Decorating the Christmas Dining Table

Whenever you are getting ready to host a family Christmas meal, you want to be certain that everything is perfect.  You spent hours cleaning the house, buying Christmas groceries, preparing and cooking a great meal, and ensuring that all of the details are just right.  So what else is there left to do?

One thing that is often overlooked, however, is the Christmas dining table.  The décor you set out can really help set the mood of the meal, so some Christmas party supplies are a must-buy.  A plain, bare table is not a great backdrop for the wonderful feast you just cooked up, and spicing up your table can add some great Christmas warmth to the room.  Here are some great decorating tips.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is a great Christmas tablecloth.  While vinyl tablecloths have a certain appeal because they are easy to clean, if you want to set out a great Christmas dinner display, a good quality cotton table cloth always looks best.  After all, Christmas is only once a year, and you can put the whole thing in the wash afterward. A Christmas theme may well be too busy for the table, so solid colors can offer great appeal.  A lovely dark red or green or even a vibrant gold can be a good choice.

Setting out dinnerware and silver as though you were hosting an elegant five star meal can also offer extra appeal.  Consider serving juice or other beverages in wine glasses for an extra hint of elegance, and offer folded napkins or napkin rings to give the meal a more formal and ‘special’ feel.  Home cooked foods will still ensure that it feels like home, and these touches will simply serve to give an added sense of effort and hard work to your meal.

Lastly, as at any great restaurant, the lighting is the key to your dinner party going well.  The best food served on the most wonderfully decorated table will not taste so good if served under harsh white strip lights or fluorescent lighting.  Besides making Grandma look her full age and scaring the children, nobody looks good under harsh white lights and it can make even the most succulent food look unappetizing. Lighting red or white candles adds a feeling of cosiness to the meal, especially if you turn down the rest of your lights and light a log fire (if you have one). 

A modern-day alternative is a log fire video or DVD, which you can play on a nearby television for a touch of cosiness.  Choose one with a soundtrack of Christmas music for added festive cheer.

Christmas dinner is one of the meals that families love and look forward to the most.  It offers a time to gather together and share not only great food, but stories, laughter, and love.  When you are preparing your dinner this year, give some thought to an elegant Christmas dinner table décor, and you’ll be sure to enjoy your meal.