How to style your Christmas Dinner Table!
Are you feeling a little daunted by the prospect of not only cooking Christmas Dinner, but also making it all look super stylish and pretty? Then read on, because I have some fabulous, easy to administer festive ideas that will guarantee you and your guests will enjoy the perfect Christmas dining experience.
How to style your Christmas Dinner Table is a question I often get asked around this time of year and with so many festive decor options to consider, it can be potentially tad overwhelming! I absolutely love Christmas and getting everyone around the table, enjoying beautiful home cooked food, amongst a laid back yet stylish dinner table is the perfect day for me! I want to share with you some Christmas table arrangement ideas and some simple styling tips that you can apply to your own Christmas dining tables this year.
consider flowers as your main christmas table decor:
Obviously I am bias, being a florist and all, but I truly believe the most simple tablescapes are the most effective, you do not need to go overboard just ensure that what you do is beautiful and of a high quality. For me flowers will be your main centrepiece, whether you choose to go heavy floral luxe or more foliage based I will talk you through my preferred options in this blog.
There are some useful pointers that you may wish to consider before committing to certain floral centrepieces. Think about the size of your table for one, are you on a round table or a longer dining table? Mine is rectangular so I prefer the more banquet style dressing of smaller arrangements throughout the centre, but if you have a round table you can get away with a more larger, statement floral vase in the centre. Consider a natural floral arrangement in a beautiful glass vase or ceramic bowl, which work perfectly on a round table and make the most beautiful centrepiece! They can be enjoyed throughout the whole day on the dining table and leave plenty of room for glassware, candlesticks and votives with other decorations you may choose to use.
If you are dining on a longer table then I prefer to use larger arrangements placed periodically down the centre, and if space allows some bud vases in between to ensure that colour and interest runs throughout the length of the whole table. This is a great way to bring in an elegant yet natural festive feel to your tablescape. The other non negotiable on a christmas dinner table is candlelight, it sounds obvious but taper candles can really elevate a relatively average looking dinner table to a cosy, intimate, special dinner table. Use candlesticks in various heights and place throughout the centre of your table amongst tea lights for a really stylish and sophisticated feel. This look also works well with glass bottles in various heights filled with seasonal blooms, and votives filled with larger more blousy blooms. By creating flowers at different heights throughout the table this fills the space and offers an intimate dining experience filled with beauty. I love this look of using smaller vessels throughout, as it allows room for sharing platters and wine glasses/ water jugs.
Table Garlands:
Another way to dress a longer table would be with a foliage garland throughout the centre, this does not even have to be a professionally made garland, a few natural branches of spruce or pine, or even sprigs of holly loosely arranged can transform a dining table. If time is short then this is a quick, yet stylish option on how you can style your Christmas dinner table. There are so many amazing foliage varieties available to us during December. By using foliage such as blue spruce and pine you can bring that classic gorgeous Christmas scent to your dining table. Eucalyptus, berried ivy and pistache are further foliages that I love to use at this time of year. Add fruit such as pomegranates or dried oranges and limes for extra texture and interest.
Place Settings:
I love to adorn each place setting with a festive napkin and a sprig of foliage or single bloom. It is these simple touches that offer that more decadent and luxurious feel to our Christmas dining table, making your guests feel special and thought of. Here I have used ilex berries and holly sprigs, simple yet super festive and effective. I prefer to pick out the same flowers used in the main centrepieces to ensure that the christmas tablesescape looks cohesive throughout. You can tie your place name to the sprig too, which is also a lovely touch!
Candlelight:
How to style your Christmas dinner table? With candlelight of course! Candles are a must and the more the merrier in my book (health and safety wise of course!!) I love to use coloured candles to offer depth and richness, then tea lights in votives to create a continuous look of light at different heights. By keeping your candles tonal, here I have green and burgundy, this really does offer a super stylish look to your dining table. If you are feeling extra then add in some velvet bows to the candlesticks, like I have done here. Again, it really is all these extra special touches that will have your guests talking around the dinner table and really proving you are hostess with the mostest!
Linen and Tableware:
Linen is a great way to either be playful and truly embrace the Christmas vibe, or keep things classic and neutral, this will totally depend on your personality and dining interiors! Think about using various linens, napkins, table cloths and will you be using special charger plates or coloured crockery… I am not one for a simple white plate! Glassware is important too, I mean you need a glass for fizz and your red wine right? Coloured glassware looks stunning or opt for a classic, traditional clear look. Use your linen and tableware to bring a bit of colour and personality to your dining table, or opt for simple, white ceramics which offer a timeless feel.
STYLING YOUR FESTIVE TABLE IN A STYLISH YET FUN WAY:
How will you be dressing your table for Christmas this year?! I hope this post has given you some inspiration and I would really love to see all of your styling efforts so do share photos and of course eat, drink and be merry! Wishing you a very Happy Christmas to you and yours!