Effortless Holiday Tablescape Ideas That Will Wow Your Guests
Holiday Entertaining Made Easy.
The holiday season is a joyous time filled with love, merriment, and anticipation for the new year. It is also a time to rekindle relationships, reignite joy, and start afresh with family and friends. Some of these happy events happen around a Christmas tree, at a social holiday event, or while playing games, but they mostly happen at a key element of the season: the dining table. As such, dining tables are critical to the holiday season, and how you dress them can make it even more memorable.
So, if you're hosting a 'Friendmas' feast, a work dinner for your colleagues, or even a social dinner for strangers, these tablescape ideas are about to be your best friend through the holidays.
But first, what is Tablescaping?
Tablescaping, or table setting, is the art of arranging items on a table creatively and decoratively. Tablescaping can be used to create a certain mood on the table, like using specific-coloured napkins for a particular holiday or a vase of flowers to commemorate a special day.
Items like matching plates, bowls, casseroles, and napkins are commonly used in tablescaping, all coming together to create the perfect holiday table decor. But tablescaping isn't just about putting plates and napkins together and hoping they stick; it is an art that requires conscious planning and cohesive execution. Here are a few tips to help you get started on an unforgettable holiday feast.
Use a Tablecloth to Set the Tone
With minimalism and Scandi vibes so popular, many people think tablecloths are outdated, but that’s not true. A tablecloth helps ground the dinner table and tie the whole look together. Tablecloths are also great when paired with a table runner, which is a long strip of cloth that runs from one end of the table to the other. Whether alone or with a table runner, tablecloths are indispensable in your holiday table decor and are an easy, simple way to create a memorable festive table.
Choose a Festive Color Palette
A holiday colour palette may seem like a ton of work to incorporate into your table, but it is worth the effort. For one, it helps convey the mood you’re going for, like this table with a red, green, and gold colour palette that all but screams Christmas.
It also helps to know you do not have to go for a cliche holiday colour palette. Instead, you can try your hand at creating a colour palette that brings you and your friends fond memories. A themed tablecloth is another excellent way to incorporate your festive colour palette into the dining table, such as dragon-themed linen for Chinese New Year celebrations.
Layer with Greens & Florals
Bringing the outside in will always be an evergreen way to keep a space fresh and elegant, and this is no different in tablescaping. If you’re going for a fresh, calming look for a few guests, a small floral arrangement as a holiday table centrepiece is far from a bad idea.
And if you’re having a big family feast, multiple colourful arrangements for each guest are also a great way to incorporate florals into your space.
You can also express your creativity by recycling some items into your decor, like this table with greenery, a fine tablecloth, and flowers held in wine bottles.
Incorporate Evergreen Branches
If you prefer more greenery over floral arrangements and still want a traditional look for your holiday table decorations, try placing branches either in the centre, across the length of the table, or even suspended over the table this holiday season.
Personalise Your Table Settings
Holiday table decor can seem simple enough, but your table should be a culmination of your traditions, relationships, and a hint of extra thoughtfulness. That is why a sure way to set a truly unique table is by adding a bit of yourself –and your guests– into it. There are several ways to achieve more personalised place settings, and one of the easiest is through personalised name cards.
Use Personalised Name Cards
Everyone loves to feel special, especially during the holidays. Personalised holiday name cards are a thoughtful, elegant, and simple way to wow your guests and make them feel genuinely welcome at the table.
Add a Special Touch with Favors
In addition to adding holiday name cards, make the feast even more special by adding holiday table favours for your guests. They do not have to be over-the-top gifts, but they do need to be packaged prettily. Bonus points if they are personalized to the likes and wants of each guest.
Style with Tradition
Add a bit of familiar tradition to your table by adding an item that speaks to your origin or hometown. A good example is adding foil-wrapped rectangular pieces of a moist rum-infused Caribbean Black Cake to your table if you or your guests are Caribbean. Infusing your traditional holiday table settings into your tablescape can make all the difference and create a cherished experience for you and your guests.
Incorporate Seasonal Fruits
Another way to style your table with tradition is to add seasonal fruits. This usually involves adding citrus fruits like clementines, lemons and oranges to the table, which make a stunning addition to a table runner or beside some decorative branches.
Use Candles for Warmth and Ambiance
Candles are a beautiful way to bring warmth into any space, and they are particularly romantic when placed on a table. You can try some holiday candle decor using thicker pillar candles strategically placed around the table or add slender candles that taper off from the centre of the table to the edges.
Go Pro With Your Wine Selections
As said earlier, a big part of creating a tablescape that will wow your guests is through a healthy dose of thoughtfulness, which is the order of the day for wine selections.
Don't just pick up any old bubbly in the supermarket. Be thoughtful with your holiday wine pairings, keeping in mind the food you're serving, like pairing sparkling wine with your dessert, or a medium tannin wine if you're serving some beef. But it's also okay to go beyond your comfort zone and try a new wine variety this holiday.
Serve An After-Dinner Digestif
After a decadent feast with your guests, you can end with a soothing, non-alcoholic digestif like a cup of tea or a light wine in a matching festive glass or teacup. The tea can also be made from seasonal ingredients like grapefruits to truly tie everything together.
