| Food, friends, and parties are a joyous and wonderful | | | | place setting. Napkin rings could be made of black and |
| part of the Christmas season. Christmas is the time | | | | white beads or silver. |
| of year when large dinners and festivities reign | | | | Top each place setting with a white orchid or |
| supreme. This is also the one special time of year | | | | poinsettia flower. At this time of year, a beautiful silk |
| that many people want to make their own dining | | | | flower will also do the job brilliantly. You can use a |
| tables look magnificent. Here are some seasonal ideas | | | | black runner on the table and have several of these |
| for you to use to give your own table a unique and | | | | flowers used as decorations. Also include small bits of |
| dazzling festive appeal. | | | | mistletoe and poinsettia leaves and flowers along the |
| Traditional Touches | | | | runner. For the centerpiece, a white poinsettia or |
| Use a tablecloth that is green or red to create the | | | | orchid is a lovely focal point. |
| foundation for this look. Placemats should be plaids of | | | | Blue and Silver Ice Motif |
| red, green, and gold. Napkins can match the | | | | Two colours that make people think of the festive |
| placemats or the tablecloth. You can even match | | | | season are blue and silver and you can use these to |
| them to one of the other solid colours in the napkins. | | | | create a lovely Christmas dining table. A crisp blue |
| The napkin rings could be gold coloured rings with a | | | | cloth will be your base and you can use a runner of |
| bit of mistletoe attached. Use gold chargers to | | | | silver to add sparkle and flash. Choose placemats that |
| anchor your place settings and make lovely pieces | | | | combine a geometric design of these two colours |
| for this occasion. | | | | and let your napkins match the mats. If you are |
| Emerald and ruby coloured dishes can be used to | | | | unable to find matching napkins, match them to your |
| make beautiful settings for each guest. Remember | | | | blue cloth. |
| that they can be unmatched pieces and still create a | | | | Create your own napkin rings from ribbon and tiny |
| wonderful look for the table. Choose some candles in | | | | silver snowflakes. Your glasses can be silver in colour |
| golds, red or green as your centerpiece. A hurricane | | | | and let your dishes be a mix of delicious shades of |
| lamp with one large, gold pillar candle looks exquisite. | | | | blue with a few choice pieces of clear glass as |
| Flank this with smaller candles on either side. Add | | | | contrast. Use fake cubes of acrylic ice to create your |
| mistletoe or small evergreen pieces around your | | | | own ice sculpture centerpiece, or use blue and silver |
| candles for added polish. | | | | candles to create sparkle and fantasy for your table. |
| Stunning and Elegant in Black and White | | | | Place the candles at the center with pinecones and |
| Using a white linen cloth for your tablecloth and | | | | small evergreen branches at the bases. You might |
| napkins, you can set the base for this modern look. | | | | also consider a flat bowl that can hold ice and water |
| Placemats should be black, or you might opt for a | | | | as a centerpiece. You can add floating tea lights for a |
| less formal feel by incorporating a black and white | | | | mealtime glow. Let some glitter adorn the tablecloth |
| design scheme with them. A great table look can be | | | | and runner and you have a beautiful winter table |
| achieved if you use all black dishes for the settings. | | | | setting to charm all of your dinner guests. |
| Other choices include using a black or white charger | | | | Have a great Christmas! |
| and then alternate the other two colours among the | | | | |