How to Decorate a Christmas Table

Make your Christmas table just as festive as the rest of your home. Use pine garland, candles, Christmas ornaments and other special touches to create a memorable holiday table.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Brushes
• Silver & Gold Ribbon
• Acrylic Paints
• Artificial Or Fresh Christmas Floral Arrangements
• Candleholders
• Collectible Christmas Tree Ornaments
• Fabric Gift Bags
• Holiday Napkin Rings
• Holiday Table Runners
• Pillar Candles
• Pine Cones
• Red And Gold Ball Ornaments
• Taper Candles
• Acrylic Paints
• Homemade Christmas Candies
• Nuts
• Holiday Napkins
• Holiday Tablecloths
• Large Decorative Bowls
• Brass Charger Plates

1. Purchase an artificial or fresh-flower Christmas arrangement from a craft store or florist shop to use as your table's centerpiece. Let someone else do the work if you're pressed for time.

2. Use candles to make your own Christmas centerpiece. Set red or green taper or pillar candles in brass or wooden candleholders and arrange fresh or artificial pine garland, pinecones and cranberries around the base.

3. Place a large, decorative bowl in the center of your table and fill it with gilded fruit and gilded pinecones. Arrange pine garland around the base of the bowl and scatter Christmas picks throughout the garland.

4. Place pieces of fresh pine garland in a large decorative bowl and place red and gold ball ornaments on top. Arrange larger pieces of pine garland around the base of the bowl. Place taper or pillar candles on each side of the bowl, and dim the artificial lights in the room so that the light from the lit candles is reflected in your centerpiece.

5. Set your table with a tablecloth, table runner, place mats and napkins done in holiday prints and coordinating solids. Use prints sparingly to avoid giving your table a busy look and to keep attention focused on your centerpiece.

6. Use napkin rings that reflect the season as well. Hand-paint holiday motifs onto plain wooden napkin rings or use purchased holiday napkin rings. Unusual napkin rings, such as those made to look like strands of cranberries, are readily available at many craft stores.

7. Use your good china or special dishes that show Christmas motifs. If you are using a lot of holiday print fabric to decorate your table, use dishes done in coordinating, solid colors and complement them with brass charger plates.

8. Place a small gift at each table setting. Give collectible Christmas ornaments or small sachet bags filled with homemade Christmas candy, nuts or other small trinkets.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that any foliage used as table decoration is clean before placing it on the table or near food items.
• Keep your centerpiece small if your table space is limited. Remember that you will have to leave room for serving platters, dishes and condiments.
• Keep your centerpiece at a height that will allow diners an unobstructed view of each other.
• Avoid using scented candles in your centerpiece. Their scents may interfere with the aromas from your holiday kitchen.
• Make your own tablecloth, napkins, place mats and table runner. These items are easy to make and add a special touch to any holiday table.
• Use holiday prints or solid red, green or gold fabric to make small gift bags. See "Make a Sachet," under Related eHows, for instructions on making bags.

Resources

• Mail Santa Claus
• Christmas Recipes

on 11/22/2005 Spray clean pinecones with red and green or silver and gold paint. Add glitter or shiny beads. Hot glue them in a pile in a decorative basket, positioning long tapers inbetween the cones. Tie a pretty ribbon around the basket. You won't have to worry about dripping wax...It will just add to the colorful effects.

on 11/22/2005 You can use holiday wire-edged ribbon in place of napkin holders. Just wrap the ribbon around the napkin. You can finish it with a bow, depending on the type of ribbon. Very inexpensive and very festive.

on 11/22/2005 I'm planning a holiday brunch. For place cards, I have purchased small, inexpensive (4") gold frames ($1 each) and placed their snapshots in them, which they can later take home as a memento gift.

on 11/22/2005 Take a wire-edged ribbon and lay it down the center of the table, twisting a bit so it has interesting loops and shape. Insert Christmas picks in and under it; add candles in holders. This is very elegant and still allows room for serving pieces, etc.

on 11/22/2005 For a buffet or hors d'oeuvres table, place a string of white lights under tablecloth, be sure and bunch up the fabric so that it looks random and fun. You may have to secure the cloth in hidden areas to achieve an even hem on front table edge.