Setting the Christmas table is one of my favourite seasonal jobs.
It’s where style meets celebration with the excitement of preparing for your guests — it’s creating warmth, elegance, and just a little magic.
The secret? Layering texture, colours and personality without overcomplicating things.
Here’s how I style mine – and where you can shop to get the look:
1. Natural Touches
As a base and a bit of a starting point each year, I love using branches of fir, pine cones brushed or sprayed with just a touch of gold, (gold and green – winning combos every time) and mini log slices.
My top tip – Lay a few sprigs along the centre of the table, or tuck pine cones into napkin rings for instant texture.
Local florists have some gorgeous bits and pieces this time of year, but I also love unexpected finds in local boutiques, Not On The High Street are often great for a few bits of unique natural décor, or get the gold spray paint out, do some foraging and get to it!
2. Statement Sparkle
Elegant Gold reindeer, long-stemmed or coloured decorative glasses and tall candlesticks. I prefer the slim, elegant approach, but sometimes go for the thicker options to change it up a bit, just keep them tall to add height.
My top tip: Mix tall and short elements for dimension — cluster three candlesticks of varying heights if you’re going for table-level, thicker looks. Arrange a few faux berries and branches around your reindeer as clusters of objects look natural amidst the foliage.
Dibor’s Christmas Tableware Collection have a stunning range of pieces; they are definitely a go-to source for me, including gold-dusted pinecones and decorative candle holders. John Lewis has some beautifully elegant silver candlestick holders to elevate your table décor.
3. Plates & Glassware
Try to keep plates coordinated, and by this I mean colours eg, we have grey and black Denby plates, so we mix these with crisp plain white side plates (which look lovely when they are layered) and topped with glass starter dishes. You could mix green and white dishes, or if you can get hold a set, this keeps things focused on your centrepiece and accessories so they remain elegant without overpowering your set-up. If you can, mix in vintage glasses for character, for water, wine, whatever your tipple. They are so reflective of the candelight with their gorgeous patterns and really help to make a table sparkle.
My top tip: Even one coloured or patterned glass per place setting elevates your table instantly. Charity shops are superb for vintage finds like these, and it’s sustainable too, reusing and repurposing!
Dibor’s Bella Perle Beaded Glassware collection has elegant, pearl-rimmed glassware that adds a touch of sophistication to any table if you want to buy new. Cox and Cox have some gorgeous pieces this year. I’ve spotted some really pretty ones in Dunelm recently, with nice wide bottoms that will do just the job too.
4. The Pop of Colour
Deep red linen-style napkins over crisp white plates always look festive. Particularly if you’re going for green natural centrepieces. The contrast works wonderfully. Gold would also work – TK Maxx is fabulous for unusual finds this year. You could also go for a different tone of green, perhaps a darker shade.
By folding the napkins simply and tucking them under the cutlery, or tying them with a ribbon to keep to your palette, it really finishes off your table setting with a curated and neat wow factor. It’ so pleasing at this point as it all starts to come together.
I know I’ve talked about them a lot in this article, but they are good when it comes to these things. Yes, you guessed it – Dibor offers a really beautiful variety of Christmas Table Linen & Decorations to complement your colour scheme. Mrs Alice is another source of absolute divine options for this time of year too.
5. Don’t Forget the Crackers
Matching crackers to your colour scheme keeps the table traditional, fun and expected. I know they are bulky, but you just can’t have a Christmas table without them. Wonderful ice breakers, family tradition and entertainment all in one cardboard package for the big day.
My top tip: Go for crackers that have games in them you can play during the meail rather than the pressies that end up in the bin and if you can’t find the exact colours you’d hoped for, wrap plain crackers with a ribbon matching your scheme or shapely gift tag with a little sparkle or an interesting detail to tie them into the look.
John Lewis has great selections, and so too do Chase & Wonder and Sophie Allport for some really stunning designs and wow impact looks.
The key to all this is really just balance. A table that’s styled nicely, but one that also looks inviting.
By mixing lots of textures, picking a palette of colours which you love (gold green, red green, silver green, pink, lilac – whatever your go-to), sprinkling in a few statement pieces (reindeer or little wow pieces) that make it feel personal, you’re well on your way to impressing your guests.
A little bit of planning ahead goes a really long way — and it’s much more fun than stressing over perfection, and your family Christmas photos will look phenomenal too!
Happy styling!
Related Blogs
Budget Shock: How to stay in control of your interior spend
Planning interiors is exciting… and it’s also where budgets quietly slip. Most…