Top 10 Tips for Setting a Christmas Table in Style

An awesome centerpiece and candelabras embellished with fresh winter flowers on the table go a long way to cherish wonderful memories, dreams and the unforgettable unison of echoing “Merry Christmas”. Your choice of fine table linens, Christmas tree dinnerware and dishes is the perfect way of celebrating the Christmas festive season in its full charms. A light background music with Christmas carols is the perfect way to setup the mood for the crowd whether it is a younger, senior citizen or a mix crowd.

If your old family antique table is lying forgotten in a corner, dress it up for the occasion. Bring that old grandfather’s dark hue mahogany table of oak or birch for serving coffee at the centre stage. This is the right time to set it up, it not only helps bringing the memories of the old nostalgic days - a grand masterpiece like this will certainly look both striking and impressive. Whatever the makeover of your table, you can certainly adorn it to blend with the theme you have chosen. If it is a contemporary dinner setup with steel and glass, use glassware. And if it is a rattan or wicker furniture, it will be prudent to use wooden artifacts for the artwork. Use a good tablecloth and a table runner that mixes and matches perfectly and also reinforces a nice feeling of warmth.

Steer clear from a jumble of hotch potch colours for beautification. Too many colours will eventually misled the décor and muddle with the theme. Focus instead on two or three contrast colours or just a single hue from the various colors of the light spectrum.  Highlight the theme of your table settings is an art. You can use the traditional red and green holiday decor for the Christmas dinner table or create a glittering winter wonderland sparkling with white and snow, accentuated by subdues blue and white of snowflakes. Use soothing colours of blue and green to create the ocean decor or the beiges and the taupes for a magical earth tone setting on the Christmas table. These combination and medley of shades look fascinating.

Introducing the guests with an authentic Christmas dinnerware can become the highlight of the day. Instead of using the old cutlery, brighten the holiday dinnerware with shabby chic dinner sets that display the traditional Christmas tree centered on the ivory background. The dishes having borders that are slightly fluted and subtly notched for a decorative feeling look magnificent. Spode Woodlands, Johnson brothers, Lenox and many other brands have an elaborate Christmas tableware and designer dinnerware to choose from. Exceptional designs in floral with red and pink hues in pottery and ceramic can do wonders to your Christmas table. Impressive patterns that are rendered monochromatically in deep pink with a green Christmas tree are also available by Johnson Brothers. 

If you are a vivid collector and have treasured your Christmas gifts all the years, you can make use the collection of the ornaments and gifts to decorate the Christmas tree and the flower bouquet. All sentimental gifts collected throughout those long years can come to use at this time of the festive season that serves as special reminders of past Christmas. Believe me, they will look gorgeous.

You can either use a tabletop Christmas tree with candelabras and floral centerpiece on the table or use them to decorate the strategic locations of your house and corners where they will be seen clearly and adored. Use the decor magic by placing the garlands on the stairs, hanging Christmas wreaths on the door and paintings to brighten up the fireplace mantels. Putting the magic touch everywhere means placing the décor at locations where they look as if they belong.

Whether you choose a traditional theme or a contemporary medley of bold settings for a casual Christmas party, repeating key hues and tones will synchronize the table-setting in unison and create a perfect harmony. The selections of linens, tableware, table-cloth and even napkins should be colour synchronized to create that perfect co-ordination. Large tapestry, plaques and wall art look gorgeous on otherwise blank walls. I would suggest a beautiful tapestry of "The Last Supper" to be hanged on the walls.

Remember the magic effect of a single tone or a mix of fiery color contrasts used from a clever colour palette of one or two complementary shades can make all the difference. For example; silver and gold, deep purple and copper, chocolate brown and beige, distressed white and turquoise are the favourite likes and contrasts of the shabby chic décor holiday junkies. 

A sparkling, glamorous Christmas would be incomplete without a gourmet menu. So bring in the yummy fruit cakes, muffins, cookies, fudge and chocolate covered cherries .Chicken pies, mince pies, country ham and bacon, thickening gravy of vegetable stew and biscuits could be the time-honored Christmas menu. Make delicious sausages, egg casserole and a big bowl of fruit for the menu. For the main course you can have your family’s favourite sweet potato casserole with pecan topping, traditional offering of scrumptious pecan pies, pastries and sandwiches with Grandma’s secret jam’s recipe. Add a punch to the menu with some cracker dish and ask the guests to choose “The Dish of the Day”.

This is also the time to indulge in the most sinful chocolates and the Italian sparkling wine you have treasured for the rare event. Choose your own selections of wines and cheese for the Christmas party. Preserve the chocolate truffles, candies and assorted dark chocolates for the kids.

Either you can choose to present the gifts right away or after the dinner when everyone is casual ad settled. A wisely chosen memento is a special token for the family or guest member to cherish this Christmas event - so choose with care. Christmas Peace Angels, Nativity scenes, Santa figurines and Swarovski jewelry trinket make good presents for Christmas. You can also gift toys to children. Kids love toys and games for Christmas gifts.

When the whole family has assembled; to get into the festive spirit, read the Christmas stories aloud on Christmas Eve and sing the Christmas carols together as you hug closely. Sitting together in the living room with only the lights from the Christmas tree to illuminate the bright piece of Nativity settings, the twilight illumination can be very romantic. Engaging kids in making a snowman and playing with Santa who might be perhaps a selected member chosen for the part can add to the memorable evening.

Whether you have chosen to dine with family members or a group of friends, selection of melodious Christmas songs will certainly set the melody for a wonderful evening with the magic of the background music. The quickest way is to ask some of your friends or family to do a short listing of the songs that you would like to play on the fabulous night of Christmas Eve.