Last updated on March 31st, 2024 at 10:45 am
Whether you love decorating for Autumn or just waiting for a special occasion like Thanksgiving or Christmas to decorate the table, we have you covered. I have long loved to style a holiday tablescape at our house. There isn’t a time that my dining table isn’t themed or decorated, all year long.
This year, for Autumn I fell in love with our Autumnal Thanksgiving tablescape. We had friends over a few times and they loved it too. So I thought I would share a few tips for you to try out on your table this holiday season.
5 Tips to Make the Perfect Holiday Tablescape:
1) Buying Items – You don’t necessarily have to go out and buy all new items for your tablescape. I gather items around the house that I already have on shelves and in various rooms. Then I intertwine what holiday decorations I have too. This saves money and means each holiday tablescape is slightly different, each year.
2) Themes / Color Schemes – Choosing a colour scheme or theme to your table is the first step. For example, for my autumnal Thanksgiving tablescape I knew I wanted oranges, beiges, and greenery with hints of wood or wicker for a more nature vibe. For a Christmas tablescape, you might want reds and greens. Ours, this year, is glitter and silver themed. Plan it out in your head or even on your next Pinterest board before you get started.
3) Layers – You want layers to your holiday tablescape. By layers, you need to choose if you want a long table runner down the middle to go down first. Or perhaps you want leaves and branches instead. You need to choose your base layer first. Then work your way up. Sometimes I have long table runner that goes down first or I have a tablecloth that covers the entire table. It depends on what look you are going for. You can really go crazy with patterns and colors on your runner or tablecloth. Or leave that for the accessories you will layer on top. Up to you!
4) Levels – So layers are what you will choose like your base layer runner vs tablecloth, then your next layer is garland vs branches or leaves or even twinkling lights, and on top of that is your layers of tall and short accessories. In this case I call the heights of the last layer of items, levels, items you set down the middle of the table. Some people love really big floral arranged and tall pillar candles and huge centerpieces. I love both tall and smaller height items depending on what the tablescape is for.
For a holiday tablescape, I keep them shorter as we have more people around the table and I want to see and be able to talk across the table without peeking over arrangements and candles.
For everyday tablescape, I go much taller as we sit at one end of the table together as a family so we don’t have to look over anything. Either way a good tip to have in your table accessories is different levels. Some tall, some short, some flat, some skinny and some thick. I usually have tall pillar candles and skinny candles. I also usually have some kind of flat accessory like a bauble just laying on the runner or an acorn in this autumnal Thanksgiving tablescape.
5) Styling – Once you have your theme picked out, you have ran around your house finding different levels of items, and you start layering your tablescape, it’s time for styling. Styling is the final act of putting it all together. Adding little glitter, or confetti or little bits in gaps in your holiday tablescape that don’t look right. I put decor on and off the table until I feel like it looks done. Sometimes I start all of it over again if I don’t like the outcome. Play around with the styling, it’s fun. Either way, I like a full middle, in my eyes more is better for a holiday tablescape.
I love it when people are having dinner and keep finding new items in the center of the table to compliment or admire. I like it to look festive and fun and then keep your attention through the meal. Even the kids compliment my tablescapes now.
Do you keep your dining table styled all year long?
Or only for holidays?
