Holiday Table Setting Decoration Ideas

In 2016 I had the idea to try designing table settings for year-end holidays including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. There were three goals: (a) keep it cheap, (b) prove that people who don’t live a Pinterest-life can do this too, and (c) give me a chance to use a lot of random holiday decor items around the house.

Halloween Table Setting Decor

After going on a mission around my house I came back with:

• Plates

• Glasses

• Utensils

• Yellow paper napkins

• White cloth napkins

• Fall-colored ribbon

• Small candle holders

• Halloween salt and pepper shakers

• Empty coconut water bottles that I made my co-workers give me when they were done with them so I could turn them into vases

And then I went to Trader Joe’s and bought:

• 4 little pumpkins

• 1 bouquet flowers

The first thing that I did was make use of my new “vases” and separated the flowers into three groups. My plan was originally to separate them into two, but I realized that they only gave me one of the one on the right in the photograph below, so I decided to stick it in a vase of its own.

The next thing I did was choose how to fold the napkins. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at cool ways to fold napkins and I knew I wanted them to add some dimension to the plates. I decided accordion-style would be fun, and it turned out to be pretty easy to fold. (Here’s the tutorial I used: How to Fold a Napkin into a Standing Fan by Howcast.)

I couldn’t decide how weird it was to put a pumpkin on the plates that people were going to eat off of, but I ended up going for it because putting it on the table made the runner feel too crowded. Maybe in the future it would be good to put some kind of coaster under the pumpkin. Also, while it might seem silly to use two types of napkins I liked the pop of color that the yellow added.

I also decided that I wanted to add some scrapbooking paper to the table to make it a little bit more festive since it didn’t seem like there was enough attention on the candles.

After I had set the table originally, Ben and I looked at it both thought it was a little too “bright” to be a table decorated for Halloween. We decided to darken things up by adding dark bottles of beer directly to the table.

And of course I had to use my Halloween salt and pepper shakers that I bought over 5 years ago and still haven’t had a chance to actually use. I like the fact that I was able to set a festive looking table without too much Halloween decor, which means that it should be easy to switch the basics in and out for each holiday. I hope to continue doing this with Thanksgiving, Christmas, Birthday, New Years, and Valentine’s Day as well.

I ended up tying the colorful ribbon around the top of my new vases to add a little pop of color!

My next “professional development” step that I’m going to take towards being better at this is trying to learn how to make simple flower arrangements. I feel like I could definitely add a little somethin’ somethin’ to the table by making the flower arrangements a little more elaborate. That said, I do like keeping them low so that you can see the other people across the table.

Would you believe I ironed that table runner? I swear I did. Maybe next time I’ll bring the steamer down.

Thanksgiving Table Setting Decor

I only bought two new items for this tablescape: an orange table runner and the “thankful” napkins. This means that I have three table runners: red/orange/yellow, orange, and white. I think this might actually be all I need for now because it covers most of the holidays. We’ll see if I can stop buying things for a while. But both things came from Marshall’s so I feel okay about it.

Another thing that I did was save the beer bottles from my 22 oz. beer party to use as table vases. In order to get the labels off I used a hairdryer to peel the labels back and then nail polish (100% acetone-style) to get the sticker glue off the outside of the bottle. I think that this did a good job keeping my table a little bit richer as opposed to the clear bottles that I used for the Halloween table setting. I’m starting to believe that one of the key things to setting a good table is to just keep your mind open a few weeks in advance to see how you can use the things you’ve already bought so you don’t need to spend any more money.

From the collection of things I already have I used the flowers from a previous party, the yellow Napkins from the Halloween tablescape, the small candle holders I bought for my fancy thrifted dinner party, twine from my crafting supplies, gold marble pebble things that my friend Carly gave me before moving to Texas (does anybody know what these are called?), and then all the plates, cups, and silverware from my kitchen. (I think I’ve officially decided I’m going to be that person who never has a set of silverware that matches. It’s just going to be cute, thrifty, and unique. Or something.)

I took the flowers from the original vases and put a few of them into the beer bottles. Then I decided to wrap the silverware using the napkins and twine.

Followed by putting the gold pebbles at the bottom of the candle glasses to make them seem a little bit more full and thoughtful. That said, I really want one of those long wooden candle holders for the middle of the table. Ben has said he can build me one. I’m excited. I still need to get him measurements. And then I need to buy some of those bigger stand-alone candles. Anybody have recommendations on where to buy those?

Then I took the table runner out of the packaging and placed it on the table. It was so wrinkled. So I went to go get the iron. And yes, I ironed it directly on the table. Admittedly, it didn’t really work. Y’all, I really stink at ironing. I’ve asked my mother for a new ironing board for Christmas because I’ve decided the usual problem is the ironing board, not me. I’m not 100% sure that’s going to solve the problem though.

And then I pieced the rest of everything together! I ended up deciding that it wasn’t weird to put a napkin in the dish and/or give people two napkins. Feel free to share your opinion on this though in the comments below. I keep seeing tables on Pinterest where they put lemons and limes and pears and pomegranates in people’s dishes to set the table, which always seems weird for me. Especially because I’m not about to take a large bite out of a pomegranate when I sit down. So at least napkins can be easily removed and don’t contaminate your dish.

I remembered 24 hours after taking the photos that I actually had small pumpkins that I had placed on the steps outside on Halloween night that I probably could have used as a formal centerpiece. Maybe next time to create a chunkier centerpiece that doesn’t involve tall vases. That would probably make it easier for people to see each other across the table anyway.

Christmas Table Setting Decor

When I put together the Christmas Table settings, I decided to set the table for brunch. I also recorded more of my process just in case you wanted were looking for more logistics around how to make that happen.

Talk a walk around the house

Get an idea of what you’re looking for in your head. I knew that I was looking for things that were red, green, and white. When I took a walk around the house I realized exactly how easy this was going to be. All of my kitchen accessories are red, and it was really easy to find red, green, white, silver, and gold teas to serve on the tray.

Mix patterns with solids

Once I chose to use my Christmas dishes (which I’ve never actually) had the chance to use before, I knew that the cups needed to be pretty plain. A dark  green would have been best, but I decided that the white ones had a clean, sleek look.

Add some nature

Bringing the outdoors in is a great way to make your table feel balanced. There were excellent intentions of getting greenery for this table. I went to Trader Joe’s. I bought flowers and greenery. I left them at the office. Then I couldn’t find time to get back to the office before setting the table. It sounds a lot like what happens during a real party, not going to lie. So I decided to use the large pine cones that Ben got at Sequoia National Park. They’ve got a nice winter vibe to them.

Use what you already have

I didn’t buy very much for this table setting (only the flowers, which never made it home). I had the plates and the napkins downstairs. I used a few of the candy canes and Andes mints from the hot chocolate bar. I’m still using nametags I made last year (and will continue to until I run out). When I went downstairs I found the tree stump serving platter that I’ve been looking for an excuse to use which nicely complements the pine cones. And the tea tray I had bought for afternoon tea; I just added a little bit of ribbon to it. (There’s a chance I need to work on my ribbon skills.)

Make the table functional

After the last party I had where I decorated the table nicely and the second the party started we moved everything off the table I’ve been a little weary of going over the top again. I tried to keep the center of the table pretty clear so that all we needed to move was the pine cones to create some extra space. It also means that people can see each other easier.

In my walk around the house I did pull out a few things to use that I couldn’t figure out how to incorporate. They were: a silver platter, Mardi Gras beads, candles, and a red vase.

I love this (fake) silver platter. I just wish it had more height to it. I may need to buy some of those small cake stands so that I can change the levels of my dishes to add more dimension to the table. Also, it kind of clashed with the rectangular white plate.

As for the Mardi Gras beads, I couldn’t figure out a pretty way to lay them down. If I had more or ones that matched I might have been able to put them in some vases or make a chain to drape them all the way across the table.

I also tried to use both extra tall candles and super short candles. I couldn’t use the extra tall ones because they’re not white. (I should really buy some white candles, they seem like they would be useful.) And the short candles, yet again, didn’t seem to add enough height to the table. (And sometimes they still seem like a hazard.)

Also. My intention was totally to use this red vase. (Or at least a vase.) But then I forgot the flowers at the office and I couldn’t figure out what else to put in them. If I had branches I could cut off the bottom of a tree or sticks outside I think those would have worked nicely. Unfortunately, we got our tree about 6 hours too late and I live in the city.

That said, I’m sure all of these items will get to be used soon. I’m excited to keep sharing these tables with you. I hope they inspire you to add a little festivity to your own Christmas parties this year. Can’t wait to start working on a New Year’s table for y’all. I hope not to forget the flowers this time.