Your Festive table: Great ideas for Christmas table decorations

Innovative decorating ideas to transform this year’s Christmas table decorations into a fantasy of fun and festive cheer 

Are you scouring the shops for items to decorate your Christmas dining table with? Or are you providing the products for others to make their Christmas feast a special one? Either way, it’s time to put on your creative hat and get inventive.

There are numerous fabulous Christmas decoration ideas out there! Harness your imagination or take a leaf out of a few design websites (like ours, which has a wonderful selection of fun designs for the holidays).

Dream up your ideal table scape first. For your Christmas table decor, use table runners, serviettes, place holders, tablecloths and anything else you can find to create a festive effect.

We’ve put our thinking caps on, too, and have come up with many suggestions to help you make your Christmas special. Check out what we’ve come up with for some inspiration for your 2024 Christmas decor.

Get into the Christmas mood

Think about your guests when you brainstorm Christmas table decor. If you’re creating table decor for different people, put these decorating ideas into different categories: the modern Christmas table, the farm Christmas table, the Festive family table, the classic Christmas table… the list is endless.

Consider the style of the home and the personality of the people who live in it. It’s easier to shop for your own home. If you’re making Christmas products for your business, you need to categorise them.

Step 1: Choose a colour scheme

First choose a Christmas colour scheme. This way, you'll have a good idea of where to go from there.

·    Christmas colours are traditionally red and green, or just one of those gorgeous cheerful hues. 

·    Alternatively, there’s silver and white, purple and gold, green and gold, green and white… 

·    Keep to colours that harness the Christmas spirit, or go monochrome with just a touch of gold or silver, for a modern edge. 

Check out our comprehensive guide on how colours affect our emotions here.

Forest Flowers Mushrooms II Runner 

·    Another great modern Christmas look is to mix in contrasting prints (stripes, polka dots or gingham).

Here are some great festive designs from our own collection to inspire you…

Step 2: Personalised Christmas table decor

·    Handwrite or stencil guests’ names onto name cards, or use a metallic pen that will wash out and write their names on wine glasses.

·    Leave something small at each setting next to the name cards – a tiny gift, perhaps, or a mini wreath or ornament. 

Forest Green Leaves Cocktail Napkin 

·    Candles create a cosy, intimate atmosphere at Christmas. Or choose other Christmas lights – tea candles or fairy lights – for a festive effect.

Innovative festive Christmas table decorations 

Expand on these decorating ideas for lights for your Christmas table decoration and create some magic…

Christmas table runners

A table runner is very effective if you have a beautiful wooden table or want to create a rustic effect. 

A table runner is very effective for Christmas decorations if you have a beautiful wooden table or want to create a rustic effect. 

·      Wreath Christmas runner: To make this, take 2 or 3 simple pine Christmas wreaths and put them around votive candles either in small glasses. String these all along the table. Adorn with bells, and string some pine cones for a country Christmas effect.

Hand Drawn Dark Flowers Table Runner 

• Simple festive runner: Uncomplicate your Christmas table décor with a simple runner  in a neutral hue – cream or off-white. Add some festive lights and embellishments like cinnamon sticks, holly and white candles.
• Substitute greenery for a Christmas runner: Find a leafy branch or create a lengthwise effect using greenery to act as a runner. Trim with red berries, pine cones and the soft lights of candles.

Christmas centrepieces

Christmas centrepieces set off the theme and take centre stage down the middle of the table. Here are a few ideas to make yours stand out…

·      Rock candy as a centrepiece: Brighton Rock or other candy cane can make a stunning, colourful centrepiece for your table. Select different colours, or stick to the Christmas green and red festive palette. Insert in a glass vase or 2 for everyone to nibble on after dinner, and add some greenery and left-over Christmas holiday lights and other decorations.

·      Canning jar decoration: Put a few simple canning jars that run down the centre of the Christmas table. Fill each with a pretty votive candle. Surround with some greenery.

·      Flowers as the highlight: Alternate a posy of fresh flowers and greenery in a little vase with candle holders all along the centre of the Christmas table. The lights will glisten all evening long.

Festive dinner settings

Continue the theme of the centrepiece or table runner on the settings for extra effect. Greenery, pops of red in berries or decorations and a little gold or silver will create a stunning look.

·      Mini tree: Put a tiny Christmas tree on white side plates at every place setting. Green with a pop of white is effective and festive.

·      Snow globe: Add a snow globe instead of a Christmas tree as a place setting. This will delight the kids and the ‘child’ in every adult.

·      Greenery: Tie twigs, leaves and sprigs together with string to hold serviettes in place. 

Fruits Flowers Pomegranates Table Roses Art Cocktail Napkin 

·      Colourful serviettes and placemats: If you only do one thing to make your Christmas holiday table stand out, do it with your serviettes. We offer a selection of gorgeous designs for ready-made serviettes that will complete your luxury Christmas table settings with panache. A solid colour or perhaps a tartan? The choice is yours.

Mix up the Christmas look with a placemat in a different pattern. If you went with tartan for the serviette, why not do a black and white check for the placemat?

View some of the great designs in the maakeHome Tablewear Collection.

Simple seasonal table decorations

A few decorating ideas for your Christmas dining room table setting to get your creative juices flowing…

·      Rustic: Add touches of wood – twigs, branches, wood slices, wooden bowls and salad servers.

·      Modern: Keep it chic with gold or bronze cutlery and modern candlesticks.

·      Winter theme: Create a White Christmas holiday theme with snow dusted pine cones, twigs, greenery and berries. For frost and snow, try coarse salt; it’s very effective.

·      Farm: Make a garland of pine cones and add some vintage brass table accessories (candlesticks, serving spoons, a serviette holder).

·      Classic: A gorgeous ornate gold or silver candelabra that takes 5 or 6 candles will create a stunning Christmas look. Choose red or green candles for a warm, colourful effect that lights up a table.

·      Gold: Embellish red, green and white decorations with lots of gold elements. This creates a glamorous festive atmosphere. Use gold plates, gold candle holders and cutlery for extra effect.

Readymade exclusive tableware

We offer a stunning selection of new products, including tableware that has been designed by selected designers and printed by us – just for you to shop when you’re looking for Christmas decorations.

As the holiday looms and you are searching for products to make your table decorations stand out, come and discover something from us! You can save time and customise your looks with unique products and designs that speak to you. What’s more, you will receive your exclusive products promptly if you live in the UK.

Discover our exciting range of decorations!

If you prefer, you can design your own patterns for any Christmas decoration. Or you can design a Christmas pattern for one of maakeHome’s fabric products, if you like. You can even use this design on a beautiful Christmas card.