14 Best Christmas Table Settings

Christmas Table Setting Ideas

Today I’m so excited to be sharing 14 best Christmas table settings with you.

For the most part, the most anticipated event of the year is Christmas to enjoy a holiday meal. Gathering everyone around the dinner table to enjoy great food and stories with one another. Reminiscing about memories from years past and what the future holds for each of us. Sharing these stories and memories is the most important thing, especially during Christmas family dinner.

How I Begin My Christmas Table Idea

The Way I Begin My Christmas Table

I’m not sure about you but when I begin adding my Christmas decorations I start with all of my Christmas centerpiece ideas first. For the most part, these rarely change because I am a huge fan of using natural elements. I enjoy adding a combination of evergreen branches, pine cones, pheasant feathers, and white birch logs to a favorite piece of mine.

I also tend to use table runners across the table in a neutral color because this works with our color palette throughout our home. These runners also act as placemats for Christmas dinner.

Some years I actually use fresh greenery inside mason jars however this year I didn’t feel like worrying about keeping these alive all holiday season.

To keep holiday table decor fresh some years I add dry orange slices, cinnamon sticks, walnuts in the shell, or even faux chestnuts.

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Several years ago I invested in an antique jardinière from France, making this a staple for our dining room table. So this piece is basically here every Christmas and because it’s a single item it makes clearing the table to enjoy our holiday feast easy.

I also light white candles in brass candlesticks at each end of the dining table a warm glow on our Christmas table.

Centerpiece Ideas for Christmas

Different Centerpiece Ideas

  1. Begin by adding a Christmas table runner and add a string of battery-operated fairy lights for a soft glow with natural greenery you cut from your front lawn. Incidentally, I own these and they are great and BONUS they have a timer!
  2. Add boxwood branches, holly branches with real holly berries, or evergreen. And make your own DIY mason jar centerpieces.
  3. Add Mod Podge from Hobby Lobby or Michaels craft store and sprinkle Epsom salt on the outside of the jars. Then slip in a tea light candle or a battery-operated votive candle for added glow.
  4. Another example of a holiday centerpiece is to use of a pretty cake stand with a wreath in the center of the table. Insert a pillar candle and the best part this doesn’t take much time. This is a classic for Christmas.

The Rule of a Table Setting

Table Setting Rule

What’s the Golden Rule for a Table Setting?

*Emily Post* says the golden rule of a table setting is getting the placement of the utensils correct. Meaning, utensils are placed in order of use; from the outside in. Forks got to the left of the plate and knives and spoons to the right.

Because it’s a Christmas dining table I set our table with the dessert fork and teaspoon above the dinner plate. After all, it’s Christmas so I give the table a little extra love.

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Ideas for Setting a Holiday Table

Setting a Holiday Table Ideas

Now I’m going to share 12 Christmas table settings with you. I’m so excited to share this list of amazing ideas with you. Are you ready? I hope I share something that inspires you with these Christmas table decoration ideas.

These are easy ways to make a beautiful Christmas table with various decorative elements.

Table Setting Idea 1: Bottle Brush Trees

This is a simple way to add a festive look to each place setting. Place a bottle brush tree nestled inside a crown for easy Christmas table decorations.

Bottle-Brush-Tree
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Idea 2 for a Table Setting: Ornaments

It doesn’t get much easier than this! Add Christmas ornaments in a color that works specifically for dinner plates on your Christmas table with a satin ribbon. It’s simple and elegant, don’t you think?

Table Setting Idea 3: Cranberries

Add fresh cranberries from the grocery store to wine glasses and smaller mason jars. In this case, I love them in this vintage champagne glass.

By the way, speaking of fresh cranberries, this is an easy DIY to have a woodsy aroma through the house all Christmas. These recipes are also perfect all winter long!

Cranberries-in-Champagne-Glass
Cranberries-in-Champagne-Glass

Idea 4 for a Table Setting: Pinecones

Here’s a great example and a perfect way to add natural elements. Add a simple pinecone with a velvet or again satin ribbon. This is also an economical way because we find pine cones free in our backyard.

By the way, I share an easy way to clean and preserve these to use inside the home for years to come!

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Pinecone-with-satin-ribbon-place-setting-ideas

Table Setting Idea 5: Dry Orange Slice

Add another element of nature with a simple dried orange slice coupled with a Star Anise and a piece of ribbon. I actually share an easy craft to add to your Christmas decorations. Guess what, I made six 8-inch wreaths in 30 minutes. This is a great idea to Pin for next year!

Idea 6 for Table Setting: Bells

Do you have jingle bells leftover from a craft or Christmas project you made? Again add these with ribbon or even string the ribbon through the top of the bell. I love these bells I use from fall through Christmas in our home for holiday decor.

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Christmas table settings add a bell with ribbon or a jingle bell is perfect too!

Table Setting Idea 7: Postcards

Have vintage postcards? Place one on top of the linen napkins with a sprig of fresh evergreen or even Rosemary. The smell will be so pretty for your family to enjoy.

Postcard
Vintage postcards or leftover Christmas cards are perfect with ribbon on a table setting

Idea 8 for a Table Setting: Feathers

Here’s a great time to grab extra pheasant feathers leftover from the Christmas centerpiece and tuck them into a napkin. Now, how easy is this idea?

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pheasant-feathers-focal-soften-place-setting-idea

Table Setting Idea 9: Knit Stocking

Add a small stocking that’s a utensil holder and add your family’s favorite treat as decorations. They will be so happy while enjoying pieces of chocolate right after dinner.

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Stocking-with-chocolate-Christmas-table-ideas

Idea 10 for a Table Setting: Candy Canes

This idea is the perfect Christmas table for kids as well as adults, add candy canes tied with holiday ribbon or velvet ribbon in different colors.

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Candy-Cane-satin-ribbon-on-dishes

Table Setting Idea 11: Frames

Do you have small frames? These frames can be easily found at any craft store and cost next to nothing. Add a paper printed as I did saying Merry Christmas or name cards. I have done bother of the years.

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Idea 12 for a Table Setting: Crackers

Our family has the tradition of opening holiday crackers. I try to find ones that have cute extras inside prizes, crowns, and jokes. It’s a fun time after Christmas dinner while we are getting ready for coffee and Christmas cookies! Yum, these are my favorites.

Here lay the cracker across the dishes as an accent for Christmas decorations on the dining table.

Table Setting Idea 13: Nutcrackers

For this Christmas, I bought small nutcrackers from Amazon and painted them using Black Dog Salvage Furniture paint. Yes, furniture paint. I can’t say enough about working with this paint.

They have been very patient with me sharing my first furniture project due to puppy health issues and me going through Alopecia from COVID.

Tracy and Swooz I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I will be sharing this project after the New Year and it’s beautiful. For 2023 I have projects lined up using this fantastic paint! So stay tuned!

USE CODE CL-20 AND RECEIVE 20% OFF ANY BLACK DOG SALVAGE FURNITURE PAINT!

Anyway back to the nutcrackers. I’m going to use these on our Christmas table with everyone’s names printed on paper for place cards. Also, these will be pretty as an accent on the plates as well.

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Nutcracker-with-half-a-walnut–satin-ribbon

Idea 14 for a Table Setting:

Lastly and my choice this year is these homemade wooden gift tags I made. I love these because there are so many possibilities with them, especially during Christmas.

  • Hang these from a Christmas tree
  • Use these as drink charms
  • Add these to your table as a napkin ring. Just make sure the ribbon you use is long enough to keep the napkin neat when wrapping it around the cloth or paper napkin.
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full-dining-room-table-for-Christmas
full-dining-room-table-for-Christmas

Then at the end of the day let your family members take them home so they have a keepsake and memories of this Christmas.

I hope you enjoy this post on 14 best Christmas table settings and found an idea that works for your table this year. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you so much for following Cloches & Lavender!

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Have a Great Day
Have a Great Day
CHRISTMAS-TABLE-SETTINGS-ORANGE-AND-PINECONE-PIN
CHRISTMAS-TABLE-SETTINGS-ORANGE-AND-PINECONE-PIN

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17 thoughts on “14 Best Christmas Table Settings

  1. What pretty ideas for a lovely Christmas table. I hope you have a wonderful dinner with your family and can sit at that beautiful table. Merry Christmas, Cindy!

  2. I love all of your ideas, Cindy, but those bottle brush trees are my favorite…and I have a bunch!! Stay warm and cozy with your sweet pups in this deep December freeze. Merry Christmas my friend!

  3. We tend to just use crackers but this has inspired me to be more creative next year!

  4. Hi Cindy! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! You have so many beautiful ideas for decorating a holiday table! I’m pinning now so I can come back to this for next year! Love your brown transferware!

  5. So many beautiful centerpiece ideas, Cindy. I have a similar brown and white transferware pattern and I’m always surprised at how neutral they are. They truly go with everything. Sending you tons of love and hugs as you comfort your bestie and ease into the New Year, CoCo

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