Christmas is a wonderful time to get together and share a meal with friends and family.
Whether you are decorating for Christmas dinner or a Christmas party, here are some ideas for decorating your dining table to make it extra special.
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photo courtesy of love Maegan flickr.com/photos/lovemaegan/5284353329/
photo courtesy of monmart sxc.hu/photo/375728
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Tablecloth, Placemats, or Table Runner
Your table cloth, placemats, or table runner are a great place to create a color scheme for your Christmas dinner table.
Using them as a jumping off point, you can select a traditional color scheme of red and green, or you can select a more modern color scheme using designer colors and metallics.
photo courtesy of roluss sxc.hu/photo/1144569
Candles
Candles are a nice addition to a Christmas dinner table.
If there will be young children at the table, make sure to consider fire safety. You might wish to use flameless candles #ad.
You can use traditional tapered candles or a hurricane glass filled with Christmas decorations and a pillar candle (be careful the decorations don't catch on fire).
photo courtesy of theswedish sxc.hu/photo/1247570
Napkin Rings
Napkin rings on cloth napkins add extra formality during Christmas dinner.
You can buy Christmas napkin rings #ad or make your own.
They can even coordinate with your candle holders.
Fine China
Don't forget to use your fine china and crystal during Christmas dinner.
Consider using a colored or metallic decorative charger in your color scheme to add flair to your basic white china.
If you are having a kids table, try to find non-breakable plates that are similar to your fine china.
photo courtesy of jean-guy sxc.hu/photo/495641
Form Follows Function
Don't go overboard on the decorations.
Your dining table's main purpose is for dining, not to be a stationary object to stack decorations on.
If you have a large centerpiece, make it easily removable so that it doesn't get in the way when dinner starts, else people will not be able to see each other.
If your centerpiece is not too large and you wish for it to remain on the table, make sure it is low enough so it doesn't block the view of people sitting across from each other.
Kids Table
If you have a separate kids table for Christmas dinner, make sure to give just as much thought (if not more) to the decorations of the main table.
Make it feel less like a secluded table in the kitchen and more like a table that is better and more fun than the main dining table.
Consider adding kids activities to the table, such as place mats that can be colored, a book of Christmas riddles, or a group puzzle in a Christmas theme.
