Ready for the Christmas lunch and the new Year's Eve dinner? The festivities are approaching this year, in addition to thinking about menu items, we also want to give you advice for i details that will decorate our table.
The parties are the right occasion to show off the "good" dish service, polish the silverware and use the crystals, as if to put the party dress on the table too. This spirit is certainly acceptable (after all, being able to dedicate time and care to set the Christmas table is almost a luxury to be savored slowly …) but to make a great impression and amaze yourself and your guests it is not necessary to spend mind-boggling figures . Such as? Follow these five simple ideas!
Rediscover the white tablecloth
Practically in every house there is a white tablecloth just waiting to be used! Let it be linen, Flanders or cotton, the holidays are the occasion to use it, taking advantage of the infinite possibilities of decorum. Enhance it with placeholder placemats in fabric in contrasting colors, in shades of red, green, gold or in festive patterns such as tartan, or simply embellish it with an important centerpiece. Moreover, the white tablecloth goes perfectly with the style of practically all dishes, whether classic or modern. What do you want more?
Aromas protagonists
The aromatic herbs are perfect for creating simple but effective placeholders. Just roll up a rosemary sprig to form a small garland and stop it with a colored ribbon. Resting on the napkin with a card with the name of the guest written by hand will be an elegant placeholder made in less than 5 minutes. You can also create small perfumed bunches, adding to the herbs a stick of cinnamon or a sprig of holly, to give an even more festive touch. Thus, the placeholder will also become a little thought to take home after dinner.
Fruit triumph
Have you ever thought of using the fruit to decorate the table? This is the period of the year in which citrus fruits they are in their maximum splendor: let's make them protagonists on the colored and slightly Baroque table. Just arrange oranges, lemons is tangerines very fresh (the leaves must be deep green) on a glass or white porcelain stand or on a large serving plate. Equally scenic and well-wishing are the pomegranates, to be combined with red apples for a centerpiece with many shades of red or dried fruit and at chestnuts still in the hedgehog for a more winter atmosphere, perfect for example if you celebrate in the mountains.
Yes to disorder (but with policy!)
When there are so many on the table, it may happen that the service of dishes or glasses is not enough. It's the right time for mix and try put together different service dishes, or tall stemmed glasses is unpaired glasses. The ideal is to recover some pieces from ancient services and use it to embellish the table. But be careful not to overdo it, even if creativity at the table is never too much, be guided by common sense. If, for example, you have many plates of different colors together, try to balance with a tablecloth in a neutral color and avoid bulky centerpieces or too full of color. Mixing, creating new combinations and re-using objects that we had put aside, we will realize the many potentialities that are hidden in the belief of our house and await only our creativity.
A touch of light
On the party table light is the protagonist: yes to gold and silver details to decorate it, yes to candles. Do not think, however, that only enormous candelabras are needed to obtain a luminous effect. For a decoration of great effect, just have some transparent glass jars of various sizes and use them as light holders to be distributed on the table. Once they are turned on they will bring warmth and obviously a lot of light to your party banquets.
Claudia MinnellaDecember 2017
