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Creating that  special Christmas table

Christmas is the one time of year we have permission to go over board with our decorating and our dining tables are the centre of attention for the day.  It is where we eat, drink and laugh and sometimes cry. 

The type of Christmas lunch you have will dictate the type of setting you create and below are a few suggestions followed by a few simples rules to make the day just as special.

Themes

Traditional

Hot roast chicken, turkey and pork with tumbling roast potatoes, pumpkin and cauliflower with cheese sauce lend themselves to a setting laced with tradition.  Circle your red candles or wind a tall candelabra with sprigs of holly and berries. 

Select white china either plain or with a gold or silver rim.  Buy some shimmer gold organza at your fabric shop and make placemats.   Have white plates with gold rim and team white napkins with a gold band and a sprig of holly on top.

 Sea-side

Our searing heat and blue skies is and indication for a true Aussie Christmas.  Crisp white linen is always a great backdrop for your table then linen and line the centre of the table with low glass candle holders.

Fill halfway with sand and sit 15-hour tea lights inside (we don’t want to relight through out the day), scatter coral and shells around the bases and if you are game scatter a bit more sand.  Keep the plates white and casual (no patterned rims) and splash the serving bowls with colour with deep blue and aqua stripes on the salad and serving bowls. 

Add an element of the sea for your tongs serving spoons with introducing shell handles or mouldings of shells on the ends of the handles.  Keep the nautical theme with your serviettes in dark blue and sit deep red Christmas bon-bon on top.

Barbeque

Just because you have decided to go casual doesn’t mean you have neglect your surroundings.  This is where you have fun!  Discard the table decoration as this is a time of passing around platters and bowls.  Make your theme by using colour.  Buy festive plates in red and green or patterns of Christmas trees and circles of holly. 

Have your serviettes in a holder and introduce layers of green, red and white for a stripe effect and set the background with a bright red table-cloth for impact.  Whether you are down by the beach or park or at home a small portable Christmas tree nearby will keep the Christmas feeling through out the day. 

A few rules to make it help the flow

• If more than six people are at the table it is ideal to have names at the settings to avoid confusion and arguments about who you do or don’t want to sit next to!  At each place setting put a bon-bon or individual puddings and put a swing tag with the names on them.

• Be aware of the heights of your decorations.  There is nothing worse than not being able to talk to the person opposite you.  Either have a low decoration or a something tall like a candelabra and have the main decoration above seated head height.

• Leave room for the dinner!  If you have foods to pass around for selection this is the time to remove the centrepiece and have the food as the star attraction.  If this is the case you main fucus should be in the china and place settings rather than the centre of the table.

• If you are serving or carving at the table make sure there is a side table or buffet to put it out of the way once you are ready for eating but not too far away for those essential second.

Individualise the Christmas crackers.

We’ve all heard the same old jokes every year and have had enough of plastic planes.  Look at www.chamberscrackers.co.au and you can choose what goes inside.  A selection of ideas is provided or you can send in your own gifts and they will do it for you.  Look at the theme of your dinner placement and this will guide your selection.

Most of all this is a day of sharing and giving and by getting your table set the night before this will be a great start for a stress free day. 

Merry Christmas and have a safe holiday season!

Shaynna Blaze-Vaughan
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