How to decorate the Christmas table...

Whether you're dining with family or a group of friends, a beautiful Christmas table really sets the mood for a wonderful evening- creating a magical Christmas wonderland. Decorating your table for Christmas can be as simple or elaborate as you want to make it; all it needs is some fancy features to give it those fabulous finishing touches.

Dress your table to impress:

Christmas is a time for everyone to come together, what better place than the dinner table. You don’t have to spend a fortune to add nice finishing touches to the Christmas dinner table. You can use pine cones, holly, ivy, or conifer sprigs. Keep then plain or add small beads or mini baubles to add that Christmas sparkle. Use these as centrepieces or place smaller individual clusters to each place setting.

Christmas is a great excuse to go to town on your table, but it doesn’t mean you have to spend lots of money. Instead of buying table napkins why not make them yourself, adding a more personal touch and saving you some money. When you think about the time and effort you spend on preparing the food it makes sense to put a little extra thought into the appearance of the table- so choose a display that is to ‘dine for’.

Once you have thought of a theme, whether it be a simple colour scheme - red and gold or white and silver, or a particular decorative style-Victorian opulence or minimalist chic, you can start planning what you want to be the main features on the table.

Christmas mealtimes are a special occasion so all good tables deserve to be set with the best china and cutlery. If you don’t have a special dinner set don’t worry, choose a set that is plain and simple and preferably white, as this will look good with any decorative theme. If you want your table to glow, try placing candles in an arrangement on top of a mirror- this will provide a great centrepiece as well as making the table glow even more brightly.

As well as a candlelit centrepiece you could also dress your table with even more candles, which are great mood enhancers and create a calming ambience. Arranging a collection of candles always provides more impact, so consider grouping together tea-lights in pretty holders on a tray in the middle of the table or a row of chunky candles, or even float some candles in a bowl. If you’re not keen on candles, fairy lights can also be used to decorate your table and set the tone; you can either wrap them around your centrepiece or run along the centre of the table from one end to the other.

Things to consider:

When dressing your Christmas table you should always have a checklist to ensure things run smoothly and of course you don’t forget anything.

Firstly you should make sure that any foliage used as table decoration is clean before placing it on the table or near food items - we don’t want any contamination. If your table space is limited remember to keep your centrepiece small as you will need room for serving platters, dishes and condiments.

You should also remember to keep your centrepiece at a height that will allow diners an unobstructed view of each other- no-one wants to be talking over a foliage centrepiece.

Avoid using scented candles in your centrepiece. Their scents may interfere with the aromas from your kitchen and the beautiful smells coming from the delicious food being served. Finish decorating your table by adding a few traditional Christmas crackers, which will compliment your creative decorating and entice your guests with more than just fabulous food.