I don’t know why but I think a lot of people forget about table decorations at Christmas time. With food to order and prep, presents to buy and wrap, it can be one of those creative things we miss out on doing but most of us would enjoy immensely.

As we are prepping dinner for 5 of us this year, I thought I would create a cosy and festive table layout, that is fun, creative and best of all, leaves enough room for plates of grub to go on the table.

To start off with, a tablecloth is a must – It stops your table from being stained from runaway roast potatoes and it can be a great starting point for your colour scheme.  I opted for a basic white cotton one as my accessories are super colourful and best yet, when its white, you can use it all year round.

Runners are a great item to decorate with but they also work as a barrier between hot plates and your table. I bought this runner from Sainsbury’s as I wanted to build on the holly print but there are tons of options online at Amazon and also at Debenhams.

For placemats, I didn’t want to go over-the-top with print ones but you can buy some festive designs at Amazon or even buy ones like our weave placemats from Wilkos.

Plates are something that many people forget about. We have some with chips on the edges so I invested in these gorgeous hand finished plates from Wilkos which I am really happy with. They do sell them individually but for 6 plates it cost about £15 which I thought was pretty good and match my table decorations perfectly. I also wanted a new serving platter for our meat and saw this beautiful one from Debenhams. I love the star print and silver details and it looks beautiful in the middle of our table.

To help the environment and be a little less wasteful, I wanted to buy some napkins that we can use over and over again. I have always been obsessed with linen ones and bought two packs of 4 at Made.com. They come in 4 colours which work well with my table design and they are super soft and luxurious.

I love the idea of place cards but I wanted to do something that our guests could take home with them. I have seen laser cut names before on Etsy and I thought these would look perfect on our table! I opted for a lovely gold mirror finish and they work so well with my colour scheme. It is too late for you to order these in time for Christmas but no harm in ordering and having them delivered, ready for next year.

I think real holly and plants are great as table decorations so I incorporated that idea here. I actually trimmed some branches off some bushes nearby our house but if you would prefer to buy some and not be so cheeky, you can purchase them from florists and flower markets.

Candles are a great way to set the mood and these stag tea light holders from Debenhams are amazing! Available in a brass/gold colour, they are fabulous for a table feature and best yet, small enough for you to move around and place inbetween your serving plates.

I hope some of these ideas help but just have fun with your table decorations as that is what it is all about!

Merry Christmas!