Simple Holiday Table Decorating Tips

The holiday season is in full swing, and if you're like me you love to decorate every part of your home you can think of. Budgets are very tight this year though, and many people might think they are not able to do as much holiday decorating as they normally would. Thankfully there are very many quick and easy, simple, and inexpensive ways to decorate your home for the holidays. In this article will look at several easy decorating tips and ideas for your dining room table.

Spruce up the Plates

This is a very simple and easy decorating tip that most people overlook. We all have our favorite plates, dinnerware, and miscellaneous accessories for the table already. Even if we have a hodgepodge collection of mismatched items though, we can put them together to make a pretty holiday table. In fact, one of my favorite table decorating techniques is to layer different colored plates, and plates with different designs. Then I pull out my linen napkins, do a little research online to find some pretty ways to fold them, and then set the finished artistic piece on top of the plates.

I do variations of this decorating idea throughout each season, and for Christmas I like to put miniature gift wrapped packages or ornaments in the center of the napkin.

Spruce up the Napkins

A variation on that technique is to simply add a bit of autumn or winter greenery to the napkins instead. I like to go out into my front yard and clip a bit of colorful leaves and berries from my bushes. I then either lay those on simply folded napkins, or I insert them into a napkin ring.

Make Wineglass Bouquets

Another fun and easy way to decorate the table for Christmas is to simply use your wine glasses to make miniature holiday bouquets. Wine glasses which have some type of holiday or winter theme etched on them are my favorites to use, but plain wine glasses work just as well. Set a group of these on the table either as part of the place settings, or grouped together in the center of the table to make a centerpiece. When doing this for a centerpiece design, it's best if your wine glasses are different sizes and heights.

To make these wineglasses into a holiday bouquet, simply put bits of greenery, leaves, or berries into them. Or fill them with miniature ornaments, gold beads from your Christmas tree garland, and even miniature Christmas gifts too. An extra special touch can be achieved by placing a small candle and the center of each arrangement as well.

Create Holiday Flower Arrangements

If you're short on wineglasses, or you'd rather have a nice full flower vase is the table centerpiece, you can easily make a holiday flower arrangement too. This decorating idea is similar to the one with the wineglasses, except you'll be using a flower vase instead. Try putting a selection of holiday style greenery into the flower vase such as poinsettias and pine boughs. You can elaborate on this design anyway you like, such as tying miniature wrapped Christmas gifts to the pine branches, or draping miniature Christmas lights on the final arrangement. I personally like to put a large candle in the center of my vase before I start adding the greenery and other decorations. This helps reduce the amount of greenery I need to create my flower arrangement, and adds an extra special touch to the overall design.