Simple Holiday Table Ideas
Some Basic Tips
Start with What you Already Have
It's all About the Accessories
When brainstorming for new place setting ideas, I started by searching around my home looking for any little objects that could dress up the plate. What I found was fruit, contrasting napkins, Christmas cookies, and ribbon. Then, I thought up different ways to make a name card and it all just fell into place naturally.
A rule of thumb when styling any table is to use a variety of different textures - it brings in a sense of depth and quality. I find that the best fabric for napkins and tablecloths is linen because of its wonderfully organic feel, but it still looks elegant. Another great texture to add is something shiny. I used silver candlesticks to match my cutlery.
As for the centerpiece, I kept mine simple with assorted greenery and white tulips to keep the tablescape quite neutral, but still Christmas appropriate. Roses or carnations can replace the tulips.
Get Creative with Place Cards
Three Easy Place Setting Ideas

1 - Seasonal Fruit
This is probably the simplest look. I kept everything white, including the napkin, which I folded softly in the middle of the plate. I then placed a pear on each napkin, then propped the printed and torn name cards on the pear! You could also use clementines or any other seasonal fruit, or switch up the napkin for a more rough, flax colored linen - don't be afraid to experiment or use what you have on hand.

2 - Christmas Cookie
This place setting makes a bit more of an impact. The contrasting linen napkin combined with the height of the dish and cookie combo makes for a little more drama, but it's still lighthearted and playful. For this one, I filled some silver dishes with sugar to support the homemade gingerbread stars and the cut out name cards. You could easily use store-bought cookies here to save some time.

3 - Bold Ribbon + Monogram
For this last look, I wanted to create something flat and graphic. I placed strips of black and white striped ribbon underneath the salad plates, then for the place cards, I used large block letter initials instead of full names. Lastly, I topped it all off with a sprig of greenery and voila!