Five Unique Ideas to Decorate Your Dining Room for Christmas
by
Amyamyel
It might very well be the most wonderful time of the year but it can also be incredibly stressful for those of us with small children or those of us who like to make an impression with our decorations.Every year there's that nagging drive to 'out-do' the previous year’s exploits with more creative, colourful and 'christmassy' ideas. The living room is of course the first place to feel the brunt of the fervour, what with it being the room (traditionally) with the tree, the stockings and the fireplace where a certain bearded fellow makes his deposits early on Christmas morning. But the dining room, where we devour our towering Christmas dinners, is surely just as important?
If you want this year’s Christmas Day feast to really make an impression, you're going to need more than just a spectacularly moist turkey with 'all the trimmings'. Here we've selected five potential decorative ideas to help transform your dining room into a winter wonderland and transform your Christmas dinner into a dining 'experience'.
Place Settings
A really fun and unique idea could be to customise each guests place setting so that it reflects their own individual personalities and interests. For example if one of your guests is an enthusiastic supporter of a certain football team you could decorate their placemat in their teams 'colours' or if you have an elderly relative who is particular keen on cats or dogs, why not surround their placemat with pictures and figures that reflect their passion? Conversely if you want to go with a more 'uniform' approach you have numerous options for a bespoke 'Christmassy' vibe. If you're looking for a more subtle effect, keep the colour schemes consistent with greens, reds and whites (very much the colours of the season)and as an added touch, consider 'theming' your placemats and cutlery to reflect the atmosphere of the holiday and maybe adding homemade christmas crackers?
Centrepieces
A centrepiece is a structure that sits at the heart of the table and can be a great catalyst for conversation. A nifty idea would be to place a small scale Christmas tree in the centre of the table and let each of your guests add their own decoration to its branches. The kids especially will love this as it will make them feel 'included'. If you're looking for a more conventional approach, a holly wreath stacked with candles or a basket of pine cones should also suffice or maybe if you fancy something a little more 'colourful', try some DIY creations and maybe encourage your younger guests to contribute? If all else fails of course you could always go with a standard bouquet of flowers, but it's Christmas so surely you want to go all out.
The Table
Setting the table is absolutely key when it comes to creating the right atmosphere for the occasion. The table should be dressed in a colour scheme that is consistent with the room, even if you've chosen a more elaborate, patterned design. To add a little extra touch of glamour, one idea is the dress the sides of the table with a beaded garland and punctuate it with the occasional pine cone. Colour scheme wise you'll want to really reflect the guests that are attending. If it's a largely formal, adult affair, possibly stick to whites and golds with maybe the occasional flash of red. The more young guests you have at the table though, the more colourful and'exciting' you'll need to keep it. Don't go so far as to alienate your other guests though with a 'Ben 10' spread. Finally finish the table off with some red candles.
Ornaments
You'll more than likely have used the lion's share of your ornaments on the Christmas tree, but if you have any leftovers they can be put to good use in the dining room. Baubles especially are just subtle enough to add a touch of vibrancy without feeling 'cloying'.
The Room
When it comes to the room itself, try not to go overboard with the fairy lights. Christmas has always had a 'rustic' vibe associated with it that you should really try to capitalise on with as much green as possible. Twigs and wreaths scattered around the room with the odd sprinkling of light will add a subtle, elegant glamour to the room. Top it all off by lighting a scented candle with a hint of cinnamon or pine, the twos mells that will forever be associated with the season. Then sit back, relax and take stock, the big dinner is still ahead so the battle might be over, but the war has only just begun!
Amy writes for Vivid Doors http://www.vividdoors.co.uk, aspecialist door company in the UK. Both Amy and Vivid like to share their homeimprovement and interior design and craft ideas.
If you want this year’s Christmas Day feast to really make an impression, you're going to need more than just a spectacularly moist turkey with 'all the trimmings'. Here we've selected five potential decorative ideas to help transform your dining room into a winter wonderland and transform your Christmas dinner into a dining 'experience'.
Place Settings
A really fun and unique idea could be to customise each guests place setting so that it reflects their own individual personalities and interests. For example if one of your guests is an enthusiastic supporter of a certain football team you could decorate their placemat in their teams 'colours' or if you have an elderly relative who is particular keen on cats or dogs, why not surround their placemat with pictures and figures that reflect their passion? Conversely if you want to go with a more 'uniform' approach you have numerous options for a bespoke 'Christmassy' vibe. If you're looking for a more subtle effect, keep the colour schemes consistent with greens, reds and whites (very much the colours of the season)and as an added touch, consider 'theming' your placemats and cutlery to reflect the atmosphere of the holiday and maybe adding homemade christmas crackers?
Centrepieces
A centrepiece is a structure that sits at the heart of the table and can be a great catalyst for conversation. A nifty idea would be to place a small scale Christmas tree in the centre of the table and let each of your guests add their own decoration to its branches. The kids especially will love this as it will make them feel 'included'. If you're looking for a more conventional approach, a holly wreath stacked with candles or a basket of pine cones should also suffice or maybe if you fancy something a little more 'colourful', try some DIY creations and maybe encourage your younger guests to contribute? If all else fails of course you could always go with a standard bouquet of flowers, but it's Christmas so surely you want to go all out.
The Table
Setting the table is absolutely key when it comes to creating the right atmosphere for the occasion. The table should be dressed in a colour scheme that is consistent with the room, even if you've chosen a more elaborate, patterned design. To add a little extra touch of glamour, one idea is the dress the sides of the table with a beaded garland and punctuate it with the occasional pine cone. Colour scheme wise you'll want to really reflect the guests that are attending. If it's a largely formal, adult affair, possibly stick to whites and golds with maybe the occasional flash of red. The more young guests you have at the table though, the more colourful and'exciting' you'll need to keep it. Don't go so far as to alienate your other guests though with a 'Ben 10' spread. Finally finish the table off with some red candles.
Ornaments
You'll more than likely have used the lion's share of your ornaments on the Christmas tree, but if you have any leftovers they can be put to good use in the dining room. Baubles especially are just subtle enough to add a touch of vibrancy without feeling 'cloying'.
The Room
When it comes to the room itself, try not to go overboard with the fairy lights. Christmas has always had a 'rustic' vibe associated with it that you should really try to capitalise on with as much green as possible. Twigs and wreaths scattered around the room with the odd sprinkling of light will add a subtle, elegant glamour to the room. Top it all off by lighting a scented candle with a hint of cinnamon or pine, the twos mells that will forever be associated with the season. Then sit back, relax and take stock, the big dinner is still ahead so the battle might be over, but the war has only just begun!
Amy writes for Vivid Doors http://www.vividdoors.co.uk, aspecialist door company in the UK. Both Amy and Vivid like to share their homeimprovement and interior design and craft ideas.
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