13 Christmas Table Setting Ideas That Will Enchant Your Guests

Leaf Motif Plate Decoration

Adorn guests' charger plates with a touch of greenery that's emblematic of mistletoe or boughs of holly. Cut leaves out of crepe paper, and attach them to floral-wire "stems" with green floral tape. Cluster the stems and wrap them with the tape to make a branch. Finally, hot-glue on "berries"—in the form of foil-wrapped chocolates—for guests to snack on post-dinner.

Citrus Pomander Table Setting

On this tablescape, orange and pink are the new red and green. Low-footed bowls of fragrant, minimally embellished pomanders serve as centerpieces, while fresh bay leaves tied in neon-pink cord adorn each place setting. Magenta and brown glasses provide additional hits of unexpected color.

Woodland Wonderland Table Setting

At Martha's home in Bedford, the house is decorated like an enchanted woodland hideaway, brimming with bears, deer, and other sylvan regulars. These rustic, woodsy decorations naturally say Christmas. This table is set with wood-plank place mats, branch candleholders, and "snowcapped" birch stumps. The Buri animals and the pots of selaginella, or spike moss, evoke a dreamy forest floor.

Crimson-and-Silver Table Setting

Bouquets of bold-red amaryllis tied with stiff silver ribbon and displayed down the center of a table look stunning against the hushed gray, white, and silver place settings. To make the napkin rings—which complement the beading on the porcelain plates—string silver mesh beads onto silver string, and tie. Tie on a bow of light gray ribbon.

Peppermint Table Setting

Peppermint sticks stacked like Yule logs and fastened with twine become a vehicle for a place card and the inspiration for this color scheme. Ribbons in varied red-stripe patterns dress up pillar candles, while crepe-paper bells add a festive jingle to everyone's place.

Metallic Silver Table Setting

As if out of thin air, candleholders appear where balloons used to be. The trick: Blow the balloons up, then brush on a glittery glue mixture. Once it dries, pop and discard the balloons—leaving behind shells you can paint on the inside. They make dazzling centerpieces, especially when clustered with glitter-dusted pillar candles and silver dip-dyed linens.

Candy Land Table Setting

Spools of ribbon in a bubblegum pink cascade down the length of this holiday table. For each guest, a place setting is set with custom holiday partyware, a Christmas cracker replicating the characters from The Nutcracker, and a gift-tag napkin printed with their name. To make the free-flowing table runner, soft pink velvet linen was sprinkled with faux snow for a frosted look.

Glittered Faux Fruit Table Setting

Pears, oranges, and lemons sprinkled with sugar dust look straight out of a fairy tale. A brightly-hued citrus centerpiece, piled high with velvet leaves and silver balls, brings sophisticated cheer to Christmas Eve. The faux lemons covered with glitter are for display only, but lemon-drop candies, are arranged in personalized baskets atop each plate as a sweet treat.

Sequined Table Setting

A gleaming grove of triangular trees makes an enchanting centerpiece. Cut from pearlized card stock, the trees are trimmed with loose sequins and small paillettes. Hemstitched linens are an unfussy foil for shimmering place settings. For the napkin rings, wrap two foam balls with strung sequins, and thread 1/4-inch metallic ribbon through them using a tapestry needle; wrap the ribbon around the napkin, then tuck the smaller ball through to hold it in place. Sew sequins by hand along a runner's hemstitching for a confetti effect.

Giving Tree Table Setting

This clip-art tree serves as a place card, dessert, and ornament all in one. After eating the sweets inside, each guest can take one of the paper trees home and hang it on their real tannenbaum.

To make a single tree, download the templates and print onto heavyweight matte paper; cut out. Brush craft glue onto the blank area of the tree template, roll it into a cone shape, and let the glue dry. Craft a tree bottom from mat board, silver embroidery floss, and a wooden spool coated with light blue paint. The topper is made from a one-inch craft punch and silver card stock.

Christmas Tree Napkins Table Setting

More than one tannenbaum can be found in your home for the holidays. Learn a few quick folds to turn linens into little trees. When personalized with star topper place cards—punched out from paper and handwritten with the name of a guest—they're perfect for welcoming guests to the table. Keep the rest of the table sparsely decorated with fragrant evergreen boughs, modern dishes, gilded flatware, and a crisp, linen tablecloth.

Holly-Jolly Table Setting

Dress up the dinner table with napkin holders made from felt holly leaves and a jingle bell. Choose a bell that complements your tablescape's color palette, like we did here.

Sparkling Trees

Party hats aren't just for birthdays. Drizzle green party hats with clear gel glue, let it drop down the sides, and dust with white glitter. Then arrange them on a blanket of faux snow for a magical table setting.