56 Christmas Table Decorating Ideas for Holiday Cheer

Decorating your Christmas table with care and attention is a simple way to get into the holiday spirit and to show your loved ones and guests a little extra love. There are endless ways to dress a holiday table, whether you’re a minimalist or like to go all out. Whether you are hosting a holiday brunch, tea, or family dinner, or just want to dress up the table with a festive installation that can stay up throughout the season, check out this assortment of Christmas table decorating ideas in a range of styles to add a little magic and cheer to your end of year celebrations.

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Keep It Minimalist Chic

These Four Walls

UK-based stylist, photographer, and blogger Abi Dare from These Four Walls created a chic modern minimalist Christmas table in sober tones of white, black, and gray. A white table cloth, gray dishware, linen napkins, and candles, black cutlery, and clear glass create a neutral base that doesn't require special holiday gear. Instead, she adds seasonal notes with pine cones and fir trimmings, while a trio of simple black-and-white paper stars hung above the table ties the design together and adds a note of holiday whimsy to the grown-up atmosphere.

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Add Wintry Vibes

Design by Emily Henderson / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

This wintry Scandi-inspired design from Emily Henderson Design sets a heartwarming holiday scene that appeals to kids of all ages with simple table linens, a vase of pine leaves, tiny tree figurines, and house-shaped porcelain votive candles.

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Hang a Wall Garland

Anita Yokota

Interior designer Anita Yokota used a dramatic green and white garland hung in a nonchalant swag on the wall behind the dinner table that looks like a deconstructed vertical garden. Choosing one statement decoration allows you to keep the rest of the decor simple, freeing up the table for food and drinks. The garland feels festive but not overly Christmassy, creating a conversation piece to anchor the holiday dining area that you won't feel pressed to take down too soon.

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Mix Blue and Gold

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

Mel Bean Interiors chose to play on the blue color scheme of this spacious dining room, with its blue velvet upholstered chairs and blue patterned rug, by adding tree sculptures and a centerpiece in icy blue and white tones. The white Christmas tree nearby is decorated and lit with golden tones to add warmth.

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Use Black and White Stripes

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

This sophisticated Christmas table from designer Annie Sloan features a black-and-white striped table skirt and seat covers paired with simple white china and shades of green on the walls, candle, and decorative greenery, perfect for a grown up Christmas tea or dinner.

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Keep It Fruity

Design by Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop

A centerpiece made of vivid greens, pomegranates, dried orange slices, and simple candles, plus neutral-toned modern tableware and plenty of warm wood accents make this Christmas table setting from Lindye Galloway Studio + Shop feel fresh, effortless, and modern.

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Suspend the Centerpiece

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

Designer Annie Sloan created a dramatic festive natural garland suspended over an off duty Christmas table that turns it into a centerpiece even when not in use, made of greens and dried orange slices strung from a long branch that is eco-friendly and elegant.

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Accent with Silver

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Blogger Anita Joyce from Cedar Hill Farmhouse created a light and airy Christmas table with a white and silver palette. Simple white tableware mixed with Bavarian antique and vintage Christmas mix-and-match china and cut crystal glassware create an elegant base. She added some blingy Christmas spirit with sparkly silver studded deer figurines, and oversized silver tree ball ornaments set on mini boxwood wreaths that add height to the place settings. A vase full of bushy greens and berries adds texture and a fresh note.

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Add Woodsy Charm

Sugar and Charm

Blogger Eden Passante from Sugar and Charm decorated her Tennessee cabin Christmas table with a modern, woodsy theme. Details like forest green candles and napkins, a striped linen table runner, vases full of white flowers and seasonal greenery, and olive wood napkin holders and chargers add homey charm.

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Decorate with Pine Cone Trees

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta from My 100 Year Old Home made painted pine cone tree centerpieces for her rustic Christmas table, and hung leftover pine cones from fishing wire from the ceiling to amp up the holiday vibes. Bright red holiday berries and polka dot water glasses and napkins add a playful note.

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Add Whimsy

Design by Courtney St. John Studio / Photo by Brent Bingham

This East Vail, CO townhome designed by Courtney St. John Studio has a small round Nordic wooden dining table and chairs that is dressed up for Christmas like the rest of the open plan space, decorated with a traditional red and green color scheme and filled with collectibles, antiques, and found objects. The table is decorated with small wooden cut-out trees, cut-crystal glassware, an antique white runner with red stitching, and plaid chargers and napkins. A handcrafted German Christmas pyramid is a whimsical centerpiece that takes advantage of vertical space on the small table. “They have young children, so it’s fun for them to light the candles and watch the carousel spin,” St. John says.

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Backlight the Curtains

Lobster & Swan

This holiday table from UK-based photographer, stylist, and shopkeeper Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan has a dreamy, inviting atmosphere fit lingering long into the night. The table's chicly rumpled linen tablecloth and a soft, washed out palette of pinks, peaches, creams, and browns make the room adaptable to any season. But the combination of candlelight and fairy lights strung up in the window behind a linen curtain that matches the tablecloth, creating soft diffused ambient light makes it feel special enough for an intimate Christmas dinner amongst friends and family.

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Add DIY Mini Cranberry Wreaths

Say Yes

Decorating a Christmas table doesn't have to be an elaborate affair to make a big impact. These cute DIY place cards from Liz Stanley at lifestyle blog Say Yes are made from fresh cranberries, tree trimmings, and stamped brown kraft paper name tags to create a festive Christmas brunch place setting that will make your guests feel welcome and special.

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Try Taupe

These Four Walls

Blogger Abi Dare from These Four Walls used a chic and understated color palette of taupe, black, and white that complements her existing decor while creating an elevated holiday atmosphere. She arranged preserved nicoly leaves and dried grasses from her garden in a trio of bud vases that add a festive note and a subtle scent, and finished it off with a mix of votive candles and candlesticks for a candlelit glow.

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Decorate the Dessert Table

Design by Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

This dessert table from Emily Henderson Design is decorated with a linen tablecloth strewn with bushy branches and ornaments, paper Christmas trees of varying sizes and heights, votive candles, and plenty of treats.

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Add Mini Birch Branch Trees

Most Lovely Things

Blogger Annie Diamond of Most Lovely Things created these sweet little birch branch mini tree holders to give her family Christmas table a touch of DIY charm.

59 Festive and Fun DIY Christmas Decorations

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Pair Black and Gold

Design and Photo by Ajai Guyot for Emily Henderson Design

Emily Henderson Design contributor Ajai Guyot created a chic holiday patio table with black dishware and gold cutlery, vases, and candlesticks of varying heights. The weathered wood dining table is left mostly bare, save for a crisp white runner and napkins.

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Tie It Up in a Bow

Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Blogger Anita Joyce from Cedar Hill Farmhouse added fluffy white fur pillows to her Christmas table seating for extra comfort, and decorated the chair seat backs with large bows made from silver ribbon and rhinestone belt buckles to match the glittery silver, white, and green color palette.

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Set the Kids' Table

Say Yes

Liz Stanley at lifestyle blog Say Yes set a special place for the kids at this classic red, white and green Christmas table with a green kid-sized plate, and extras like a tiny wrapped gift and candy cane to make it feel fun.

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Add Some Starlight

Lobster & Swan

Atmospheric lighting is always a great idea to set the mood for a special meal. But a Christmas table is a chance for you to go all out in the lighting department. Stylist Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan brought the holiday magic to this Christmas tea table with a mesmerizing spray of LED lights on copper wire hung around a wire star on the wall that adds warmth and good cheer.

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Hang Some Garlands

Design by Emily Henderson / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

In this spacious dining room from Emily Henderson Design, bushy branch garlands are hung around the large windows to create a casual and festive atmosphere. To balance the maximalist window decorations, the table is kept light and airy with tall candlesticks, a small vase of branches, a simple table runner, and a few house-shaped votives.

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Mix White and Gold

Sugar and Charm

Blogger Eden Passante from Sugar and Charm played off the pale golden wood tones of this modern dining room by creating a gold and white Christmas brunch table with gold flatware, white and gold dishes, white napkins, and a snowy, fuzzy white table runner lined with gold and white vases filled with flocked greens.

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Fold Some Origami Napkins

Sugar and Charm

For her festive Christmas brunch table, blogger Eden Passante of Sugar and Charm set each place with an origami-inspired napkin folded into the shape of a Christmas tree.

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Make It Rustic

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta from my My 100 Year Old Home trotted out her collection of vintage ceramic crocks to create an inexpensive, rustic Christmas farmhouse table centerpiece, filling them with generous bunches of seasonal berries.

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Invite Some Woodland Creatures

Lobster & Swan

Stylist Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan added a note of childhood whimsy to her Christmas table with miniature cacti and woodland animal tree ornament figurines that she gives as favors for guests to take home.

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Up the Holiday Sparkle

My 100 Year Old Home

Blogger Leslie Saeta of My 100 Year Old Home created a glittery centerpiece of delicate sparkly crystal tree ornaments in varying heights that catch the light and complement the vintage dishware and glassware in her rustic earth-toned farmhouse dining room.

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Mix Oranges, Cedar, and Walnuts

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq decorated this cozy, feel-good Christmas centerpiece with simple, natural ingredients—oranges, cedar, and whole walnuts—strewn down the middle of her bare wood table. Brass candlesticks and gold-toned chargers add a touch of informal elegance.

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Set a Christmas Tea Table

Lobster & Swan

Stylist Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan set this lovely Christmas tea table with leftover linen fabric, seasonal berries, and vintage tableware.

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Save Space

A Beautiful Mess

If you live in a small space and your dining room is a bistro table for two, keep the surface free and clear with a small vase of flowers and a pint-size Christmas tree ornament. Then utilize the wall or floor space around the table to tie in larger decorations, like this kitchen Christmas table set up from A Beautiful Mess.

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Be Thrifty

Lobster & Swan

Stylist Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan creates a layered Christmas table that feels collected over time with a mix of elegant dinnerware with junk store finds like this little serving bowl decorated with painted berries, using extra champagne flutes to hold mixed nuts.

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Build a Mandarin Tower Centerpiece

A Beautiful Mess

These DIY table centerpieces made of mandarin and curly kale set on cake plates for extra height from A Beautiful Mess will delight both kids and adults at your holiday table, and are easy and fun to make.

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Tie It Up in a Knot

These Four Walls

Blogger Abi Dare from These Four Walls used one of her favorite simple napkin styling tricks—holding them by gripping a corner, then tying a loose knot in the middle—then draping them across plates to create a relaxed yet elegant look. No ironing, folding, or fussing required.

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Add Romantic Blush Tones

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq decorated the romantic dining room Christmas tree in white and blush tones, and added simple miniature wreaths to the backs of chairs to tie it all together.

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Decorate the Kitchen Island

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona created a simple holiday vignette on her large kitchen island that reminds everyone that Christmas is coming while leaving plenty of room for prepping and cooking throughout the season.

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Pretty Up the Peninsula

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

Interior designer Mel Bean of Mel Bean Interiors created a dramatic Christmas installation on this kitchen peninsula that can stay up all season, making even small meals or coffee breaks feel festive and the kitchen come alive with holiday spirit.

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Add Stripes

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood from Thistlewood Farms chose to add Christmas vibes to her blue-and-white dining room with a red-dominated Christmas tree and tabletop ornaments like a miniature wooden sleigh filled with shiny balls. She tied it all together by choosing red-and-white striped linens that play off the blue-and-white striped upholstery on her dining room chairs.

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Make an LED Centerpiece

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona created an easy holiday season display on her dining table with an assortment of mini trees and ornaments lit with LED string lights.

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Choose Royal Purple

SheSez

Lifestyle blogger Linda Grasso of SheSez mixed a pale green and red natural centerpiece with royal purple napkins for an unexpected twist on holiday table decorating.

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Grow a Forest

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood from Thistlewood Farms used tall wood tree decorations to create a forest-like centerpiece in her neutral farmhouse dining room, and hung mini wreaths on the backs of chairs to amp up the holiday theme.

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Celebrate Christmas Eve

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona

Ursula Carmona of Home Made by Carmona decorated the table for a Christmas Eve dinner with pillar candles, white tableware and linens, greenery, gold ornaments, and some small wrapped gifts for guests to open as is the custom in many parts of the world.

120 Christmas Decoration Ideas for Every Room in the House

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Decorate the Chandelier

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood from Thistlewood Farms added battery operated tea lights inside of a line of house-shaped votives on her dining room to keep them lit throughout the season, and suspended some lightweight three-dimensional paper stars from the crystal chandelier over the dining table just because.

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Go Outside

SheSez

This outdoor table at the California home of lifestyle blogger Linda Grasso of SheSez mixes vintage candlesticks, wood plates, and a natural centerpiece of leaves and flowers to create a non-traditional, laid back festive vibe.

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Make It Ornamental

Thistlewood Farms

Blogger KariAnne Wood at Thistlewood Farms used decorative serving pieces filled with ornaments and an oversized snowflake ornament to create a cheerful and lighthearted holiday table that doesn't take itself too seriously.

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Create a Focal Point

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Laurey Glenn

For many people, the kitchen island is their dining room and de facto Christmas table. Interior designer Mel Bean of Mel Bean Interiors played up the symmetry of this open kitchen by hanging greenery from the twin pendant lights, adding a pair of gold Christmas tree statuettes on either side of the kitchen sink, and decorating the kitchen island with an oversized Christmas tower centerpiece in shades of silver, cream, and pale pink.

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Be Fruity

SheSez

Lifestyle blogger Linda Grasso of SheSez hung gift tags from the stems of seasonal fruit to make easy breezy holiday place settings for the outdoor table at her California home.

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Explore Icy Blues

Marlaina Teich Designs

Interior designer Marlaina Teich of Marlaina Teich Designs created a festive table that plays off the dining room's wintry powder blue and white flowered wallpaper with pale blue napkins. A trio of vases holding bright pinkish red flowers adds a more traditional Christmas note.

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Mix White Roses, Pine Cones, and Greenery

Maison de Cinq

Blogger Sheila Irwin from Maison de Cinq created this simple, traditional Christmas table setting using simple dishware and linens, white roses, scattered pine cones, and greenery.

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Add an Edible Centerpiece

Design by The Residency Bureau

For this simple, classic Christmas table, interior designer Amy Vroom of The Residency Bureau in Seattle, Washington used her grandmother's china, vintage salad plates, vintage coupe glasses, eucalyptus leaves, tea candles, and an edible centerpiece of pomegranates and satsumas piled into a silver tureen that doubles as dessert.

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Make It Fresh

Design by Bria Hammel Interiors and Brooke & Lou

Interior designer Bria Hammel of Bria Hammel Interiors designed a fresh, uplifting Christmas table with a clean palette of white, green, and natural tones that is decorated with metal bell place card holders, potted pineberry mini trees, and camel-colored taper candles in gold-toned metal candle holders that she designed herself for Brooke & Lou.

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Go All Out

Design by Kibler & Kirch / Photo by Lucy Call

This Montana Christmas table from interior designer Jeremiah Young of Kibler & Kirch is a lush and luxurious take on holiday entertaining with velvet ribbon bows on the chairs, fresh magnolia boughs and blooms, and a wraparound sepia-toned Barry Dixon for Vervain mural.

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See Red

From The Christmas Season: Created By Scandinavian Artists by Katrine Martensen-Larsen, published by ACC Art Books / Photo Â© Mikkel AdsbÃ¸l

The red cabinetry and white walls of this Scandinavian eat-in kitchen seem tailor-made for Christmas when decorated for the holidays with simple candles, a vase of greens, and holly-tied napkins. A row of stockings hung on the nearby radiator cover and a vase of red flowers completes the cozy holiday table setting.

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Make It Cozy

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

This cozy Christmas table from designer Annie Sloan includes colorful dishware, a cafe-style half curtain over the banquette, and an oversized garland made of leafy branches strung with red and white ball ornaments that floats above the seating area, adding a joyous centerpiece that doesn't sacrifice any space on the table.

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Make It Moody

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

This cool and moody Christmas table from designer Annie Sloan features an elegant palette of black, silver, and red, with plenty of glass and crystal elements to keep it from feeling heavy, and a tangle of Christmas ornaments hanging above to keep it lighthearted and cheerful.

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Add Trees

Styled by Emily Bowser and Erik Kenneth Staalberg for Emily Henderson Design / Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp

A dark green table runner and a mini forest of gold trees and simple brass candlesticks makes this Christmas table from Emily Henderson Design ready for holiday meals throughout the season. A Christmas card display garland hung in the window and some holiday decorations on the nearby china cabinet complete the festive dining room decor.

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Add Scandi Style

Design and Photo by Annie Sloan

Designer Annie Sloan created a Scandinavian style Christmas table by swapping pistachio and pale salmon for traditional shades of green and red, decorating the simple table with simple dishware and natural pine cones, and hanging a minimalist DIY advent calendar made from black-and-white-striped drawstring bags hung with ribbons on the wall.

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Use a Dreamy Palette

Designed by Bria Hammel Interiors and Brooke & Lou

Interior designer Bria Hammel of Bria Hammel Interiors designed a soft and soothing Christmas table in a dreamy palette of whites and blues that is decorated with pale blue linens, cornflower blue taper candles, white stoneware Santa statuettes, white glitter trees, and gold leaf glassware filled with white flowers from her holiday collection for Brooke & Lou.