Setting the table for the Holidays!

[Cleopatra]

As I look around the stores, I''m already seeing lots of reminders that the holiday season is fast approaching! I still can''t believe that we''re already in October and Thanksgiving and the holiday season will be here before we know it! And I''m already starting to brainstorm about my holiday entertaining! (Am I the only weird person??)

DH and I received an entire set of 12 place settings of Wedgwood Nantucket china as well as 12 cereal and rim soup bowls for our wedding. We absolutely adore it! Microwave and dishwasher safe makes it perfect for fine dinnerware (as I''m not the wash-by-hand type

) I also have a full set of wine, goblet, water and champagne crystal in the Vera Wang Duchesse pattern.

Our china is solid white (which I love) and I''m trying to think of great ways to dress up the dinner table for the holiday season - as I''m inviting both sets of parents over for a holiday dinner - as well as hosting a christmas dinner party with a few close friends.

I''ve been researching the archived threads and found lots of helpful advice for "setting the table" - I have glass accent pieces from C&B - such as a gravy boat, creamer and sugar dishes, butter dish, and cruets. I also have a platter and serving bowl which matches my china pattern as well as a few pewter serving pieces. I have very basic pieces - and I am wanting to make sure that my table doesn''t look "bland" for the holidays...

My question(s) is this: During the holidays, what do you do to make your table setting echo the mood of the specific holiday? Do you use certain colors, napkins, chargers, platters, flowers? Do you have specific pieces that you use? Colored accent plates? Special serving pieces that are used specifically for the holidays? What are the tools that you cannot do without?

I''d love to hear all of the suggestions and ideas that everyone has to make a very special table for the holidays!

 

[oobiecoo]

I would do a colored table cloth, colored chargers(if you use them) and then a really great centerpiece. This is our first married Christmas so I''m excited to decorate and make a beautiful table!

 

[Cleopatra]

Date: 10/8/2008 2:11:39 PM
Author: oobiecoo
I would do a colored table cloth, colored chargers(if you use them) and then a really great centerpiece. This is our first married Christmas so I''m excited to decorate and make a beautiful table!

If you would do a colored tablecloth and chargers - do you still use placemats?

What do you think of glass chargers? Is that too plain? I''ve seen some clear glass chargers that look so elegant at times, but boring at other times.....hmmmm

 

[oobiecoo]

I will probably use one or the other unless its a very formal meal. I think metallic chargers would look really great with the white china and colored tablecloth but a colored glass is pretty also. Clear, plain glass doesn''t really say "holidays" to me though.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I haven't even thought about this yet. It was a bit disturbing to me to see that down one aisle in Target they had Halloween on one side and Christmas on the other!

We never know until a few weeks before any given holiday who is handling the dinners AND I have a few birthday parties to plan in the meantime, so after the kids' paper plates comes the grown ups' fine china.

ETA - I always use candles during holidays. That's one of my trademarks.

 

[Sabine]

I ditto Oobie about using either placemats or chargers, and I love colored glass chargers. Clear glass doesn''t say holidays to me either.

The other thing that I can''t do without for the holidays for some reason are wine glasses with a subtle holly pattern around the rim! I just love them! And everyone in my life does a lot more drinking around the holidays too so they get tons of use!

 

[oobiecoo]

As far as necessary accessories, my mom has a 3 tier platter that used to be my grandmother''s. It has a Christmas pattern on it that''s fairly popular... I want to say its Lenox maybe? We use that every holiday season either for the table or just to set on the bar with all of our baked goods on it!

 

[Elmorton]

I have inexpensive china that my aunt gave me for my wedding - we didn''t register for it, so I wasn''t complaining when she gave me a whole set! It''s white with a silver edge. I had so much fun last winter finding different accent plates - I have one set specifically for christmas with a modern jingle-bells theme and then another with silver snow flakes. I found silver snowflake napkin rings and red napkins, silver chargers. I think I really want to play up the red a little more this year - last year was a lot more silver and white, though the jingle bells plates are red and green. Our centerpiece during Christmas is always an advent wreath, but I think this year I want to play up a single thick white candle with greenery around it once Christmas actually rolls around.

I hope I''m not threadjacking, but I think it goes along with the OP''s question - what do y''all do for Thanksgiving? My grandma lives close to us so DH and I don''t host, but I love the harvest themed centerpieces but can never find anything I like once I''m standing in the store.

 

[saltymuffin]

Cleopatra, slightly OT, but I also have the duchesse crystal. I didn''t get the goblet though, only the wine, water and champagne glasses. How do you decide to use the wine or the goblet? I have been thinking about getting them, just to complete the set, but I don''t know if they would get any use. . .

I would suggest getting some "shiny" accents for the table - pewter or silver things like a water jug, candle sticks etc. and red napkins . . .

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I layer table cloths; basic white bottom and a gold/red/tartan (insert your favorite color) runner or smaller sized colored cloth in the middle width wise...hope that makes sense.

cheers--Sharon

 

[saltymuffin]

Here is a link with some ideas. . .

http://equusvilla.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-table-settings.html