a plaid holiday table

This year I was inspired by this plaid ribbon to style our holiday tables. Using the same basic table design it dresses our table to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve. It’s a simple concept that can be used to style any table and adapted for any type of celebration. I am absolutely loving this simple plaid holiday table design.

I bought this plaid ribbon on sale last year at the end of the season, loading up on several spools. The ribbon immediately spoke to me although I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to use it. I love the colors and design with the flax edging. Shopping end of season sales is a great strategy to collect seasonal decor at amazing prices. I wrote a post about it here {Christmas past, present & future}.

I created the centerpiece by first making a bed using an assortment of faux Christmas greenery. On top of the greenery sit a variety of oversized mercury glass ornaments. Tucked in between the ornaments and greenery the plaid ribbon is draped around. Thrifted silver candlesticks stick up throughout the greenery and ornaments down the table.

At each place setting the ribbon is casually knotted around flax linen napkins with a couple of mini mercury glass ornaments pinned to bring the table together.

a Christmas Eve plaid table design

On all our special tables we use our Lenox Citation Lace wedding china, Waterford Ballymore cut crystal stemware also from our wedding registry and the Camusso Portofino sterling flatware, which we inherited from my parents as a wedding gift.

I used vintage, thrifted silver trays as chargers to ground each place setting. The Lenox emerald water goblets tie in nicely with the color palette set by the plaid ribbon.

As a nod to my husband’s side of the family we enjoy the Italian tradition of the Feast of the seven fishes on Christmas eve. We serve cippiono, which is a tomato-based seafood stew that was invented in the late 1800s by the San Francisco Italian fishermen of North Beach using whatever seafood was left over from the day’s catch.

For the cioppino we always use our wide rimmed bowls along with a fish fork and knife and a soup spoon to capture all the beautiful red based broth. We include four of the fishes in the cioppino stew and have the other 3 as appetizers. One of these years I’ll share my recipes for Christmas eve.

a New Year’s Eve plaid table design

With a few, slight tweaks, I am using the same table design for our New Year’s eve table. The plaid holiday table gives great festive vibes for either occasion and many more.

The centerpiece remains the same. I used the same ribbon as napkin rings , but changed the flax linen napkins for white linen napkins instead.

Also the plate stack now has a flat accent plate instead of the bowls with table forks and steak knives. We will be serving beef wellington on New Year’s eve and the place setting changes lend themselves to the new menu.

The stemware now includes champagne flutes for the bubbly to ring in the new year, plus I also added bread plates with champagne bottle crackers and wooden word details at each place setting. These little details set the mood for the new year celebration.

coordinating the plaid table design

This plaid holiday table design coordinates with the details on the side board, which I shared earlier in season. The pine cone wreath shares the same ribbon and the silver tiered tray is full of mercury glass ornaments and greenery.

The pine cone wreath is a DIY project, which I shared here {pine cone wreath DIY}. I added the plaid ribbon when I styled the side board, planning on these table designs. Pine cones are wonderful decor elements since you can use them from September all the way through January, or maybe longer depending on where you live. I shared pine cone decor ideas in this post {12 easy pine cone craft decor ideas for the season}.

The tiered tray on the side board was a great project I styled along with a bunch of blogging friends here {winter wonderland on a tray blog tour}. The greenery and the mercury glass ornaments on the tray tie in with the table scape. Meanwhile the pine cones in the tray ties in with the wreath, bringing the whole space together.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy and healthy new year celebration. If you’re celebrating at home, I hope this inspires you to set a festive table. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive a simple plaid ribbon will do. Happy New Year!

“Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.”

Michael Josephson

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sharing @ between naps on the porch