4 Beautiful Holiday Place Setting Ideas

How do you set the perfect table for the holidays? Here are four ideas I dreamed up to help and inspire you. Plus, a few of my usual tips so you can create your own special table.

Traditional Christmas

Owning a set of Christmas dishes is a wonderful thing. It adds to the traditional atmosphere of the day. A special set, like Grenadiers (Bernardaud, $67.00 dinner plate) becomes a family heirloom.

For this place setting I started with a cotton place mat with holiday embroidery (C&W Imports, $7.00). To show off the dinner  plate I placed a burgundy charger underneath to create contrast (Picard, $99.00). The salad plate (Decor Or from JL Coquet Limoges, $124.00) in a style that complements the plate. I’m not a master napkin folder, I made a simple fold using a matching embroidered napkin (C&W Imports, $7.00) to finish the setting.

For accents, keep things traditional with cut crystal stemware. Candles candles should match the plates. Different heights are nice.

Vintage Simplicity

Sometimes the best things in life come from garage sales. That’s where I found these napkins. They make great placemats. Because they’re not a traditional size, I’d start with a white tablecloth with the placemats on top. The dishes are vintage Lenox – the Cretin pattern from the 1960’s.

I kept this simple, with stainless flatware and a vintage, handmade wine glass I bought on a trip to Venice. The “focal point” is a handmade Christmas ornament.

A Sophisticated Table

I wrote about the nxt two place setting last week, but decided to put them all together in one post. Hope you don’t mind! I wanted to show how you can dress a place setting by creating a focal point. A small dish in the center of the dinner plate focuses the eye on the center. I added a matching glass ornament, tied with a satin ribbon to finish the look.

The dishes are a charger (Anciennes Manufacture Royale, $150) topped with one of the most beautiful dishes in the world – Herend’s Elizabeth ($250.00). The focal point dish is Gold Leaf by Bernardaud, $79.00. I used a contrasting napkin at set it above the plate just to be different. A snowflake napkin ring is a nice touch.

Casual Christmas

IF you own a nice set of everyday dishes, you can dress them up for the holidays with linens. At yet another estate sale I found this handmade lace tablecloth. That adds some nice texture. Christmas colors set the holiday mood. I used a green placemat (Bodrum, $15.00) with a country-style red and white napkin (Williamsburg, $5.50). The beautiful dishes are from Juliska. I centered the look with a cutting from the garden, tied with a red satin ribbon.

Jennifer’s Tips

• Use natural fibers. All cotton, linen and satin are the key to a perfect table setting. Synthetic fabrics don’t have the same look or feel. Satin or grosgrain ribbon are good choices because they don’t look like gift wrap.
• Create a focal point with a small dish and a napkin or Christmas ornament. A dreidel is another perfect choice.
• Buy a set of matching wine glasses. You can find stemware at the grocery store!

I’d like the thank The League Shop for lending me all the pieces for my place settings. They sell things both contemporary and traditional. If you live in Detroit, pay them a visit. We all need to buy locally. If you live elsewhere, you can still call the shop – they’ll be happy to place an order over the phone.

Do you have a favorite place setting idea?

• Posted by Jennifer at 1:17 pm
• 3 Comments
• Tagged: Tabletop, Christmas, decorating ideas, holiday, place settings