Decorate your table for Christmas to foster a festive mood. Your Christmas table decorations can include store-bought pieces or crafts that you and your children make together. Some crafts can become keepsakes that you can display each year, or simply be the start of a family tradition that brings you all together for more than just gifts and food.
Centerpieces
Display red, green or white pillar candles on a silver serving tray or inside a rustic wooden box, such as an old toolbox. Create varying heights by putting the candles on small wooden blocks or other props you can hide within the box or among other items, such as garland. Add ferns and other greenery with small berries or silver bells around the base of the arrangement for color.
Lay magnolia leaves — real or silk — on a silver patter or in a shallow woven basket. Arrange holiday ornaments, pine cones, berry sprigs or other simple decorations over the leaves.
Add gold Christmas ornaments and green eucalyptus leaves to an arrangement of white hydrangeas in a white pitcher or bowl. Tie a gold ribbon around the white container if you want to dress it up.
Use a glass vase, bowl or cake plate to arrange evergreens, ornaments, pine cones and berries. Alternatively, make a sparkling silver centerpiece by piling silver beads, ornaments and pillar candles inside of a silver bowl.
Ask each member of the family to decorate a clear Christmas bulb in whatever fashion he wants. Use foam craft balls if you’d prefer not to use glass. Include paints, glitter, stickers and other craft supplies. Fill a large glass vase with the handmade ornaments. Weave colorful satin ribbon or craft foam shapes between the ornaments if you desire.
Place Mats
Place mats can be put out before Christmas dinner is served and act as decor throughout the holiday season. Make a set of place mats or individual mats to suit each individual family member. Cut Christmas shapes out of fabric, such as stars, Christmas trees, angels, snowflakes or snowmen. Cover the fabric with an iron-on vinyl to preserve the place mats so you can use them year after year.
Lay out pictures and poems from Christmas cards, magazines or past Christmases face-up on poster board trimmed to the size of place mats you want to create. Decorate around the pictures and poems with glitter, confetti or other small decorative items. Press clear contact paper over the poster board to seal the decorations. Repeat the process on the other side if you want a reversible place mat.
Paint patterns, pictures or words onto plain vinyl place mats. Use stencils, if necessary. Put the place mats away during meals or wipe them gently to avoid wiping off the paint.
Napkin Rings
Simple table decorations, such as napkin rings, can add color, character and interest with simple or elaborate designs. Create a ring by gluing construction paper in a circle — at least 2 inches wide — or cut toilet paper or paper towel rolls to size. Paint diagonal stripes on the ring alternating between red and white glitter glue for candy cane napkin rings.
Make the rings out of green construction paper or felt for an elf napkin ring. Attach an elf face sticker or draw an elf face and feet on construction paper and glue the edges to the inside of the ring. Use a black marker or paint to draw the elf’s belt and buttons on the green ring. Use white felt to make snowman rings.
Glue small ribbons, sequins, faux jewels or silver bells to a tube covered with paint or felt for a more elegant look. Use a different pattern or small ornament for each napkin ring.
