How to Set a Christmas Dinner Table, Layer by Layer
A Christmas table is built in layers, from the cloth up. Each layer has one job, and laying them in order is what makes the table look finished rather than busy. This guide goes through the eight layers in the order you put them down, using pieces from our shop, and ends with a complete shopping list for a table of eight. For the etiquette basics, see How to Create an Elegant Table Setting.
1. Start with the cloth
Pick one colour for the tablecloth and let everything else sit on it. Deep red, forest green or plain white linen all work at Christmas. A runner down the middle, in a second colour or in gold, gives the centrepiece something to sit on and ties the two ends of a long table together.
2. Add a charger plate
A charger is a large decorative plate that sits under the dinner plate. It stays on the table through the starter and the main course, and it is the single piece that makes a laid table look formal. Most hosts clear the chargers before dessert.
The Gold Glitter Beaded Charger Plates are clear acrylic with gold glitter and a beaded rim, so the tablecloth shows through and the gold catches the candlelight. They are $20 for a set of four. For a quieter line of gold, the Gold Rim is clear with a plain gold border, and the Black Rim suits a black and white table, at the same price. All of them are 13 inches, light and hard to break. See every style in charger plates.
3. Choose dinnerware that lets the gold stand out
With gold chargers and gold flatware, the plates should be calm. Green on white reads as Christmas without being a Christmas pattern, so it carries on through January and February.
Senorita Green has generous 27.5 cm dinner plates and comes as a service for 4 ($44.99), 8 ($84.99) or 12 ($124.99). For an all-white and gold table, choose Neutral, at the same prices. Not sure how many settings you need? How Many Plates Do You Need for a Dinner Party? works it out, and our dinnerware buying guide compares every pattern.
4. Lay the flatware from the outside in
Forks go on the left. Knives go on the right with the blade facing the plate, and the soup spoon sits to the right of the knives. Guests work from the outside in, so the pieces for the first course go furthest from the plate. The dessert spoon or teaspoon lies across the top of the plate.
The Gold Royal Salute Flatware Set ($69.99) is a full service for six: a dinner fork, knife, dinner spoon and teaspoon for each person, with an ornate handle that suits floral or gold-rimmed china. Gold Versallion ($69.99) has a decorated stem and is the most formal of our gold patterns, and Silver Royal Salute is the same set in silver. For pairing gold with patterned plates, read How to Mix Gold Flatware With Dinnerware.
5. Fold the napkin simply
Cloth napkins in red or green add the colour that gold and white leave out. Fold each one simply, lay it on the charger or to the left of the forks, and tuck a sprig of rosemary or a short pine cutting into the fold. Where Does the Napkin Go on the Table? covers the options.
6. Set the glasses
The water glass sits just above the tip of the dinner knife, with the wine glass to its right. Put a full jug of water on the table so nobody waits for a refill.
The Gilded Leaf Hammered Pitcher ($59.99) holds a litre and has a gold trim to match the chargers.
7. Bring the serving pieces to the middle
Serving family-style keeps the cook at the table instead of in the kitchen. Before guests arrive, put each empty dish where it will go, so you know everything fits and there is a clear line down the middle of the table.
The Gilded Leaf Oval Tray ($74.99) is 15 inches long in hammered steel with a gold trim, a good size for sliced turkey or roast vegetables. The Gold Tree Bark Serving Bowl comes in three sizes from $14.99 for sides and sauces, and the Gold Ray Cake Stand ($54.99) lifts the Christmas cake or a yule log to eye level when dessert comes out. For more ideas, read Gold Serving Trays: For the Table and Everywhere Else.
8. Keep the centrepiece low
Guests should be able to see each other across the table, so keep flowers and greenery below eye level. Cedar, pine and eucalyptus last for days, and a few clementines or pinecones fill the gaps. Stand pillar candles on a Gold Loop Platter ($35.99) to catch the wax, and light them just before everyone sits down.
Shopping list: a Christmas table for eight
- 2 sets of four Gold Glitter Beaded Charger Plates: $40.00
- Senorita Green dinnerware, service for 8: $84.99
- 2 Gold Royal Salute Flatware Sets (service for 12, so there are spares): $139.98
- 1 Gilded Leaf Hammered Pitcher: $59.99
That comes to $324.96 for the whole table, and it ships free anywhere in Canada because the order is over $100. You can also order online and pick up free from our Toronto store. Shop The Dinner Table.