Designing your holiday table, like getting dressed up for any event, is an opportunity for you to express your personal style.
Begin by asking what tone you want to set for your holiday dinner. Do you want this to be elegant? Rustic? Fun? Table décor can transport you into whatever setting you desire. In the example shown, the magic of Christmas shines with giant red antique glass ornaments, silver deer, personalized place cards, and surprise gifts.
Here are some ideas to help you make your holiday table special:
Design your table setting around something you love–holiday dinnerware, holiday linens, a centerpiece, or beautiful ornaments. In the example shown, the red and silver antique ornaments are the inspiration for this table setting. Their sparkling colors and whimsical spirit is repeated across the table–in the silver placemats, red napkin rings, the simple red stitched napkins, and the silver candlesticks decorated with glittering red berries.
Use a crisp white linen tablecloth as a backdrop. Here the sparkly red and silver details pop when set against the white linen. These pops of color and metal also add a playful elegance to an otherwise traditional table setting. (Using this same white background you could easily substitute gold for silver. For Hanukkah, you could switch out the red for cobalt and use silver dreidels in place of the ornaments.)
Personalize your table with place cards and small gifts at each individual setting. Both are nice finishing details. Here we have attached silver penned place cards to ornaments with silver wired ribbon. We also placed a snowman box at each setting. These can be filled with a holiday wish and small trinkets. You can also purchase traditional English “crackers,” available by the dozen. These fun firecracker shaped gifts pop when you open them and contain small jokes, silly hats, and games.
Plan to reuse your favorite holiday table décor to create family traditions. To refresh your table setting next year collect new pieces in a holiday dinnerware line, add new decorative details, or change out older linens and other tired décor.
With some thoughtful planning, your holiday table will be the perfect setting for a most memorable and festive holiday dinner!
Dinner at Eight
Fine wares for fine dining.
1167 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette
847-251-8380
See our cooking class schedule online!
Come in and we’ll gladly help you decorate your table for the holidays! Bring your table size and a sample of your dinnerware to select the perfect linens—either in stock or by special order. Mention seeing this and we’ll give you 15% off your most expensive item.
