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Christmas table
Festive table settings: what items are essential?
A Christmas table setting needs to be both decorative and practical. Various items are essential for a perfect Christmas table. First, the classic components: plates, glasses and cutlery to allow you and your guests to enjoy the festive meal. Depending on the dishes you plan to serve, you can position placemats at each setting or charger plates with a dinner plate on top. If you are serving the Christmas meal directly on plates, you will simply need a charger plate for each guest. Your choice of glasses will depend on the drinks you plan to serve: water glasses are essential, possibly accompanied by wine glasses or champagne flutes. The same applies for cutlery, as this will also vary according to the menu. For example, you will need to set a spoon for soup but not for other starters.
Napkins are important too. Cloth napkins are, of course, the best choice for this special occasion, in a colour coordinating with the decoration. Napkins can be arranged in napkin rings or folded artistically. A napkin ring coordinating with the colour of the cutlery looks particularly elegant and festive.
Our favourite Christmas items
Matching table decoration
As well as the essential elements, table decorations play an important role in setting the scene for a festive meal. Plan your decorations carefully and leave enough space for crockery and any serving platters or bowls you might need on the table. It is a good idea to try the setting first and adapt the decorations accordingly.
Perfect harmony for the festive table and Christmas tree
A festively decorated table is often in the same room as the Christmas tree. This makes it even more important to coordinate the decorations. Combine Villeroy & Boch Christmas tree decoration ideas with elegant tableware and accessories.
A harmonious decoration concept will look particularly impressive in a consistent colour scheme. This will allow you to easily coordinate the colours on your table with the Christmas tree decorations – and vice versa. Another option is to decorate both the table and the tree with Christmas baubles. This allows great design scope and creative effects.
Villeroy & Boch’s collections often include coordinating accessories such as Christmas tree decorations and crockery. Simply choose a single collection for your Christmas tree decorations and tableware for a harmonious result.
The special annual collections released every Christmas offer a wide selection of design options. Choose a harmonious concept for your Christmas tree decorations, dinnerware and table decorations. A coordinating tablecloth in your chosen colours will add the finishing touch to a festive scene that will delight your guests.
Creative decoration ideas for your Christmas table
A beautiful Christmas table setting immediately creates a festive mood. As well as Christmas tableware, you will also need festive table decorations to complete the effect. Unlike decorations for the home, which generally go up at the start of Advent and stay there throughout the festivities, you can try out different looks for your table decorations. The special table setting for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day will then be the big finale.
We have put together lots of decoration ideas to help you create beautiful festive table settings. However, make sure your decorations do not overlap any crockery and leave enough space on the table for serving platters and bowls. Your Christmas table decorations should emphasise the festive elegance of your chosen crockery. Try out different looks during the Advent period with candles, decorative accessories, fir sprigs and other items to find the perfect decoration for your Christmas table.
You can find a wide selection of items for your festive table decorations in Villeroy & Boch’s collections. From decorative Christmas figurines to hurricane lamps, candleholders and Christmas vases for sprigs of fir and poinsettia, there are countless options to choose from. Christmas table decorations can be extravagant and playful too.
Candles and lights:
atmospheric lighting for your table
The festive season would not be complete without special light effects. Atmospheric lighting will add an extra-special touch to a festive table. Candleholders with pillar or taper candles in Christmas colours are a classic choice. Arrange the candleholders on the table to create flickering light effects. If there are children at your Christmas celebrations, use LED candles if possible to reduce the risk of fire.
Fairy lights are another beautiful solution to incorporate special lighting effects in Christmas table decorations. Combine a delicate string of fairy lights with sprigs of fir – either real or artificial – and place the arrangement in the middle of the table as a decorative centrepiece instead of a table runner. For a more modern look, light up springs of eucalyptus or olive branches with fairy lights. Other decorative items in natural colours will make the lights a real feature.
There is not always enough space for lights on a lavishly decorated Christmas table. For a creative solution, you can incorporate fairy lights in a hanging decoration above the table rather than placing them on the surface. Suspend a large fir branch from the ceiling and decorate it with ornaments and lights to create atmospheric effects on the table from above.
Tip:
Incorporate an Advent wreath stylishly in your Christmas decorations. A festive table setting will present the four candles in perfect style.
Atmospheric ideas
For your festive Christmas table
A consistent concept for a Christmas table immediately looks more elegant and stylish. This explains why many hosts opt for a colour theme.
Classic Christmas
The classic Christmas colours are, of course, red, gold and green and these shades coordinate perfectly with each other. For example, green sprigs of fir and red candles together with gold plates and cutlery. Arrange a few more small gold decorations to create an elegant table setting.
Natural decorations
“Nature” is another possible theme with great creative scope. Use natural materials such as wood, fir branches, orange slices and cinnamon sticks for decoration. Place simple plates on the table along with dark green cloth napkins decorated with berries or fir branches to reflect the natural look. You can incorporate the theme in your colour selection too with earthy and green shades.
Whatever theme you choose, make sure your crockery and decorations coordinate. The starting point should be the crockery: this will decide the colours or theme! You can then easily adapt your decorations to fit the look. This approach will create a harmonious and beautiful impression at your festive table.