5 Tips for Setting Up the Perfect Holiday Table

I'm so excited about this! Today, we have a guest post from the lovely and talented Jessica Kane! If you're like me, you plan beautiful seasonal décor in your head, but the real execution can be... well, not what you envisioned. Thankfully, Jessica is here to help us and make sure that we have the "tools of the trade" to make our Pinterest party boards really come to life! Enjoy! :)

If you enjoy having a beautiful holiday table for your everyday use or special events such as family get-togethers, then it is important to use a variety of helpful tips. 

By using these tips, you can have an attractive table for several different holidays without spending a fortune on the items needed for your family and guests.

Holiday Tip 1: Look For Table Setting Clearance Sales After a Holiday Is Over

In order to save money on special dishes, glassware and table linens, look for sales after a holiday ends. The day after a holiday ends, you can find beautiful items for the table at deep discounts. Not only can you stock up on holiday paper goods such as plates and plastic eating utensils, but also, you can find durable items such as candy dishes, candleholders and wineglasses. 

Make sure that you have a lot of storage space for consumable and permanent holiday table settings. In addition, store the breakable items inside cardboard boxes or plastic totes after wrapping the items in protective tissue paper and plastic wrap.

Holiday Tip 2: Find Items That You Can Use For Multiple Holidays Throughout the Year

After the Fourth of July, you can find an assortment of red table linens such as place mats, tablecloths and fabric napkins. You can buy these items to use for other holidays, including Christmas and Valentine’s Day. When Easter is over, you can find beautiful pink coffee cups or dessert plates that you also use for Valentine’s Day for your holiday table settings. 

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, you can shop for numerous things for the table that are silver or gold, and you can also use these things on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July.

Holiday Tip 3: Buy Table Setting Items In Plain Colors As Much as Possible

Rather than buying table-setting items that have decorative designs such as Christmas trees, Easter eggs or American flags, select single-color soup bowls, dessert plates or cake plates. If you want to create an attractive theme with designs for a particular holiday, then use consumable and inexpensive items such as candles, live plants or paper napkins. 

At Thanksgiving, you can create an autumn theme by placing tiny orange pumpkins on the table, and at Christmas, you can place red ornaments on the table.

Holiday Tip 4: Layer Your Holiday Table To Create an Attractive Appearance

Layer a holiday table by using plate chargers underneath classic good bone china dinner plates, salad plates and soup bowls. With this method, you only need to buy and store sets of plate chargers instead of full sets of specialty holiday dishware. You can follow the same layering idea with table linens by using a plain white tablecloth, but you can use a colorful place mat underneath the dishes and eating utensils. 

If you want to create a more attractive holiday table, then you can add textured table linens or decorated place mats.

Holiday Tip 5: Have a Dazzling Centerpiece For a Holiday Table

You should have at least one dazzling centerpiece on a holiday table, and if you have a longer table that is ready for numerous guests, then you might want to have more than one centerpiece. Visit a nearby hobby store to buy inexpensive glass cylinders along with an assortment of small holiday decorative items for the containers. 

For Thanksgiving, you can fill the large glass cylinders with acorns, pinecones or miniature pumpkins, and you can use the same containers at Christmas to hold colorful tree ornaments. For a Valentine’s Day table, fill the glass cylinders with bright red heart-shaped candies before placing long-stemmed artificial red and white roses in the container. 

Use your imagination to fill the same containers for each holiday so that you can have a gorgeous table on a daily basis or for special occasions.

Jessica Kane is a writer for SIlver Superstore, home of the internet’s best flatware.