Switch it Up: A Modern Way to Set Your Holiday Table

Turkey, hams, apple pies, and shopping frenzy.  Yup.  The holidays are officially upon us.  Most of us will have people over to share a good meal and libations with.  So, in the spirit of company dining with you, there’s probably an urge to make sure your table is ready to receive.

A festive, holiday table setting is nothing new; however, the way you set it makes a difference.

I want to get you thinking differently.  Be willing to ditch tradition a little bit and switch it up! When planning how your table will look, think simple.  Clean, not cluttered.  There are no rules.  It doesn’t have to be the way you’ve always done it or how mom and grandma did it.  

Get creative – have fun with it!  Don’t stick to just resorting to just Target or home décor stores.

Try bringing the outdoors in.  Use mistletoe, flowers, branches, mini Christmas trees, leaves or pinecones.  Some of it may already be right in your backyard and it’s free!  Infuse color, different patterns, and textures into your seasonal design.  I’m getting giddy just thinking about it!  Okay, let me get it together.

Make it your own stylish setting that’s still super inviting to family and guests!  So how do I do this?  I’m glad you asked because I’ve got a few tips I’d love to share with you!

1. Use a table runner with personality.  If you typically throw a tablecloth over your dining table and call it done, try using a table runner this time.  If you’re married to your tablecloth, you can always place a table runner over top of it and have the best of both worlds!  Plus, you’re adding layers which just adds to your overall aesthetic.

There are so many prints, colors, and fabrics to choose from.  From silk, to linen, to burlap and everything in between – your options are nearly endless.

You can also use garland as a table runner.  It can be real or faux with or without berries and pinecones.  Garland adds that extra layer of texture and gives an organic feel to the space.

If you have an eye-catching, conversation-starting piece of furniture, a table runner allows you to showcase it because it won’t be completely covered up.

Lastly, if a tablecloth isn’t used and you don’t want your dining table to look naked, a table runner will still give your table setting that sense of a "covering" while adding a cleaner, more modern look to it.

2. Buh-bye plain and boring.  Hello textured placemats!  Pile on the texture people…don’t be shy.  I think we’re all used to the plain placemats that our moms used back in the day. 

I don’t know about you but I’m about 99.9% sure my mom used “decorative” laminated sheets of paper for our placemats.  Thank God for evolution!

Placemats come in so many different textures and colors, you could create several different looks in your table settings throughout the year.  You could use metallics, a woven wood material, silk, plastic, linen, and so much more.

I love that there are also various shapes and sizes of placemats as well.  You can truly create a unique holiday table setting that no one else has!

3. Weave in colorful cloth napkins with fun accent cloth rings.  Neutrals will still work well in this department, especially if you use plenty of color in your placemats or table runner.  But if you’re looking to punch things up a bit, go for bright, bold color cloth napkins.

Again, the possibilities are endless!  If you’re a little scared to go bright, you can always lean towards more muted tones of the bright colors.  For instance, if candy apple red gives you too much sensory overload, then a deeper red or burgundy might do the trick.

There are different options in  fabric selection as well.  If you’re going for a more formal look,  satin or silk may be the winner here.  But if you’re more of a casual, cozy lady like me…linen could be your go-to.

Oh and don’t forget to add some jewelry to your setting.  There are a ton of cool, unique cloth rings that can add that special touch.  Could it be copper, gold, silver, or even leather?  Again, have fun with it!  Don’t be shy.  Add some interest - it doesn’t have to be so matchy-matchy.  Promise.

4. How about that glass?  A holiday table setting wouldn’t be the same without some nice glassware.  You can include simple wine glasses 

or think outside of the box this year.  

If you weren’t daring enough to inject color through your table runner, placemat, or cloth napkins, this is where you can be a little playful by using colored drinkware.

Remember, this is all about switching it up and getting out of your comfort zone by doing something out of your norm.  Different is beautiful.

5. They can’t steal your sparkle.  A modern holiday table setting wouldn’t be the same without some light and shiny stuff.  You can use tapered candle sticks, some nice glass hurricanes with larger candles inside them, or smaller votive candles.  

If safety is a concern due to smaller children or pets in the home, you can use flameless candles that are battery-operated.  Floating tealight candles in a decorative bowl or glass is also a great idea. 

One decorative element that I really love to use are Christmas ornaments!  There are so many colors, shapes, sizes, and textures available.  Keeping it simple, you can use a handful or two and strategically place them across your table runner, interwoven with your other accent pieces.

Ornaments not only add a lot of sparkle, they also really bring out all of the holiday feels! 

Last, but certainly not least, is lighting.  There are battery-operated lights you could place on the table intertwined with garland, candles, or ornaments.  Another possibility is placing lights or flameless candles inside decorative lanterns.

As you can see, setting your holiday table doesn’t have to be another mundane task added to your already growing list of things-to-do this time of year.  Don’t just go through the motions because you’ve been “wired” to do the same thing each year.  Stop.

Take a breath and remove that self-inflicted pressure that we all pile on ourselves at one point or another.  Have fun by shaking things up a bit!  

Get those creative juices flowing.  Do something unique.  Do something unexpected.  

So go on and deck your halls (and dining table) with a modern twist.  No pressure.  And remember, worst case scenario…you don’t dig it.  But guess what?  You can always change it.  At the very least you can say you tried something new.

Now that’s worth a pat on the back AND a glass of wine (or two).