How to Make Christmas Place Settings

Spread Christmas cheer around the table with decorative place settings.

When you're hosting a party during the holiday season, you want every detail to contribute to the festive feel. With so many Christmas activities and traditions revolving around food, decorating the Christmas dinner table is especially important in setting the mood. Decorate with bright, whimsical colors at the kids' table and use understated burgundy, evergreen and silver for a sophisticated look at the main table. You can use items you already have in your home to create the look, or search department stores and dollar stores for celebratory supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Vinyl place mats, solid colors
• Fabric paint
• Christmas stencil
• Card stock
• Old Christmas cards
• Toilet paper or wrapping paper tubes
• Tape
• Ribbon, ¼ inches wide
• Ribbon, 2 inches wide

Instructions

1. Create Christmas place mats using plain vinyl mats from the dollar store and fabric paints. Use a stencil with Christmas designs for an elaborate but clean look. You can also trace shapes using Christmas cookie cutters and then paint inside of the shapes. Set a place mat at each place at the table.

2. Use construction paper or card stock to make a place card for each table setting. Color or paint the same designs that you made using the Christmas stencil on the place mats to create coordinating place cards. Write or print out each guest's name on the card stock in script font. As an added touch, cut old Christmas greeting cards to a size slightly larger than the place cards and glue one to the back of each place card as a border.

3. Provide cloth napkins to coordinate with the color scheme of the tablecloth and place mats. Make your own Christmas napkin rings to match by wrapping Christmas wrapping paper around toilet paper tubes cut into thirds. Tape the paper as you would a gift and then tie a ribbon around the ring in a small bow.

4. If you have holiday-themed dinnerware, put out a plate at each setting; if you don't have specific Christmas dishes, use white china or a solid color that coordinates with the tablecloth and napkins. Set a wine glass next to each plate and tie a ribbon around the stem. Use thick ribbon as extra embellishment on each chair by wrapping the ribbon once around the the chair back and tying a large bow on the backside.

References

• Kaboose: Christmas Placemats
• Country Living: Christmas Tables
• Good Housekeeping: Do-It-Yourself Placecards