How Set Up a Table
Setting a proper table shows your dinner guests you care about the details, and helps sets the mood for an enjoyable dinner. Although your dinner may not be so formal that you need several glasses or a bread and butter plate, you'll need to determine the menu first in order to know exactly what you'll need for each place setting. Tablecloths tend to look nicer than placemats on table, although depending upon the occasion, such as a normal family dinner, placemats might be sufficient for your table. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Center the tablecloth on the table so that all the edges are straight and even on both sides.
-
2
Center the dinner plate in front of the chair, about a thumb's distance or 1-inch away from the edge of the table.
-
-
3
Position the napkin to the left of the plate, with the longest fold closest to the plate. For example, a triangular shaped napkin would have the point facing to the left, with the long side next to the plate.
-
4
Place the knife and then the spoon, working outward, on the right side of the dinner plate. Position the handles 1-inch away from the edge of the table. Position the soup spoon, if applicable, on the outer edge, and the dessert spoon directly to the right of the knife. If you prefer, position the dessert spoon at the top center of the plate, with the handle pointing toward the glasses.
-
5
Place the forks on the left side of the dinner plate. Position the handle 1-inch away from the edge of the table. As a rule of thumb, you'll use cutlery from the outside in. For example, if there are three forks on the table, there are likely three courses on the menu--salad, dinner and dessert. You'll use the salad fork first, then the dinner fork and lastly the dessert fork.
-
6
Set the water glass at a 45-degree angle away from the knife. If you'll be serving water glass to at a 45 degree angle to the left of the knife and the wine glass to the 45 degree angle of the knife.
-
7
Position the butter plate directly above the forks, with the knife placed on the top of the plate, with the handle pointing toward the glasses.
-
8
Place individual salt and pepper shakers above the fork. If people will share the shakers, place them between the table settings at the same height.
-
9
Center the table decorations in the middle of the table. Keep the decorations shorter then 12 inches tall, so that people can see each other from across the table.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Keep table decorations shorter than 12 inches tall so that people can see one another from across the table.
References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Getty Images
