Ready to Create the Perfect Holiday Tablescape?
Growing up, holidays were always a big deal in our house - and still are. From birthdays, to Thanksgiving and Christmas there was always a reason to celebrate!
My mom and I love to plan holidays together - we usually start tossing ideas back and forth a couple months before the holiday season ‘officially’ starts, and love to take a couple of shopping trips for for inspiration ;) on how we want the holidays to look and feel each year. It is in my DNA to love hosting, creating a cozy environment, and generally just being extra when it comes to holidays. My Grandma had a Christmas tree for every room in her house (until they started winter-ing in Florida - don’t worry, she still complains about the lack of room for Christmas decor). My mom and aunt typically share the holiday of Thanksgiving, which in later years has progressively led to more intricate celebrations, thanks to Instagram reels and TikToks the two share with each other.
All that’s to say, I genuinely love the holiday season and the chance to decorate and bring life to every celebration, and I hope my years of experience with the women in my life gives me enough credit to share with you some tips for creating a tablescape that captures what you’re looking for this holiday season.
5 Tips to Elevate your Holiday Table
Create a cohesive color palette and tangible feel for your guests
Do you want to create a cozy table for 4? A grand and sophisticated table for 10? Whatever your goal may be, make sure this translates through each aspect of your table-scape; you want to set the mood for how you want your guests to feel!
A good rule of thumb when it comes to choosing a color palette is the 60-30-10 rule, 60% of a base color, 30% of a secondary color, and 10% of an accent color. I always like to think of a neutral, and tie in a deeper color and a metallic accent. For Thanksgiving, you may opt for a tan or cream base color, with a burnt orange or plum secondary color, and a gold or bronze accent. For Christmas, the typical reds and greens, or an elevated navy and black with silver or gold accents.
Color is fun! Balance can be tricky, but knowing what you want to convey overall always helps to translate your goal.
Map out your table
I always feel most productive and when I go in with a pre-determined plan - it also saves time, I don’t want to have to think too hard when it comes to the table. You’ve got your color and mood determined, now find the best way to execute.
It’s important to remember there is room for the main event - eating and drinking! We tend to keep snacks + food off of the table (even if it is in a separate room) and drinks handy for refills with pitchers of water and bottles of wine or cider tucked to the side. Personally, I’ve never assigned seats at holidays but designated ‘spots’ can be achieved with placemats or charger plates, which also adds an extra touch of detail to your table’s look.
Protect your table
Tablecloths, runners, and even chargers are great for not only elevating your tablescape, but can help to protect in case of spills, or possible mishaps. These pieces are also a great way to pull color in from your palette! I do recommend avoiding materials that could potentially scratch finish off of your table - woven jute and wicker is beautiful and provides great texture, but you may want to ensure there is a fabric backer for protection. Coasters don’t hurt either! We’ve recently added this to our holiday tablescapes and it’s another great way to pull in colors and textures.
Your design should be a reflection of your personal style and home
Don’t always feel like you need to go buy new to keep up with trends! Mixing in new items in with what you already have can make all the difference. Think of new candles to freshen up your look, if placemats or tablecloth have seen better days (these are easy to wear and tear) - the holiday season is a great time for an upgrade.
Overall, have fun with it! This can also be a great time to try an idea you’ve been meaning to, whether it be from a magazine or Instagram (I once used this time to create a Pillsbury dough cornucopia because I just HAD to try it). But it shouldn’t be stressful - tablescapes are a great creative outlet and can be relaxing after working through a full food and drink menu for guests. Take the time to make it yours!
Finally, visit your local shops for final touches
Be sure to check out local shops for those finishing touches. Bouquet of Granger is a great locally owned shop offering gorgeous centerpieces and floral arrangements this holiday season. Looking for another simple upgrade? We have plenty of candles - from taper candles to add to your centerpiece design, to ceramic and glass soy candles to provide the most festive of scents to your holiday celebrations.
Something fresh to catch the eyes of your dinner guests is always a treat!
Happy tablescaping, friends!
