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. So, today we are sharing 14 Christmas table settings easy ideas with you.
When we are getting our dining room table ready for the holiday season we give the dining table we tend to give a little extra love. We take out our best glasses, linen napkins, place cards, an elegant tablecloth, or a Christmas table runner.
Our Christmas table centerpiece is filled with an abundance of natural elements such as pine cones, orange slices, fresh greenery, and cinnamon sticks, with a selection of Christmas ornaments setting the stage for a great holiday meal.
Christmas dinner will often find us 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.
Begin A Christmas Table Idea
DIY Delights: Crafting a Charming Christmas Centerpiece
I’m not sure about you but when I begin adding my Christmas decorations my first idea is to work with my Christmas centerpiece ideas. I start with all of my Christmas centerpiece ideas. I am a huge fan of using natural elements during the holiday season. Adding a combination of fresh evergreen, evergreen branches, pine cones, pheasant feathers, and white birch logs is added to a favorite piece of mine.
Table runners across the table in a neutral color work well with our color palette throughout our home. These runners also act as placemats for Christmas dinner.
Another great way to add natural elements is to add fresh greenery inside mason jars. Still, for this, I didn’t want to worry about keeping fresh evergreens alive for our Christmas centerpiece.
Other natural elements to enjoy for the holiday season are dry orange slices, cinnamon sticks, walnuts in the shell, or even faux chestnuts.


*As an Amazon Associate and other Affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases*
As an Amazon Associate, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint, and other Affiliates, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase something through any link, I may receive a small commission with no extra charge to you. All opinions are my own
Several years ago we 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 being one piece makes clearing the table to enjoy our holiday feast easy.
Ivory candles in brass candlesticks at each end of the dining table add a warm glow to our Christmas table.
Centerpiece Ideas for Christmas
Budget Brilliance: Affordable and Stylish Centerpiece Alternatives
- Table Runner: Begin by adding a Christmas table runner and a string of battery-operated fairy lights for a soft glow with the natural greenery you cut from your front lawn. These are great and BONUS they have a timer!
- Fresh Greenery: Add boxwood branches, holly branches with real holly berries, or evergreen branches to mason jars. This makes beautiful DIY mason jar centerpieces.
- Epsom Salt: Add Mod Podge from Hobby Lobby and sprinkle Epsom salt on the outside of the jars. Add a tea light candle or a votive candle for added glow. Add natural elements such as faux evergreen branches, pine cones, and cinnamon sticks for an easy Christmas table centerpiece. Add a white linen tablecloth for your own winter wonderland.
- Cake Stand: 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. This is a classic Christmas centerpiece.
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, that 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.
Christmas dinner is a special time we go the extra mile to make our Christmas dining table extra special and a bit more formal. We set our table with the dessert fork and teaspoon above the dinner plate.
Ideas for Setting a Holiday Table
Tablescaping Extravaganza: Transforming Each Table Setting for the Holiday Season
We are going to share 12 Christmas table settings with you. I’m so excited to share these place setting ideas with you. Are you ready? We hope we share something that inspires you with these Christmas table decoration ideas.
These are easy ways to make these Christmas table settings extra special with various decorative elements.
Place Setting Idea 1: Bottlebrush Christmas Tree
A simple way to add a festive look to each place setting is to add a bottlebrush Christmas tree. Place a bottle brush tree nestled inside a crown, tea cup, or saucer for easy Christmas table decorations.
Idea 2: Place Setting: Christmas 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?


Place Setting Idea 3: Cranberries
Add fresh cranberries from the grocery store to wine glasses or mason jars. Add a bit of fresh greenery for extra color. I love them in this vintage champagne glass.
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!
Idea 4: Place Setting Natural Elements: Pinecones
Here’s a great example and a perfect way to add natural elements, simple pine cones and velvet or satin ribbon. This is a great way and economical way to create a simple festive table.
Learn an easy way to clean and preserve these to use inside the home for years to come!
Place Setting Idea 5: Dry Orange Slice
Add natural elements such as dried orange slice pine cones, a Star Anise, and a piece of ribbon. I actually share an easy craft to add to your Christmas decorations. Make six 8-inch wreaths in 30 minutes.


Idea 6: for Place Setting Bells
Do you have jingle bells leftover from a craft or Christmas project you made? String pretty ribbon through the top of the bell. I love these bells I use from fall through Christmas in our home for the holiday season.
Place Setting Idea 7: Postcards
Have vintage postcards? Place one on top of the linen napkins and ribbon. Add a sprig of fresh evergreen or Rosemary. These will add a beautiful scent to your Christmas tablescape.
Idea 8: Place Setting Feathers
Here’s a great time to grab extra pheasant feathers leftover from the Christmas centerpiece and tuck them into a napkin ring or sstin ribbon. Now, how easy is this for festive cheer?
Place Setting Idea 9: Knit Stocking
Add a small stocking utensil holder and add your family’s favorite treat as decorations at each place setting. They will be so happy enjoying pieces of chocolate before Christmas dinner.
Idea 10: Place Setting Candy Canes
This idea is the perfect Christmas place setting for kids as well as adults, add candy canes tied with holiday ribbon or velvet ribbon in different colors.
Place 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 for place cards. Add rustic natural elements such as a cracked walnut, star anise or assorted pine cones
Idea 12: for a Place Setting Crackers
Our family has the tradition of opening holiday crackers every holiday season. I try to find ones that have great 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.
Lay the cracker across the dishes as an accent for Christmas decorations on the dining table.


Place Setting Idea 13: Nutcrackers
Add small nutcrackers from Amazon and paint them using Black Dog Salvage Furniture paint.
Yes, furniture paint. I can’t say enough about working with this paint.
USE CODE CL-20 AND RECEIVE 20% OFF ANY BLACK DOG SALVAGE FURNITURE PAINT!
Use these on our Christmas table with everyone’s names printed on paper for place cards. These make a pretty place setting with a piece of satin ribbon on the plates as well.
Idea 14: Place Setting Wooden Gift Tags
Lastly, my choice this year is these homemade wooden gift tags with rusty washers. I love these because there are so many possibilities with them, especially during the holiday season
- Hang these from a Christmas tree
- Use these as drink charms
- Add these to your table as a napkin ring.
At the end of the day let your family members take them home so they have a keepsake and memories of this holiday season to change on their Christmas tree.





I hope you enjoy this post on 14 best Christmas table settings and find 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!
FOLLOW US ON: FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, AND INSTAGRAM.
Christmas Simmering Pot Recipes
Old Fashioned Christmas Decorating Ideas
Farmhouse Front Porch Decorating Ideas
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!
Thanks so much Diana. Merry Christmas!!!
Your table Cindy is just gorgeous. Have fun in this final week getting ready for Santa to come. Hugs to Reeses and Peanut. xoxo Kris
Thanks so much my friend!! Hugs to you and Merry Christmas
So many festive ideas!!
Hi Cindy – There are so many good ideas in this post! Your table turned out beautifully. I love the idea of using a bottle brush tree. Also your china is beautiful.
Anna thank you and enjoy the holidays!
These are all fabulous ideas Cindy! I love your creative spirit. Happy Holidays!
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!
Thanks Kim. I have no shortage of bottle brush trees. That’s for sure, lol
Cindy, your table for Christmas looks gorgeous!
Thanks Tammy
We tend to just use crackers but this has inspired me to be more creative next year!
Thank you so much Rachel!
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!
Thank you Donna
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