Tablescaping for the Holidays

First of all, you might be thinking -"what exactly is a tablescape and what is its purpose?" Well a tablescape is like setting the scene for your occasion, it's a way to decorate your dining area with a theme and even a way to set the tone for a party. Your tablescape can say everything from Casual Holiday Friends' Dinner to Formal Christmas Morning Brunch. Most of all, its a way to bring your whole meal together with an ambiance, and a fun way to get a little inspired and creative.

So, what are some key components of designing a tablescape?

1. The "Canvas"

This is the "background" for the whole setting. Will you leave your table bare and use the wood finish as the base for a casual or rustic look? Would you like to use a tablecloth or table runner to make the table a bit fancier?

2. The Place Settings

You will need to consider your meal and what dishes will be needed to properly serve the meal. Is your menu a family style dinner served all at once or are you serving a multi-course meal with soup? And don't forget the napkins, utensils and glassware (do you need a water glass, wine glass and coffee cup?)

• Depending on your style of meal you can have the cutlery traditionally placed around the dishes, or rolled in the napkin and placed on the plates.
• Your napkins can be folded a number of different ways or placed between the plates to break up the colour of matching dishes. Pinterest has endless ideas for making your napkins look special.

3. The Centrepiece

The centrepiece is probably the most fun part of the whole setting! Here you can take creative liberty and make your table as fancy or festive as you like. Adding different heights to your centrepiece creates visual interest. Your centrepiece could be floral or greenery, ornaments from around your home, anything you can think of really!

• Set the ambiance with a candles and lighting! From simple tea lights, votives, bold pillar candles to tall elegant taper candles. Try battery operated fairy string lights for a soft whimsical touch!
• Natural elements always pull a look together. Pick up a bundle of winter greens from the grocery store or go cut a few sprigs from the back yard.
• Don't forget to leave space for conversation, a centrepiece that is too tall disrupts visiting and can get in the way of passing dishes!

4. The Details

Add as much detail and personalization to your settings as you like! It could be a name tag at each place setting, a custom menu card layered on top or tucked into a pocket fold napkin. At Christmas, crackers are a common sight at the dinner table, but you could always skip the paper hats and give each guest a little gift like an ornament to take home (meanwhile accenting your table just perfectly!)

•  If you really feel like going the extra mile, you can decorate the chairs as well! Tie a sprig of greenery or ribbons to the back of the chairs for an extra little detail.

Setting the table for the holidays is one of the things that makes coming to the table feel so special. Enjoy the company of your loved ones, the traditional foods and the beauty of the setting all at once for this extra special time of year.

Happy Holidays!