you’re about to serve.
Pick a theme
The first step to style your Christmas table is to decide on a theme. You could go with one or two colours that complement each other. Or take on a woodland theme. The Nordics are always inspiring for this time of year.
When you’re thinking about your table theme, make sure it matches the decor of your room. If you’ve got minimalist neutrals then something bright and traditional may look out of place. While if your room is more cosy, you may want to work with warmer hues.
And don’t forget that whatever theme you have will need to work with your plates and serving dishes.
At this point, you’ll want to decide on the colour of your tablecloth. A neutral tone will let the food and accessories stand out. A brighter colour will make a statement.
Decide how you’ll serve
Next you’ll need to work out how you want to serve your Christmas meal. If you’re going for family-style dining, with the food in the middle of the table then you have less space for a dramatic centre-piece.
However, if you want to plate up first then this allows for more space on the table so you can play around with the centre decoration.
Look at your space
Table space is at a premium at Christmas. And the size of your table is going to determine a lot about what you can do to decorate it. Before you go out and buy that beautiful wreath for your table, check you’ll have space for it.
Also think about the shape of your table. If you have a round or oval table, laying a candle or wreath in the centre works well. For longer tables, you can use space at either end - or depending on how you serve - create decoration down the middle.
Decide on your drinks
You will also need to consider what drinks you want to serve as you style your Christmas table. If you’re expecting the table to hold wine glass, water, bottles and even cocktails, then you need to make sure there is space for the glasses.
You are likely to need champagne flutes, wine and water glasses. If your table is small then you’ll want to keep the accessories to a minimum.
Select your centrepiece
Once you know how much your table needs to hold, you can then select your centrepiece.
Keep it simple with candles as these take up less space. Or if you have more area to play with, we love using fir pieces as a runner. Your local florist will be able to help select the right plants. And you can always forage your own on some dry winter walks. Pine cones are easily found at this time of year. Dry them in the oven if it’s been raining recently.
Add in your serviettes
Finally, you can add your serviettes. Don’t worry if you can’t follow those videos on how to fold a serviette. There are some simple tricks you can use to use napkins to help style your Christmas table.
We like how these are combined with a small fir branch and placed on top of the plate with the cutlery. It’s elegant and effective but also requires little folding skills.
Remember to keep how you style your serviettes with your theme. If you’re not using fresh accessories then you can always fold the serviettes into the wine glasses. This is a space saver as well.
All you need to do next is welcome your guests and serve your Christmas meal.
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