Christmas table decorations

Christmas table decorations: build the table in layers

A table looks cluttered when everything is bought at once. Work from the bottom up: cloth or runner, then each guest’s place, then the crackers, then the centre, then any loose scatter. Each layer has its own sizes and its own mistakes, and the four collections linked below cover the biggest layers.

The products in this collection are the small items that do not have a page of their own: LED twig trees, mini tabletop trees, placemat sets, flameless candles, tealight holders, bottle-brush village sets and table confetti. Most cost between £4 and £16, and the median is about £10.

Layer 1: cloth, runner or placemats

A cloth covers the whole table and hides a worn top. Christmas tablecloths run from about 130 cm square to 3 m long. A strip down the middle, a Christmas table runner, is lighter and shows the wood either side.

Placemats keep the whole table visible. The sets in this collection are round at about 38 cm or rectangular at about 43 x 28 cm, and a 38 cm round mat leaves a 6 cm border around a 26 cm plate.

Layer 2: plates, napkins and crackers

Christmas plates and tableware covers paper partyware and the few reusable plates. Crackers go on or beside each plate, one per guest. Christmas crackers are 30 to 36 cm long, so a 36 cm cracker overhangs a 26 cm plate. Napkins have no page of their own here, but how to fold Christmas napkins shows five folds.

Layer 3: the centre of the table

Keep solid items under about 30 cm so guests can see across. Thin items such as twig trees are the exception, because you can see through the branches. Groups of three or five look more natural than pairs, and a mix of heights stops the line down the table looking flat.

Layer 4: scatter and small touches

Table confetti packs run from 600 pieces to 4,800 pieces (100 g). It goes down last, after the plates and crackers are in place, because it ends up on everything.

How many Christmas table decorations do you need?

Count the guests, then add a couple of spare settings for people who turn up late. Leave a gap in the middle for serving dishes, because Christmas dinner puts several of them on the table at once.

If you only buy three things

Buy crackers, a cloth or runner, and one centre item. Those three change how a table looks more than any amount of scatter, and plain white plates go with all of them.

Choosing Christmas table decorations: colour, safety and mistakes

Colour

Keep to two colours plus one metallic. Gold is the commonest colour among the items in this collection, followed by white, green and red. A white or cream cloth with a gold runner and red crackers is a plain scheme that suits almost any plates.

Safety

• Real candles: keep them away from paper, confetti, garlands and fabric, use holders that cannot tip, and never leave them lit unattended.
• Table confetti: the listings carry a choking warning for small parts, so skip it where toddlers or pets can reach the table.
• Flameless candles and LED trees: check that batteries are included, because some sets are sold without them.

Common mistakes

• A centrepiece that is too wide leaves no room for dishes, so keep it to a narrow strip down the middle.
• Pattern on pattern looks busy: if the cloth is patterned, keep the runner and placemats plain.
• Strong scent competes with the meal, so use unscented candles on the table.
• Three or four colours on one table look cluttered; two plus a metallic is easier to match.

For layouts from simple to formal, read Christmas table setting ideas for dinner.