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6 Christmas Table Decor Ideas for Festive Hosting

Last updated October 4

Date created October 13

Be the host with the most this Christmas and set the scene for memorable festive meals with Trouva’s transformative tableware.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and with it comes a party season filled with friends, family and feasts. When planning a festive tablescape, there are two crucial things to consider. First, ask yourself, “What mood do I want to set?” It’s Christmas, so you should be aiming to give your guests warmth, comfort, and maybe even a sense of nostalgia if you associate this time of year with family.

Secondly, you do have to take practicalities into account. As tempting as it might be to fill every inch of your surface with joyful glassware, boughs of holly and tealights aplenty, you want everyone to enjoy their meal without worrying about breaking something – or singeing their sleeve on a cranberry-scented candle while reaching for the roast potatoes. Curate, don’t clutter.

With this in mind, we’ve made it easier for you to ace festive hosting in style. Keep scrolling for six easy table setting ideas that will light up your dining space – consider your guests impressed.

1. Pick a Palette

Don’t underestimate the power of colour in creating a mood. Go for bold and bright hues, opting for a technicolour tablescape that guests will remember. Position HKLiving’s rainbow-coloured platters, bowls and swirl-stemmed glasses alongside tortoiseshell tumblers from &klevering.

Alternatively, choose a combination that captures a specific feeling, such as crimson and emerald green to evoke Christmas tradition. Use splashes of gold and silver – in glitter, foil or tinsel form – to elevate the arrangement.

Our favourite way to do festive tablescaping? Go for traditional Christmas motifs, like pine cones and candles at the centre of the table, and subvert them using powerful colour combinations like blue and brown.

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2. Lean Into a Theme

Not only is the process of bringing your imagined theme to life a lot of fun, but settling on one will give you some direction when exploring tableware range. Create a winter woodland with pine cone decorations, brass namecard holders from Nkuku and a rustic bauble-adorned tree positioned as the centrepiece. Why not place characterful handcrafted animals from Felt So Good around the platters and placemats; these felted products are ethically made by artisans in Nepal, and every purchase supports their work.

Those with a sweet tooth, why not make candy cane stripes the focus of your table? There are plenty of playful red-and-white decorations in our collection to lift everyone’s spirits as they tuck into Christmas dinner.

3. Make It Shine

No doubt about it: Lighting is key to transforming your table. You’ll need an assortment of fairy lights and candles to get the right glow. Lightstyle London’s starburst, confetti and jewel-shaped lights foster feelings of cosiness and merriment that feel appropriate for the period we’re in, and there’s a set for every decor style, whether warm or cool bulbs fit your flavour. Wind the copper wire around a vase, stretch it out over the length of the table or bundle up each string of lights and place them in mason jars of different sizes.

On the candle front, opt for modern elegance with a pair of twisted candles or place a three-wick jar in the centre. We’ve got beeswax, soy and vegetable wax versions in a mix of seasonal scents, including blends of chai spices and sweet vanilla notes by brands like Skandinavisk and St Eval. Don’t forget about the candlesticks – peruse Ferm Living’s sleek ceramic designs and find a holder to match your chosen dinner candle.

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4. Follow Tradition

When in doubt, stick to a traditional festive look. Lay down a fabric runner, embellished with snowflake shapes or printed with tartan, and position a wreath on top. Crimson candles are Christmassy through and through and will bring richness to the table.

Look to Emma Bridgewater and Villeroy & Boch for retro-style crockery painted with wintery motifs, including cake stands and dishes of all shapes and sizes. Traditionally, plain white plates are a popular choice for yuletide gatherings because they can be dressed up with red-and-green napkins and seasonal decorations.

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5. Back to Basics

Whether you’re drawn to minimalist aesthetics or not, you can pull the same table setting out year after year by keeping things simple. Think understated porcelain and signature striped glassware from Broste Copenhagen, and Nkuku’s brass cutlery. You can always add a festive flourish with gold crackers and white pillar advent candles.

If your minimal table setting is still lacking something special, bunch together some dried flowers in a glass vase or twist them into wreaths to decorate your table. Don’t have time to arrange your own? Catkin & Pussywillow has ready-made bouquets in all kinds of colourways and sizes, designed to last for years to come. Alternatively, inject some soft Christmassy hues with a decorative selection of festive spices like cinammon and star anise.

6. Go Green

Step one to an eco-friendly tablescape: Lay down recycled placemats from Liga, made from a mix of sustainable cork and reclaimed plastic waste. The brand’s Pop-A-Cork decorations make for an eye-catching centrepiece, too.

Planet-conscious brand and boutique AARVEN has got you covered for the rest of your tableware. Next, choose a selection of fairtrade soapstone plates and bowls for the turkey and roast veg. Crafted by Kenyan artisans using sustainably-sourced materials, these unique pieces have little impact on the environment and will have a wholly positive impact on the table arrangement. When everyone and everything is in situ, dole out your culinary creations with handmade olive wood serving spoons and forks. Bon appetit.

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