How To Dress Up Every Day China For The Holidays
Do you have special dinnerware just for the holidays? They’re definitely a nice thing to have, but there are lots of ways to dress up your china to give it a holiday feel.
This is the first of a little series on holiday tables with a few tips on style and how to do it create a look without breaking the bank.
First, decide on your backdrop. Personally, I like a tablecloth. Buy a nice one – it will last for years and save you money in the long run. If the the price is too dear, at least make sure you buy a natural fiber cloth. It lays more crisply on the table. White or ivory is a good color because there are so any ways you can layer it for different occasions.
Here, I’m using a vintage lace cloth. I’ve topped it with a green placemat from Bodrum ($15.00). For a more Thanksgiving look, use an Autumn color. Or, choose a color that coordinates with your china.
Thanksgiving is more casual than other holidays. So you can use your everyday dishes. Here, I’m using a casual ceramic set from Juliska ($44.00 for a dinner plate).A white dish is great. As with the linen, you can dress it up for all occasions.
A placed the napkin in a simple way. This all cotton napkin is from Williamsburg ($5.50). Nothing beats a cloth napkin in a natural fiber! Red and green is always a color combination winner at Christmas. For Thanksgiving, mix Autumn oranges, reds, purples and green.
Set the dishes on the placemat so you can serve the dinner family style (passed around the table in serving dishes). You can leave it plain, or dress is up with some greens from the garden tied with a color coordinating ribbon. I cut these from a cherry tree in our front yard.
Set the knives and forks with the first one you’ll use on the outside and move in for the next course. I used my own things here.
Finally, buy a set of wine glasses. Make sure you have enough for everyone, plus a few extra. This simple goblet is from Juliska ($68.00).
Finally, I put the centerpiece together in about 5 minutes. The rustic, wooden leaf is from Scout, a very groovy shop in Royal Oak ($50.00). I laid a base of evergreens cut from our trees arranged some large pine cones (from JoAnn’s) mixed with smaller ones from our yard. A little greenery, cut from a cherry tree and tied with a satin ribbon, completes the look. Low candles, like votives, create a beautiful glow and allow everyone to see each other.
All the dishes, linens and glassware can be found at The League Shop, a wonderful store located right here in Grosse Pointe. They will be happy to place orders over the phone and ship them to you. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to borrow their things for a few days. Thanks to Scout as well. Thanks!
Do you have a favorite way to set your holiday table? Anyone have turkey dishes?
One Response to “How To Dress Up Every Day China For The Holidays”
Avatars are randomly assigned unless you get your own
[...] some more tips (see yesterday’s post) on how to take what you have and make the most of [...]