For most of the year, your dining room table will most likely appear the same unless you host dinner parties and feel like providing a silver service or an equally impressive culinary experience.

You may not even be concerned with the way your table looks for most events but Christmas provides the perfect opportunity to show off your design skills and give your festive eaters a meal to remember. After all, it is an occasion for giving and receiving.

There are endless ways to decorate your table for Christmas but the traditional themes of red, white, gold, silver, etc will bare some influence on your final presentation. Inspiration can of course be drawn from the USA, where people also like to competitively decorate their houses with Christmas decorations, but your overall look will ultimately be determined by your preferences.

With the aim of inspiring the look of your dining table, we’re going to provide a great collection of Christmas decoration ideas for you to try.

Festive Centrepieces for the Table

One of the most creative table decorations is the centrepiece because it can take any form that you want it to. Some are more traditional than others but the ultimate goal is to impress and wow the people that are sitting down to eat.

The Winter Gingerbread House

A house constructed of gingerbread and icing sugar instantly brings the tale of Hansel and Gretel to mind but placed in the middle of a dining table, the Brothers Grimm are forgotten and the tasty winter scene becomes a mouthwatering beauty to behold.

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gingerbread-house-recipe/index.html.

A miniature Christmas tree

The evergreen conifer is the ‘iconic’ tree for this time of year with its deep green colour and spiney plumage. If it works for the corner of your living room, or wherever else your Christmas tree goes, then why wouldn’t a mini version work as a centrepiece? You could even tuck mini presents under it to open before desert.

A Biscuity Tree

A small tree for the table is cool but one made out of biscuits (most likely gingerbread) is cooler. This scrumptious idea is simple and just takes some time to bake and mix up your icing sugar but the result is beautiful.

Image credit: Shirley SL, Flickr.

The Nativity Scene

The story of Baby Jesus’ birth is a classic scene that is commonly reconstructed at Christmas time using figurines to show the Three Wise Men, Virgin Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, the donkey, the manger, etc. Place it in the middle of the table and you’ve got a great story to admire whilst you eat.

Image credit: Jeff Weese Flickr.

Winter nature collection

Pinecones are one of nature’s greatest products that can be used to decorate anything at this time of year and make it look Christmassy. Add a touch of tinsel, some glitter in silver or gold and you’ve got the makings of a festive decoration. All you need to do is arrange it beautifully on a small pedestal to complete the centrepiece.

Construct a forest scene

We all love the thought of a winter wonderland and often envisage a forest scene, coated in a snowy blanket. Add a touch of this magical scene to the centre of your dining table using your creative craft skills.

You could even transform some pointed, tree-shaped pinecones into little Christmas trees by adding a gold star at the point end and facing them upwards in small pots.

Candle centrepieces

Some of the most popular centrepieces feature a candle of some kind. The warmth that they provide at the dinner table is a welcoming but unlike the romantic feeling associated with candles, they also make the room feel cosy.

To make your own candle centrepiece, try out this video tutorial:

Festive cupcake display

Image credit: Amy Gizienski, Flickr

.

Cupcakes are regarded as the pretty cakes that everyone enjoys because of their small size and endless design possibilities. Why not try making some Christmas-themed cakes for the dinner table to tempt diners, which they can have if they have space after their Christmas pudding.

Minimalist bowl of pinecones

Go back to basics but keep the festive cheer by displaying a decorative bowl of nature’s finest. Use at least one of the traditional colours though e.g. this example features a metallic, silver bowl that contains the pinecones.

Festive Table Runners

In addition to a beautiful centrepiece, a good table runner can decorate the length of the dining table and avoid getting in the way of your eating space. They can also be used to protect the tabletop from hot containers of food if you serve them in bulk for everyone to choose as they please.

Traditional red and gold table runner

If you like the traditional Christmas colour scheme of red and gold then a runner that combines the two will look the part when it is laid down. Some might see it as an outdated or old design but it is the failsafe choice if you’re stuck for ideas and want your table decorations to stay in keeping with the occasion.

Long garland runner with candles

In our house, garland is used to frame the fireplace and mantlepiece where jolly old St Nick would have appeared from in my childhood dreams. For originality, it can also be used on the dining table as a runner.

This particular one contains well-placed candle jars, adding a touch of light to what would seldom be a deep coloured feature.

A potential problem with using garland as a runner is the amount of space it occupies. If you like to serve dishes full of food that every selects from then this may not be the best idea. On the other hand, if you serve plates of Christmas dinner straight from the kitchen this will not be an issue.

Festive Dinnerware Accessories

Cutlery Stockings

Break the traditional cutlery layout and present them in cute little stockings that are perfectly sized for your main eating utensils.

Natural napkin rings

The fanciest way to provide your diners with a serviette is with a napkin ring that neatly presents them on the plate. Wrap then in natural textures to give their place a rustic appeal.

Another example:

Image credit: Justin Russell, Flickr.

Christmas Cracker Placeholders

Let everyone know where they are sitting at the dining table this year and make yourself some placeholders that look like Christmas crackers out of card, ribbons, and a biro. Alternatively you could actually purchase some mini Christmas crackers and place names on them for tiny pops before their larger counterparts are pulled around the table.

A Couple More Table Decorations

Mouse figurine holding a piece of Holly

These fabulous little mice models have been created by Quernus Crafts and would look adorable as part of a festive dining table’s decoration. Just check that none of your diners have a major phobia of mice. I’m sure the cuteness of them will win them over.

Image credit: QuernusCrafts, Flickr.

Small chair wreath hangings

Make the dining chairs as beautiful as the table and hang these small Christmas wreaths from the back of them. Although they are normally hung on the front door of your house, they look equally as inviting on your seating arrangement.