By: Kristine Nelson | Updated: October 2, 2026
17 Festive Christmas Table Decorating Ideas
Transform your dining space into a winter wonderland with a Christmas table that dazzles and delights. No matter your style or budget, we’ve got tips for centerpieces, tablescapes, place settings and unique themes you can use to make your holiday meals magical!
1. Set an Elegant Folkloric Table in Green & Gold
Inspired by a winter's walk through star-lit, enchanted woods, this stunning folkloric Christmas table look makes the most of golden bottlebrush trees, candle holders and mushroom figurines atop a botanical beaded table runner. Elegant gold dinnerware against crisp white keeps the overall scene from looking overly busy and draws the eye to the center tablescape.
Shop the Look
Vita Reactive Glaze Dinner Plate
Round Gold Magnolia Leaf Placemat
Green Flocked Bottlebrush Christmas Tree Decor Set Of 2
Bormioli Terina Red Wine Glass
Brushed Gold Metal Contemporary Pillar Candle Holder
Green Folkloric Forest Beaded Table Runner
Vita Ivory And Brown Reactive Glaze Serving Platter
2. Set a Classic Cottage-Style Table on Christmas Morning
Serve family and guests a festive holiday breakfast while keeping it cozy and casual. A classic Christmas entertaining look is always in style, with red, white and green dinnerware, vintage-inspired table linens, and Santa figural mugs.
Shop the Look
Scallop Rim Speckled Dinner Plate
Jolly Santa Hand Painted Figural Ceramic Mug
Red and Green Vintage Stripe Mrs. Claus Ceramic Mug
Charm Christmas Inlay Double Old Fashioned Glass
Green and Red Botanical Holly Print Napkin
Red and Green Stripe Holiday Icon Hand Painted Bowl Set of 2
Green and Red Quilted Holly Stripe Reversible Placemat
Vintage Style Santa and Mrs. Claus Appetizer Plate Set of 2
3. Set a Romantic Christmas Table in Jewel Tones
Give your table a romantic Christmas look with rich color and iconic holiday themes, like nutcrackers, ornaments, and bows. Choose velvet and embroidered cotton linens in wintery jewel tones, like forest green and sugarplum purple. As a final touch, add extra glitz with gold trees and candle holders.
Shop the Look
Gold Rim Ribbed Double Old Fashioned Glass
Pacifica Reactive Glaze Dinner Plate
Solstice Gold Ribbed Soup Spoon Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Dinner Knife Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Salad Fork Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Dinner Fork Set of 2
Gold Etched Mercury Glass Tealight Candle Holder
Faux Greenery with Gold Leaves and Ornaments Mantel Swag Decor
Multicolor Vintage Ornament Embroidered Napkin 4 Pack
Green Velvet Twelve Days of Christmas Embroidered Table Runner
Multicolor Nutcracker Icons Serving Platter
Red and Green Nutcracker Icons Appetizer Plate 4 Pack
4. Go for Elegant Green & Red on the Table
This Christmas table is all about elegant simplicity, set with all-occasion dinnerware made festive with tree-themed bread plates, red and white stripe napkins, red drinkware, and faux pine placemats. The woodsy placemats and garland centerpiece add texture to the otherwise simple tablescape.
Shop the Look
Round Green Faux Pine Placemat
Evergreen Grove Cream and Green Reactive Glaze Serving Platter
Evergreen Grove Cream and Green Reactive Glaze Appetizer Plate
Juniper Grove Dark Green Reactive Glaze Dinner Plate
Juniper Grove Dark Green Reactive Glaze Salad Plate
Antique Gold Glass Honeycomb Ball Ornament
Oatmeal Holiday Ticking Stripe Napkin
Solstice Gold Ribbed Salad Fork Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Dinner Knife Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Soup Spoon Set of 2
Solstice Gold Ribbed Dinner Fork Set of 2
Shop the Look
Acacia Wood and Champagne Gold Metal Sleigh Serving Board
Green Pine Tree Figural Serving Platter
Green and Red Enameled Wood Wreath Figural Serving Board
Green Flocked Bottlebrush Christmas Tree Decor Set Of 2
Mango Wood Christmas Tree Shaped Serving Tray
Laser Cut Wood Dimensional Tree Decor 3 Pack
Talia Gold Taper Candle Holder
6. Learn the Rules of Proper Place Setting
For setting a table, there are a few rules of etiquette. Your salad and dinner forks sit to the left of the plate. The knife goes to the right and with the blade facing the plate, followed by your dinner and soup spoon - or you can place the soup spoon above and perpendicular to your plate. Glassware goes to the upper right of the plate. The dinner plate itself can sit atop a charger or a placemat (or both) with a salad or app plate on top of that. Fold napkins into a fun shape and place on top of the plates, roll and secure with napkin rings, or they can be folded under or to the left of the forks.
7. Set a Kitsch Christmas Table
Lovers of vintage nostalgia will adore the look of a bright, bold Christmas celebration. Decorate your table with a remix of the classics: pink retro bottlebrush and glass trees, pastel dishes and glassware. Add humor and shine with disco ball decor, plenty of tinsel and kitschy pop culture references.
Shop the Look
Pink Santa Figural Ceramic Mug
Meryl Pink Christmas Lights Kitty Embroidered Table Runner
Pink Retro Santa Embroidered Kitchen Towel
Pink and Red Coming to Town Santa Ceramic Espresso Mug
Rainbow Holiday Trees Double Old Fashioned Glass
Retro Ceramic Tree LED Light Up Decor
Retro Natural Bottlebrush Tree Decor
Coupe White Porcelain Dinner Plate
Round Green Faux Pine Placemat
8. Try a Disco Holiday Theme
For a glitzy Christmas or New Year's Eve look that's both retro and glamorous, turn your table into a boogie wonderland with a disco theme. Use shiny disco balls and plenty of candles in your centerpiece, along with lots of metallic silver and gold in your table settings. Adding a couple disco ball ornaments at each place as party favors is a thoughtful surprise and adds even more shine to your 70s-chic dining table.
Shop the Look
Coupe Square White Porcelain Dinner Plate
Coupe Square White Porcelain Salad Plate
Coupe Square White Porcelain Bowl
Hammered Stainless Steel Salad Fork
Hammered Stainless Steel Dinner Knife Set of 2
Silver Mirrored Disco Ball Ornaments
Clear Glass Taper Candle Holder
Clear Glass Taper Candle Holder
Classic Hand Dipped Taper Candles 2 Pack
Solid Color Cotton Buffet Napkins 4 Count
9. Create a Candle Wreath Centerpiece
For holly jolly-good Christmas table decor, nothing is easier than making your own candle wreath. You can find a candle holder already in a wreath shape or place a regular wreath in the middle of your table and surround it with different forms of lighting for ambiance, like taper candles, votives or twinkle string lights. Scatter some shiny ornaments around or place a few Christmas houses nearby for maximum festivity.
Shop the Look
Apothecary Cinnamon Cranberry Scented Candle
Gold Candelabra Slim Taper Candle Holder
Green Faux Norfolk Pine LED Battery Operated Garland with Timer
Apothecary Vanilla Snowflakes Tealight Candles 12 Pack
Enameled Metal Holiday Taper Candle Holder
10. Make a Christmas Village Centerpiece
Create a cozy Christmas village on your table with adorable laser cut wood houses that light up. You can choose houses that are all one style, like mid century modern or Nordic, or mix them up to make an eclectic little town. Add bottlebrush trees, candles or other lighting and ground the scene by keeping everything on a runner or on a set of chargers.
Shop the Look
Natural Evergreen Trees Embroidered Table Runner
Laser Cut Wood Gingerbread House Panel Decor
Laser Cut Wood European Cottage LED Light Up Decor with Timer Set of 3
Green Flocked Bottlebrush Christmas Tree Decor Set Of 2
Green Flocked Bottlebrush Christmas Tree Decor Set Of 2
Celebration Taper Candles 12 Pack
Laser Cut Wood Folk Cottage LED Light Up Decor with Timer Set Of 3
Vintage Village Tealight Candle Holder
Laser Cut Wood Dimensional Tree Decor 3 Pack
Mini White Ceramic House LED Light Up Decor Set of 2
11. Use a Garland as a Centerpiece
For a striking natural vibe, run a garland of pine, mistletoe or eucalyptus down the middle of the dining table as a centerpiece. You can weave more than one garland together, add ornaments or place tall taper candles and mini trees throughout. Rustic elegance perfection!
Shop Garlands
Icy Mini Pinecone and Sage Leaves Garland with Red Berries
Green Soft Touch Mixed Faux Pine Garland
Green Faux Norfolk Pine LED Battery Operated Garland with Timer
Mini Brass Bell And Bead Garland
Mixed Faux Greenery with Rainbow Ornaments Garland
Frosted Faux Spiral Eucalyptus and White Berries Garland
Eucalyptus and Red Berries with Burnished Bells Garland
12. Set a Nutcracker-Themed Christmas Table
Love nutcrackers? We've got you. Along with showcasing your favorite nutcrackers in the center of the table, go all in with colorful nutcracker dishware and matching drinking glasses! Make the scene even more festive with holiday crackers at each place setting, candles with seasonal scents and a classic Christmas table runner.
Shop the Look
All The Trimmings Nutcracker Handle Ceramic Mug
Red and Green Nutcracker Icons Appetizer Plate 4 Pack
Multicolor Nutcracker Icons Serving Platter
Charm Christmas Inlay Double Old Fashioned Glass
Multicolor Velvet Nutcracker Ballet Beaded Table Runner
Ivory Multicolor Embroidered Nutcracker Lumbar Pillow
All The Trimmings Nutcracker Napkin Rings 4 Pack
King's Guard Nutcracker with Big Ben Staff Decor
Nutcracker Suite Classic Nutcracker Decor
13. Do an All-Green Christmas Table
If you love the greenery without the red, we've got a Christmas table for you! Faux pine placemats, green napkins and a beaded forest table runner - along with tree-themed dishware and green bottlebrush trees - come together for a rustic nature aesthetic that you can enjoy all season!
Shop the Look
Grove Speckled Reactive Glaze Dinner Plate
Watercolor Winter Tree Salad Plate
Cotton Slub Napkins With Fringe Set Of 4
Watercolor Winter Trees Serving Platter
Blue and Green Evergreen Beaded Table Runner
Round Green Faux Pine Placemat
14. Fold Your Napkins Into Christmas Trees
Add festive flair to your holiday table settings by folding the napkins into Christmas tree shapes. These napkin trees are easy to achieve and are especially striking on a minimally decorated table.
15. Put Ornaments at Each Place Setting
Christmas ornaments make terrific table decorations and are unique additions to place settings. Coordinate the ornaments to your holiday decor - or leave one on every plate as a party favor. Choose ornaments that fit each guest's personality and that you know they'll love.
16. Give Every Guest a Christmas Cracker
Start a new tradition in your family by giving each place setting a Christmas cracker to break open before dinner. A classic Christmas party favor, crackers snap open with a pop and usually contain a paper crown, a joke and a small prize. They make fun icebreakers: you can take turns reading the jokes aloud, compete for the best prize and wear the crowns throughout the meal. Read our Christmas crackers guide to learn more!
17. Give Out Cool Party Favors
Get into the spirit of the holidays and give a little gift to every guest! Place a scented mini holiday candle at every place setting, give everyone surprise stocking stuffers, or go classic and put a Christmas cracker on everybody's
Kristine Nelson – Home & Entertaining Expert
When not planning and directing location photography for World Market, Home and Entertaining Stylist Kristine is our resident DIY queen! Whether it’s with sewing, home renovation or paper crafts, her superpower is turning imagination into reality. Kristine is obsessed with architecture and modern design, and loves estate sales, flea markets, hiking, biking, skiing and snowboarding.
