I can hardly believe that next week’s blog will be the last before Christmas Day! These past few weeks have simply flown by.

Next week, I will be revealing our best Christmas recipes for the big day, but this week I thought I would concentrate on the lunch table.

It’s fantastic to serve up good Christmas grub, but you want your surroundings to look decadent and festive too.

Decadent doesn’t have to cost a lot! With a few tips and tricks your Christmas table can look fabulous.

Of course, it’s a great idea if everything can co-ordinate. You don’t have to stick to the classic scheme of red, green and gold. Choose the colour you like best and stick to it. You could mix whites with natural colours, using things such as twigs and pine cones as decoration. Or you could be really glamorous with a showy silver theme.

First, give your table a good polish and then lay a strip of beautiful good-quality Christmas wrapping paper as a table runner. Lay out your best crockery and cutlery. If you want to be extra-glam set it on plate-chargers. You can pick these up in gorgeous festive colours quite cheaply in many supermarkets. Set out the wines glasses (hopefully a matching set) and use fabric or paper napkins laid on top of the plates.

If you have time, have a go at making these gorgeous beaded napkin rings.

Napkin Rings

• Fine craft wire
• Empty kitchen roll tube
• Wire cutters
• Assorted beads

Wrap wire twice around kitchen roll tube and cut so there is about 2cm (1in) spare at each end. Make a loop at one end of wire to prevent beads from escaping and then straighten wire out so it is easy to thread beads onto it. In a random order, thread a variety of beads – in colours to match your scheme – along length of wire. When almost full, carefully wrap wire around tube again and twist ends together to seal. Roll beaded ring off the tube and place around a napkin.

 
Striped Candy Canes

For an extra special treat, pop a favour such as a striped candy cane inside each napkin ring.

Chair Ties

You could also thread ribbons around the back of each chair to ‘tie them in’ (excuse the pun!) with your colour scheme.

Table Centrepiece

An elegant centrepiece could be a round vase or lantern with a large white pillar candle inside surrounded by holly or pine cones.

My favourite is really simple though. I place a doily on a large glass plate and add baubles – it’s really Christmassy and also low-level so it doesn’t get in the way when having a chat across the table.

Enjoy your preparations for the big day everyone and don’t forget the turkey like I did one year! Unless you are vegetarian of course.

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