How to Set a 32 Piece Table Setting

Setting the table is an important part of meal preparation.

A 32-piece table setting provides everything you need to serve a basic dinner to a family of four. These sets typically include a dinner plate, salad plate, soup bowl, mug, tumbler, knife, fork and spoon for each person at the table. Proper etiquette dictates where each piece goes in this type of table setting to ensure the most functional, aesthetic and technically correct arrangement of the dinner pieces. Whether you're setting the dinner table for a regular family meal or setting up for a dinner party, the same basic rules apply to your place settings.

Things You'll Need

• 4 dinner plates
• 4 salad plates
• 4 soup bowls
• 4 forks
• 4 knives
• 4 spoons
• 4 tumblers
• 4 mugs

Instructions

1. Set the dinner plate in the center of the table setting. If you are using placemats, the dinner plate will be centered on the mat.

2. Place the salad plate on top of the dinner plate if you are serving a salad course. Top this with the soup bowl if the meal also includes a soup. Eliminate these dishes if the corresponding courses are not included in the meal. Leave the soup bowl in the center of the dinner plate if you are serving soup or another dish that is served in a bowl, such as chili, for the main course.

3. Place the knife to the right of the plate with the blade facing inward. Set the spoon to the right of the knife. Place the fork on the opposite side, to the left of the plate.

4. Set the tumbler just above the tip of the knife, at a 45 degree angle from the plate.

5. Place the mug above the fork, on the opposite side of the plate. The mug is often placed upside down until the end of the meal when coffee is served.

Tips & Warnings

• Carefully consider your menu before setting your table, and use only the dishes that you need.

• In a casual setting, you don't need to stack the dinner plate, salad plate and soup bowl and can instead remove the plate for the prior course as you bring out the next plate.

• The salad plate and soup bowl can also be used for dessert. In this case, these dishes will be left off initially, but brought out at the end of the meal as the dinner plate is taken away.

References

• Emily Post: Informal Place Setting
• CNN: How to Set a Pretty Table
• Emily Post: Basic Table Setting
• The Modern Girl's Guide to Life; Jane Buckingham; 2004