Christmas Table Styling: Beautiful Ideas for the Ultimate Christmas Table

Gathering around the table on Christmas Day is the storied tradition of the festive season and a highlight on the calendar come year’s end. Bringing together your loved ones over a smorgasbord of food and ever-flowing drinks with lively conversations and jolly good times is something to really get excited about, particularly this year. To really make the most of that tangible magic in the air come Christmas time, you’ll need to create the perfect setting for these festivities to take place. The key to an inviting table is building layers of interest. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need Christmas-themed accessories but instead look to elevate your everyday settings with thoughtful and versatile little details. These five elements will add a little pizzazz to your Christmas table and guarantee you spread the joy around on this special occasion.

Platters

Up the generosity factor with a strong platter game. Christmas meals are all about sharing food and you’ll need the perfect stage for salads, pastas, chicken, lamb or whatever is your celebratory signature dish. A platter is also an ideal way to inject some style, colour and pattern to your tabletop look. Some of our favourites include the handcrafted Japanese ceramic Shiro series from The DEA Store, the locally made Nest Bowls from Mud Australia available in an array of beautiful colours, and the double-sided patterned Punch Large Shallow Bowl in Orange from Ecology.

Glassware & Carafes

A Christmas table calls for some fun and frivolity and long-time favourite Maison Balzac has just released some party-perfect Champagne Coupes and Martini Glasses that will look positively delightful on your tabletop. For timeless water glasses, go for Iittala Raami Tumblers in Moss Green – the darker tone a chic nod to Christmas fir and pine trees. And make sure drinks and wine are housed in a carafe to suit your style – for more shapely glassware, look to the Sophie Lou Jacobsen Wave Pitcher in Amber & Clear from Bed Threads or the organic form of the Glass Jug from Hay. 

Napery

Perfectly placed layers of table linen instantly lends a sense of occasion, adding easy elegance to your yuletide proceedings. And while going green and red might be the novelty look, aim for a setting that reflects our sunny, alfresco summer Christmas. Bonnie and Neil has you covered from top to toe with its pattern-pretty tablecloths, table runners, placemats and napkins that allow you to mix and match to create your own style combination. And speaking of napkins, we’re also loving these striped numbers from Lucy Montgomery, available in both cocktail and dinner sizes. 

Candles & Candlesticks

A table setting isn’t complete with the mood setters, the humble candle. You’ll want to go for candles without a scent, to avoid a clash with the food on offer, but this by no means limits your options. Some of our entertaining go-tos are the Tusk Candles and Christmas-appropriate Cone Candles from Candle Kiosk, as well as the colour-happy Taper Candles from Dossé. And add further dimension to your Christmas table with sculptural candlesticks like the Zehra Brass Candle Stand from Woven Oak and the Sinclair and Dixon Candle Holders from Dossé.

Extra-special Seasonal Party Favours

A Christmas bon bon or cracker is a must at the table and there are some chic options available: we love these crackers featuring graphic native flower illustrations by Newcastle-based artist Jo Dyer from Milligram while Selfridges offers plenty of variety; we like these snowflake-adorned ones. Send guests home with a little party favour of the confectionery kind: we can’t go past these favourite seasonal chocolates from Haigh’s, Koko Black and Peppermint Bark from Williams-Sonoma. Create custom party bags of a selection of these tied with gift tags and they can double as placeholders for the table with the names of guests on each.

Christmas is the season for giving and gathering around for a meal with loved ones and what better way to celebrate than at a table decked with all the trimmings! For further ideas to ramp up your entertaining-at-home style, take a look at our selection of bright and bold accessories to dress your table in. And if you’re looking to add a stunning floral centrepiece for the table, our guide to Sydney’s best florists will have you sorted.