Copy These Christmas Table Setting + Decorating Ideas

Whether your Christmas celebrations revolve around a hearty brunch, a cocktail party with friends or a formal dinner with a guest-impressing centerpiece, we have you covered with pro pointers that'll make hosting the holidays a bit easier this year. Keep reading for our best ideas for decking your Christmas table in seasonal style.

Timeless black-and-white buffalo check linens lend this holiday table a woodsy vibe, while red accents, mini Christmas trees and a sprinkling of ornaments make it an instant classic.

There's no set rule that dictates what color to choose when setting a holiday table — so pick a shade that speaks to you. Pink your pick? Great! Carry the happy hue through on plates, napkins and table decorations, like vintage pink ornaments, mini porcelain trees and stacks of colorful macarons.

This mini candy cane easel is perfect for place cards, and, bonus: guests can take them home as an edible favor. To make them: Leave the cellophane wrappers on three candy canes, hold them upside down, and position the cane ends into a tripod shape that will sit level on the table. Secure with a few dots of hot glue; finish with a festive red ribbon bow, and place one next to each place setting.

Get an assist from the kiddos to assemble this fanciful farmhouse that'll add a delicious scent and big dose of homespun charm to your Christmas table. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions, below.

When planning your Christmas table setting, don't just plan on only setting the table — set the scene. If your Christmas tree is in an underused room or you just can't see the tree from the table, get an assist to move your table near the Christmas tree.

This is a party, after all, so pull those vintage Christmas dishes out of the china cabinet and put them to work to give your table setting a timeless holiday touch. In production since 1908, Royal Copenhagen plates, seen here, are collected by many purely for decoration, but these blue, bas-relief porcelain plates are, in fact, intended to be used as regular dinnerware. Their sturdy construction and high-fired glaze mean that even inherited, decades-old plates can go in the dishwasher and are perfectly usable as a salad or dessert plate.

Setting a guest-impressing place setting is a snap. Start with a charger (check your local dollar or craft store for inexpensive options), followed by the dinner plate. Top it with a smaller salad plate and the napkin. To the left, place the fork, to the right, the knife (blade turned in) and spoon. Voila, a pro-grade place setting, simplified.

For a pretty tablecloth that's just as easy on your budget as it is on the eyes, sub leftover gift wrap for fabric. Bonus: Spills aren't a worry; when the festivities are over, just toss the stained paper — or, if it's still in good shape, save it to use again later.

Changing up your holiday party palette this year? No need to buy a new tablecloth. For a color-coordinated table cover that's just as easy on your budget as it is on the eyes, sub a pretty, patterned throw or small blanket for the more traditional table linen. Bonus: The woven throw's nubby texture will lend your holiday table an extra-cozy feel.

For a table runner that not only looks festive but smells amazing, head outdoors with a pair of clippers to gather two to three varieties of evergreen clippings. Line the center of the table with paper to eliminate any worry of sticky sap, then layer the clippings to create a woodsy runner. Mix in flameless candles, fresh pinecones and silver star ornaments for a centerpiece that only looks expensive.

Got a plaid winter scarf that matches your table's color palette? Run it through the washer and dryer, then put it to work. Oversized scarves work best to provide a wide band of color and pattern to liven up the center of your table.

Perfect when paired with a black-and-white theme, vintage silver flatware really shines. If your silver is looking not-so-shiny, put science to work to vanquish tarnish, then set a rustic-meets-refined table with our inspiration, below.

Move over, stainless steel — it's gold's turn to shine. Gold has increasingly become designers' metal of choice for fancy flatware but, like anything that's trendy, new sets are pricey. Check estate sales, thrift stores and yard sales for vintage sets, many still in their original box, with the same golden gleam as new flatware but without the hefty price tag.

The perfect combo of bite-sized and colorful, macarons are a pretty, petite treat to stack on a saucer near each place setting.

A treasured tradition in the UK and many former colonies, like Canada and Australia, pulling open a cracker to reveal a small favor and joke is as much a part of celebrating Christmas as the tree itself. London-based confectioner Tom Smith is credited with inventing the favors in the mid-1800s. Thanks to the novelty of the small bang created when both ends of the cracker are pulled and the cracker's relatively low cost, they quickly caught on and their popularity spread to holiday celebrations across the globe.

For a sweet finishing touch, place an ornament on each place setting. These vintage, candy-striped, spun-satin ornaments from the '60s were a mass-produced, inexpensive option at the time, making them super easy to source today at estate sales, garage sales, thrift shops and online vintage sites. And, thanks to their foam-and-thread construction, they were also one of the first shatterproof ornaments, so many families stocked up on boxes in a wide range of colors to match that year's decor.

The kids' table isn't just a good idea for Thanksgiving; for many families, it's a time-honored Christmas tradition, too. Setting up a separate table for kids lets cousins and siblings make memories while adults catch up over coffee and dessert.

Kids will love helping you assemble these sweet place cards using marshmallows, candy canes and edible decorations. Get all our tips for crafting these playful plate toppers that double as a take-home favor, below.

Ensure that guests linger over coffee and dessert by making seating comfortable. Cozy up hard surfaces, like long wood benches, with plump cushions or faux fur throws.

Soften hardback chairs with colorful throws or pillows. Choose patterns that fit your table's theme, like a traditional tartan or festive Fair Isle knit.

Hardback chairs can be ... well ... hard. Make it comfy for guests to sit a spell by tossing a faux-fur throw over hard chair backs.

Think beyond cakes and bundts and use a footed cake stand to add height to a Christmas centerpiece. Place an advent wreath on top or a small nativity scene, then surround with greenery, pinecones, seasonal fruit or nuts and candles.

This variation on the classic French Bûche de Noël combines a mouthwatering pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting and birch-like chocolate bark. Decorated with edible mini mushrooms and resting on a bed of mossy-looking ground pistachios, it's a breathtaking (and supremely yummy!) edible centerpiece for your Christmas table.

Christmas is the season for honoring traditions — and, for many families, a big sit-down feast is as much a tradition as decorating the tree or exchanging gifts. While filling your table with gorgeous floral arrangements and your best china, glassware and utensils is fun, be sure to leave plenty of room for the bird (or vegan alternative) and all the sides. Or, alternatively, set up a separate table with the meal, served buffet-style, to leave plenty of room for pretty on the dining table.

Perfect for casting a golden glow at each place setting, mercury-glass votives can be pricey. No worries, our tutorial, below, will show you how to give plain glass candleholders the timeworn, mirrored effect for less.

Got a past-its-prime Bundt or tube-cake pan taking up space in your cabinet? In just a few steps, you can upcycle it into a cheery Christmas centerpiece to brighten up your holiday table all season long.

A richly hued tablecloth, like this deep aubergine, is a foolproof way to disguise a past-its-prime dining table while creating a gorgeous backdrop that makes white dishes pop and gold flatware gleam.

Honestly, if your table's surface is in good shape (and you aren't worried about potential water rings or stains), there's no need for a tablecloth — let the beauty of your table's rich wood surface shine.

Add a bit more Christmassy color to your table with foil-wrapped chocolates. A sweet treat that's hard for anyone to resist, small chocolate bonbons are a two-bite delight that are available in a variety of colorful packaging so it's easy to find the confection in a color that'll fit your table's palette.

Give each place setting a sweet finishing touch by knotting a candy cane and a bit of greenery around each napkin. A holiday treat that everyone loves, legend has it that candy canes were invented by a German choirmaster who bent sugar sticks into the shape of a shepherd's crook to reward his young singers. Reward your Christmas dinner guests with this timeless treat they can enjoy after the meal or take home as a pepperminty favor.

Grab some clippers and head outside to gather evergreen branches for an easy and free arrangement. Borrow a few glass ornaments from the tree and — voila, a centerpiece in a snap.

Repurpose leftover pine clippings to dress up dollar store candle holders or hurricanes. Just temporarily tack the greenery to the outside of the glass with hot glue and secure with colorful ribbon.

Few things give a meal a special-occasion feel quite like candlelight from tall tapers. And, as a bonus, inexpensive tapers are easy to find in a wide variety of sizes and colors at dollar stores and big-box retailers. So this year, really set your table aglow with a grouping of candles at the center of your table. Worried about the flames? No problem, just sub flameless, battery-operated tapers, as we have, for the real deal. For a festive finishing touch, learn how to craft our easy taper candle rings, below.

Nothing boosts your dining table's style cred like antique and vintage Christmas collectibles, especially when they're family hand-me-downs that add a sentimental touch. But, don't worry if you didn't inherit your grandmother's funky starburst candleholders. Many Christmas collectibles can be found for a steal at estate sales, flea markets, church bazaars and garage sales.

The hottest (and most budget-friendly) trend in table settings is using mismatched pieces. Luckily, vintage dishware and glasses in red shades, particularly jewel tones, are relatively easy to find. In part, thanks to red being one half of Christmas's traditional palette and also due to the consistent popularity of wine-red hues over the decades.

Like red plates, thanks to the proliferation of Christmas's traditional colors, vintage green dishware isn't difficult to find. Ditto for the glassware: the two patterns shown here are 'Moon and Stars' (bottom right) and 'Park Lane' by Colony Glass (upper left) and they're both available in a variety of other pretty hues, too.

In just a few steps, you can turn dollar-store, shatterproof ornaments into mini vases to brighten up your holiday table. Add a handwritten tag so the arrangements also serve as place cards, then send them home with guests as a blooming favor.

Before guests head off into the night, be sure they've grabbed a sweet treat, like our irresistible bourbon balls. After all, what could be more festive than a take-home favor to ensure the good times will continue at home.

Oversized chocolate bars, wrapped in gold paper, make a sweet party favor that's sure to delight any holiday guest — but slide on a vintage pin in a coordinating color and the festive favors double as table decor.

A formally set table, with all the glassware and utensils for each course, is a thing of beauty — but knowing where to place each element can be confusing. No worries: our guide, below, will walk you through it step by step.

What’s a get-together without lots of tasty nibbles? For our spread, we turned grocery-store staples into easy-to-munch snacks. Providing handheld snacks that are just a bite or two eliminates the need for utensils and makes it easy for guests to try one of everything without feeling stuffed.

Even when serving buffet style, your table still needs a centerpiece ... but, flowers aren’t required. For ours, we filled a copper tray with fresh-cut evergreens, seeded eucalyptus, aromatic eucalyptus, pomegranates, an antique Moravian star and a trio of glass topiaries.

Vintage Thermos-style containers are easy to source at thrift stores or yard sales and make festive containers for backyard clippings and colorful hypericum berries.

Both practical and pretty, antique metal matchstick holders were designed with a small hole near the top so they could easily be tacked to a fireplace surround or adjacent wall to keep long wooden matches handy. You can still use them for this same purpose today or follow our lead and loop ribbon through the nail hole to turn the metal cone into a faux greenery-filled chair swag.

More take-home favor than something you want to wipe your mouth with, our free template and how-to tips, below, will help you cross-stitch your way to table decor that's certainly a stitch above the rest.

To really wow your family or guests, continue your table's theme into the silverware. This woodsy trio sees the standard set of Christmas-specific china and raises it with deer-donned cutlery.

Place cards may feel fancy but crafting them doesn't have to be. For this woodsy style, just head outdoors to clip a slim branch, then cut it to create two twigs of similar size. Hot-glue them together to create a base, then insert a printed or hand-lettered place card and an evergreen sprig as a freshly scented support.

Card stock gift tags make great place cards. Just add your guests' names, loop through some raffia or baker's twine and tie around the napkin topping each plate. Just before guests arrive, slide in a fresh-cut rosemary sprig, bloom or bit of pine for an aromatic final touch.

Skip the place cards and make more room for festive food and spiked cocoa with a chalkboard paper runner. This inky paper runner creates a casual-yet-polished base for white hand-lettered names and a forest of snowy ceramic and bottle-brush trees. Need a little help with your hand-lettering? Check out our handy tips, below.

Easily one of the season's favorite flowers, poinsettia plants in full bloom are inexpensive and easy to source around the holidays. To lend more texture to this easy-to-craft centerpiece, just fill in around the blooms with backyard clippings. You could even add a few ornaments for a bit of sparkle.

Proud of your green thumb? Show it off by repurposing some of your prettiest plants as a living centerpiece. Here, we mixed potted anthurium and a pair of 'Fluffy Ruffle' ferns with small flower-filled vases to fill the center of the table with color and foliage.

A beautiful centerpiece is the perfect finishing touch to any dining table — but flowers aren't required. For a quick and easy fix, line the center of the table with pillar candles and something colorful to coordinate with the party's palette or theme, like confetti, glass ornaments, fresh fruit or foil-wrapped chocolates.

A sprig of fresh-cut rosemary, twisted into the shape of a flavorful and fragrant mini wreath, adds a culinary twist to this place setting and could even double as a natural napkin ring.

Hit the scrapbook aisle in your local craft store to find small embellishments, like this paper poinsettia, that you can hot-glue to your existing napkin rings (or just a loop of ribbon) to easily lend a special occasion feel.

If you live in a warm clime, take advantage of a clear winter day and head to a local park or your own backyard to host the holidays in the great outdoors. Get more tips for an alfresco winter fête, below.

Copper tape, that is. Can you believe these gorgeous, expensive-looking votives are just inexpensive glass cylinders wrapped in bands of copper tape? To complete this stunning setting, the editors at HGTV Magazine surrounded the candles with a lush spread of seeded eucalyptus, topped by gilded acorns and assorted fruits and veggies.

Rustic, natural elements continue to be a popular choice for setting your table setting apart from the pack. Shop online for birch bark sheets to use as a charger and cut birch rounds to top plates — or scavenge your own backyard to see what freebies Mother Nature is offering up.

Add fresh or faux pine wreaths to easily fancy up straightback dining chairs. Just loop ribbon thru the chair's top rail to give your everyday chair a holiday refresh.