A Simple Christmas Tablescape Idea

There are so many lovely reasons to lay a beautiful table this time of year, whether it be for a traditional family celebration, a close-knit Christmas party for friends, or a work engagement.

The festive colors and extra sparkle immediately add seasonal cheer, and can give your guests a thrill knowing you put this together for them. However, with the seasonal host of to-dos, creating a Christmas tablescape can feel like just one more thing to think about.

Today, I’ll be sharing an idea for a simple Christmas tablescape so that you can focus on the important part of hosting: pouring into your guests!

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a floral christmas floral arrangement with candles on a table

You can use this tablescape as a template to save you the guess work, and then you can customize it with whatever dinnerware, family china, or Christmasy decor you like! That is the beauty of creating tablescapes: use a few simple guidelines, and you can use what you already have to design a lovely spread.

The Tablecloth

Since we are creating a simple tablescape with only a few pieces, I like to pack a punch with a vibrant and festive tablecloth! Going for a traditional plaid in a bright Christmas red, or a bold Indian block print, or a gorgeous floral damask in deep, winter colors are just a few ideas! I’m using my traditional, red plaid one today.

(If you are looking to add a festive tablecloth to your collection, here are a few options!)

Here is a traditional tartan tablecloth that would go with a number of different dinnerware styles.
Check out this gorgeous Indian block print tablecloth! The vivid red is a great base layer, but the print isn’t distinctly Christmasy, so you can use it for other seasons or holidays as well!

gold and white china dishes with a cloth napkin in a napkin holder

The Dinnerware

For this simple tablescape, I’ve chosen to use some white dinnerware that has a delicate gold detail around the border: the white contrasts beautifully with the vibrant tablecloth, and the gold adds a little festive sparkle without adding too much busyness. All-white dinnerware would also work, though! (I own this set, and adore the scalloped detail around the edge!)

The Silverware

I’ve used my everyday silverware for this look. It is classy, but also does not require any special care (read can go through the dishwasher!), boasting quick clean-up. Simple to set-up, simple to take-down. That is how we want it!

a place setting of gold and white dishes with a cloth napkin, silverware, and a goblet

The Centerpiece

This is where you can get creative. There are so many lovely options for centerpieces, but when looking for a simple idea, it is hard to beat an arrangement of fresh flowers! This doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I like to find a mixed bouquet at a local grocery store, and see what I can do with it. Here are a few quick tips for creating your own arrangement:

Don’t go too big! I’ve made this mistake before, and when you sit down to dinner, you feel as if you are pearing through a bush as you try to converse with your guests. Not good! In general, try to match the arrangement to the size of table you have, and keep it short enough to not obstruct your line of sight.
Use room temperature water, and refresh the water every two or three days. This helps prevent that murky look, and can extend the life of your flowers.
Cut the stems at an angle. This ensures that the stems won’t sit flat on the bottom of the vase, blocking the flowers source of water.
Prune any leaves below the water surface. This cuts down on bacterial growth which keeps the water cleaner. Plus, it looks less like a jungle!
Use a variety of textures. Using a mixture of mature blooms, partially open blooms, greenery, and even buds or berries yields a blended and relaxed look that is truly lovely.

If you don’t want bother with creating a floral arrangement, there are ready-made options for a centerpiece. Consider a small rosemary tree trimmed to look like a Christmas tree, or a miniature potted boxwood, or even a miniature poinsettia. There are so many festive options!

a red and green floral centerpiece with two taper candles on a plaid tablecloth

The Lighting

The final touch is to add some fun lighting! I like to use taper candles, and I’ve paired them with some brass candlesticks I picked up secondhand. You could do a variety of different heights, or could even tuck some votive candles about. But for this simple look, two tapers on either side of your centerpiece works great!

Napkins and napkin rings

Cloth napkins instantly elevate any table setting, even if they are only a simple white set, like I’m using in this tablescape idea. I’ve tucked each napkin into a brass napkin ring that compliments the candlesticks and the gold detail on the plates. One of my favorite ways to quickly personalize a tablescape is to tuck a little sprig of something into the napkin ring. In this example, I’m using some faux berry branches, which work well as they don’t stain the napkins and can be reused year after year. A snippet of evergreen or a bit of holly would look lovely as well.

a white cloth napkin in a napkin ring with red berries

There you have it! Creating a Christmas tablescape doesn’t have to involve a whole tote of festive decor, or a fancy set of seasonal China dishes to be lovely; and sometimes, the simplicity of it is what shines the most.