Sunday 5 December 2021

How to Set a Simply Elegant Christmas Table



I am glad to be back to my Monday posts!  Life finally seems to have returned to a more balanced paced or at least a pace I can manage.  Today I wanted to share how I decorated my holiday table for dinner last year.  I LOVE to host and I actually get lots of opportunities to host around the holidays as we celebrate Anya's birthday on Dec. 21st and then either Christmas and New Years is at my house.  Sometimes I go all in and other times I keep it simple.  There is room for all of it and over the years I've learned that no matter how fancy or simple it is, the only thing that truly matters is coming together with the people you love.  Last year just before Christmas, we had a complete shut down due to COVID and we weren't allowed to see anyone outside of our family.  It was devastating and I really wanted to make our home feel special and beautiful as our plans to come together with family changed once again.  This year thanks to science, we are all fully vaccinated and looking forward to celebrating together.  That feels good.  


Check out the post I wrote a few years ago about Tips and Tricks for hosting a holiday dinners here.  These tips and tricks are coming to you from a full-time working mom of two, a women who hosts on a moderate budget, and doesn't have infinite time to shop and decorate (but maybe one day).  LOL.

Now let's take a peak at how I spruced up my everyday dining table without breaking the bank.  What you need:

  • garland
  • candles of various sizes (tea lights, tall candle sticks and battery operated festive candles)
  • candle holders (
  • your best dishes (because what are you saving them for)
  • pine needles or rosemary, cloth napkin and twine
  • special cocktail and a good bottle of wine

The garland can be pricey but if you wait until the week before Christmas most places will already have it marked down and you can save some money.  Choose to go either with gold or silver as your color, which will make everything else come together easier.  I took a trip to Dollarama and bought all the candles and candle holders there.  I also just took a pair of scissors to our pine tree for the napkin settings.  The items I did splurge on were the drinks and obviously the food it self.  Our specialty drink was Reindeer Mule that I got from my sweet blogger friend Andrea from Living on Cloud Nine. I also splurged on a more expensive bottle of wine than I usually drink.  I love Quails Gate Merlot wine and it always reminds me of our wonderful trip to their winery a few years back, read all about it here.

Since I have all the items now, I plan to recreate this beautiful table setting again this year when I host Christmas Eve, although I haven't decided if I am going to be more casual and make appetizers  or a spiral ham dinner.  






My parents and us for Christmas 2021.  We snuck them in.

My parents and us for Christmas 2020.  We snuck them in for a little visit.  

May you find light and joy in the small moments of life.



What are your plans?  
What kind of host are you, simple or fancy?  
What is the best and hardest thing about hosting for you?

9 comments:

  1. What a beautiful tablescape! I love the pine sprig tied around the napkin!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

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    Replies
    1. Thank you. It's a simple and yet beautiful set up.

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  2. Your table looks beautiful! I always try change up the table a little each year - last year we found pine cones and decorated them to use as centrepieces. This year it's just simple tealights and silvery placemats :) We expect to be out most of the time over Christmas with so many parties and events so didn't need a big fancy table setting this year!

    Hope that your week is off to a great start!

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Parties and events! Oh that does sound glorious. Although things are returning around here, it's still slow going and we are always masked. Your table sounds lovely and simple to pull off, two of my favorite things.

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  3. Your table looks amazing! Love these ideas and tips!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  4. So pretty!! We are just having a really small gathering this year with my parents. My brother and SIL usually come over, but my SIL has to have surgery in Baltimore the first week of January, so they are social distancing to be extra safe, so she doesn't catch any bugs before then. I love your dining room, especially the chairs! I love that you added something natural to the plates with the pine. So pretty and natural!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  5. This is absolutely beautiful! I love all of the greenery, especially the little sprig you added with the napkins!

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  6. I loved how you decorated your table. It's beautiful! I used to host but somewhere along the way I lost the gusto. These days it's just my parents and us three (me, my hubby and little guy). Some days I wished I did more but truth is I prefer the simplicity of just spending time together with those we love without expectations or bells and whistles.

    Maureen | www.littlemisscasual.com

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