Set The Table For Christmas Part Two

3. Choose your Dinnerware and Place Settings

(Wedgwood)

Is this the time of year you pull out the good china? Do you use your everyday dishes? Or do you have a combination of plates that you like to use?

Now is the time to incorporate different layered plates under chargers and a variety of linens. Decide on the atmosphere you’d like to create – from very formal, to casual or a nice mix of the two. You can build the exact feeling you want by adding your own personal touches & special items, from crystal goblets to fresh flowers in small vases to vintage ornaments and pine cones in a nice bowl or at each place setting.

If this is your turn to host a holiday meal, make your table as interesting as possible by using a combination of different plates. My own mother takes this to an extreme by having each person’s place setting in a different pattern. It makes for a very eclectic and vibrant table.

4. Choose your Drinkware

(Waterford)

Whether it’s red wine, eggnog or hot chocolate, there’s usually an abundance of liquids being consumed and we don’t want our guests to misplace their glasses or forget which one is theirs. Drink tags are a great way of making sure each guest takes care of their drinking vessel. Some unique ways of labeling them are with festive decals, cute stem clips, raffia tags, and ribbons.

HOT TIP: if you don’t have enough glasses for your table, you can rent them for really cheap at any rental company, the best thing about doing this, is you can put them right back into the box they came in, without even washing them.

5. Choose your Flatware

Ana Table Set 5 (howtodecorate)

Depending on how you are serving your meal, whether it is a sit-down or a get-and-go style, you’ll want to figure out which utensils people will require for the dishes you’ll be serving. A typical fork and knife duo look attractive rolled up inside a napkin and stacked on a beautiful platter for a buffet, or you can arrange them tied with some twine and fragrant herbs.

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