Making holidays less frantic and more fun starts with picturesque interior design. Here are some of the easiest, quickest, and picture-worthy tablescape ideas.
Holidays are the time to reunite with your family, friends, and loved ones. It is also the time to attend and host parties together. One way to make your party guests feel like real VIPs is by presenting a thoughtfully decorated tablescape. The real deal is to make one part festive and one part functional. The best thing about decorating a tablespace at your house? You can get as creative and thoughtful as you want. While it may seem like a lot to assemble a photo-worthy table display, with a few insider tips, it is easier than you think.
Now to upgrade your next holiday celebration, here are some tips from expert interior designers that will leave you with not only a picturesque tablescape but also a functional one that people will never stop talking about!
Focus on what you like
Everyone would like it if everything in their homes looked like it popped out of a fashion magazine. Even when it comes to decorating a tabletop montage or a wall gallery, you would probably start dreaming of getting tons of compliments, even from strangers. But the reality is it will always come back to you at the end. What do you like or what impresses you, and most importantly, what inspires you? So it is always best to choose something truly meaningful to your heart. The key is not about impressing others, it is always about impressing yourself because it is going to stay at your home.
The same logic goes for a holiday tablescape, is it truly what you like? Is it free-flowing or playful? Is it natural or serene? Or is it bright and festive? What do you see in your vision, start with that. The best way to start is by making a list of some basic holiday tablescape ideas that you like. For initial you can keep the following in your list for a photo-worthy tablescape next holiday –
- Easily found objects in nature such as pretty branches or pine cones.
- Vases, lanterns, and votives (the tip would be to go for mercury glass).
- Candles in every shape, size, and color.
- Similar candle holders can be either in antique silver or mod metallic gold.
- Festive, floral, and vintage vessels such as a stack of pretty books or a teapot.
- Cute yet inexpensive craft items including foil snowflakes, bottle brush trees, or ribbon bows.
- Sparkle elements such as tinsel garland or even confetti
- Small and aesthetically pleasing heirlooms.
After you finish the list, gather around the items that you already have at home. Moreover, as you prep you may think of other brilliant ideas. A little tip about the list: just because you made a list, you will not have to do everything in there. Believe us, your holiday tablescape is going to be a lot easier if you edit something out of the list.
May your light shine brighter!
If you ask anyone, they would say that their favorite part of a holiday tablescape is its lighting. If you add twinkle lights or even candles, it will bring life to the party while giving off a cozy and comfortable vibe adding so much more to the table decorations. If you are thinking about going with traditional candles, it is a beautiful idea when it is safely used. However, if you are having kids over, or are clumsy yourself, you should probably look for alternatives, the flameless, and rechargeable candles that just look as gorgeous in the right holders. The most amazing thing about alternatives to real candles is that you can use about anything as votives, especially if you choose tea lights. Your options start with your grandmother’s tea cups, painted baby food jars, or even sea or oyster shells and it just doesn’t end! Here are some ideas to help you out –
- You can use wood slices as the base for your flameless candles.
- You can upcycle your soup cans as well. All you need to do is make holes by drilling sides and keeping the tea light on the base of the can. This will make the handmade lantern prettier with a unique design and light pattern.
- Take your wine glass, turn it upside down, and then balance a tea light on the base. To take up one notch of your table decorations, add pom-pom snowballs or an ornament underneath the glass.
- You can place the flameless tea candle on a soap dish or an ornate trinket box.
- If you are planning a Hanukkah tablescape, you can buy a paper menorah or make your own menorah.
- You can also stagger candles of different sizes on either a shiny serving platter or a mirrored tray.
Now that you have an idea about how to really light up your tablescape, think about all the hidden treasures that you turn into votives at your home! If you still don’t have an idea, the kitchen is always a good place to start, where you can even expand your imagination.
Keep your centerpieces simple and elegant
The table centerpiece demands a flower arrangement. We are always amazed at how talented and creative our florists can get. But if you, like us, cannot deliver what needs to be delivered while making flower arrangements, making a flower arrangement can be difficult and expensive! In that case, an ideal alternative would be to think of more outside-the-box and quicker centerpieces. Here are some ideas for you that are simple, quick, and elegant –
- If you are planning a Christmas tablescape, you can make the Nativity scene your centerpiece. It will serve the occasion and speak volumes about your thoughtfulness.
- You can wrap little boxes and make good use of them as risers. You can also use your guests’ gifts as decor for the tablescape.
- You can fill a large bowl with oversized and other party decorations. A good guess is you probably have some in your home already that you can mix and match.
- If you have a Yule log, make good use of it by placing it as a centerpiece of your tablescape. You can also elevate its look by placing it on a pretty cake stand. Trust us, those meringue mushrooms deserve some recognition too!
- Chances are you have already gathered pine cones; you can keep it as your tablescape centerpiece. The best idea would be to add a dust of gold glitter and also scatter them across the table.
- You can take the fallen branches in your yard or pieces of fresh greenery to create a bundle of elegant environmental beauty! Tuck in holiday cheer notes, little ornaments, or twinkling lights to make it look even prettier.
- If you also have a habit of bringing back seashells every time you visit the beach, then it is time to use them. You can create ornaments out of them and use them as a tablescape centerpiece by displaying them in a rustic farmhouse box, or on a silver tray.
- You can also make a balloon table runner. But remember making balloon arches can be a little frustrating and extremely time-consuming. However, they end up so pretty that in the end, it is all worth it.
These ideas never mean that you need to forget about flowers! If you think the pretty petals are calling your name, pick up a big bouquet from your nearest store. You can either store them all together in a large base or separate them so that you can make an assortment of smaller floral arrangements. If you are looking for flower recommendations, then Showy poinsettias would be perfect for the occasion. However, it is also important to remember that these flowers are extremely toxic for both cats and dogs. So if you have pets at your home or coming over, stay away from this flower arrangement. At the same time, remember that holidays are also the best time to tap into your inner self and showcase your creativity alongside the generosity of spirit. So, go for it!
Go with a particular theme
Everyone loves a good theme, no matter what the party or gathering is about. Whether the theme is by color, subject matter, or even style, you have the full liberty to get creative with it. Here are some theme recommendations for you to try –
- A bright pink Christmas where you can add a touch of gold, sparkles, and winter whites!
- A tablescape with the theme of Christmas at the ocean.
- A Nostalgic Holiday: everyone in the world would give everything to get back to the golden years of their lives!
- “Bows on bows on bows” – whether they are on cakes, in the place of a napkin ring, or on chairs.
- A New Year’s Eve-themed tablescape with loads of confetti, disco balls, napkins, and even plates with a pop of gold. You can keep all of it on a black tablecloth to elevate the look even more.
- A holiday tablescape theme filled with angles.
- Christmas carol quotes for your tablescape theme. You can also take well-known and not-so-well-known lyrics and display them in the tablescape design.
- You can also go completely unhinged and choose whimsical elements like countdown cheese straws, ball drop pops, pastry hats, etc.
Do you have those holiday cards at the bottom of the box somewhere too? Yeah we know it is pretty hard to throw them out, so how about you recycle them? You can cut those cards into seasonal shapes and then use the cutouts as place cards or gift tags. The best idea would be to make coasters from them!
Make sure it is meaningful
If you are someone who is known for being emotional and sentimental and it is your turn to host a holiday party, it is the best time to make your tablescape meaningful and include items with stories behind them. The best idea would be to add a treasure to the table that is loved by someone you love. In this way, you are also including those special persons in your celebration. Here are some ways you can keep your old memories by creating new memories –
- You can serve dinner at your mother’s wedding plates and dinnerware. You can either combine them with modern dinnerware or use just her pieces.
- Do you have someone in your family who has had amazing taste in costume jewelry? Then you can use the diner rings as your napkin rings on the table or wrap a candle with a sparkly bracelet from their collection!
- You can also turn your beloved scarf into a table runner.
- Another idea would be to tie scarves around the backs of the chairs.
- You can place a childhood ornament or any other special ornament on each guest’s plate. This will show your guests how much you love and care for them. At the same time, it will make such a fun and cute photo-worthy moment for the guests.
- Another idea would be to create an ornament for your beloved pet who passed away. You can start by making their initials out of cardboard, painting or decorating it, and then gluing their tags or hair bows onto it. You can place it on the tablescape and this way you are including your beloved pet in the celebratory dinner as well.
- If you have a vintage menorah that is passed down through generations in your family, you can place it on the table as a symbol of your faith and love for family.
When you have a gathering, the best way to make the day memorable is to share stories about loved ones. This is important, especially for younger generations who will not get the chance to meet their beloved family members or friends.
However, when you are decorating, you can pick anything and everything and the list never ends. So the most important tip would be to know when and where to stop and start enjoying. A good way to remember the dinner or party forever is to take pictures and videos, not from just one angle but from different ones. This way you can live in the moment instead of staying worried about the guests, the decorations, and your hosting capabilities. So relax, and enjoy!
