How to Decorate a "Night Before Christmas" Table

You can decorate your holiday table so it corresponds to "The Night Before Christmas," the memorable rhyme by Clement C. Moore. Here's how to do it.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Ribbons
• White Glitter
• The Night Before Christmas Book
• Santas
• Banners
• Boxes
• Felt Christmas Stockings Cutouts
• Quilt Batting
• Reindeer
• White Bedsheets
• Candies
• Mouse Cat Toys
• Sleighs
• Notebook Papers
• Twine
• Plush Toys
• Toy Fabric Gift Bags

1. Purchase a Santa, eight reindeer, a sleigh and a toy bag, in keeping with Moore's vision of Christmas. If your table is small, you may want to use just a Santa with a couple of reindeer.

2. Drape the table with a solid green or plaid tablecloth - something in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

3. Lay "snow" on the center of the table where you will set up your Santa and reindeer. This could be a white sheet or quilt batting with white glitter sprinkled on it.

4. Arrange four pair of reindeer in front of the sleigh, and reins (made of ribbon or twine) leading to the sleigh. Write the reindeer names - Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen - on discs of paper that will become tags tied around their necks with ribbon.

5. Stuff Santa's bag with small toys or miniature wrapped packages.

6. Hang small stocking-shape cutouts (felt fabric is one easy option) on the edge of the tablecloth, where it hangs over the table.

7. Sprinkle Christmas candies ("visions of sugarplums") on your snow.

8. Place a mouse - either a stuffed toy or a cat toy - partly hidden near your vignette to depict "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

9. Place a small copy of Moore's book, opened or not, on the table with your arrangement.

Tips & Warnings

• You may want to hang a banner in old-fashioned script that says, "'Twas the night before Christmas...." in the dining room, on a wall or across a doorway.