Simplicity is Key! Christmas Dining Table Ideas:

Keep things simple this Christmas with this minimal tablescape using just greens and fruit. This is the table I decorated last week at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Holiday House Tour. At the base of the table I had a really large focal floral arrangement which was the definite show stopper, so I wanted to keep the table nice and simple. This works on rectangular tables of any length and feel free to make it your own using different greens, candles and fruits! Below I’ll outline exactly what I did so you can recreate this look simply and easily.

To recreate this table scape you will need (based on a 5′ table):

• A crepe or chiffon runner. I purchased 3 yards of crepe for this table, I cut the material in half and sewed the edges on both pieces. Due to the width of the material I ended up with two 3 yard long runners.
• 10 stems of Italian ruscus
• 10 candles of varying sizes, materials etc. I used pillar candles from Ikea as well as silver and cut glass candle sticks in varying styles. I’m all about mixing materials, you could even use brass or gold in here too!
• 4-8 ripe golden pears
• 1-3 small bowls of cranberries
• a pretty tray or bowl for figs
• a small special gift wrapped for each guest at the table (chocolates are perfect for this!)

Christmas Dining Table – Let’s Put it Together!

1. Lay a chiffon or crepe runner down your table. I placed mine so that it draped all the way onto the floor. Let it lay naturally on the table and do not try to make it too smooth – ruffles add to this loose feel!
2. Place your candle sticks in a way that feels balanced on the table. They do not need to be in a straight line; try placing them in a zig-zag pattern.
3. Place your bowls of cranberries and figs. Place them in the voids where there are no candle sticks. The key is to have all your elements approximately equally spaced but appear to be randomly placed.
4. Next lay your greens. Overlap the ends of the greens underneath the tips of the other stems. Weave the greens around the elements on your table – the candles and bowls.
5. Place your pears. They can go on top of the greens. Place some in pairs (hehe, pears in pairs) and some on their own. Again, you always want things to feel random but balanced. Pomegranates or apples would work well for this too.
6. Finish off with placing the pillar candles in the voids. Tea lights in votives would also work well. The idea is to have some lower candles to balance the taller candle sticks.

Emily Hall is a wedding and event florist in the Niagara Region and Toronto. Looking for a florist for an upcoming event? Get in touch at emily@threadsandblooms.com!