How to Create a Beautiful Holiday Table
The holiday season is the perfect time to gather around the table and celebrate with loved ones. With a little creativity and intention, you can design a stunning Christmas tablescape that is both eco-friendly and budget conscious. Here are some tips to help you create a beautiful, sustainable holiday table:
1. Choose Sustainable Tableware
Avoid paper and plastic in favour of reusable options. Tablecloths, runners, and napkins made from eco-friendly materials like Oeko-Tex certified linen or organic cotton add a touch of elegance, are long lasting and support sustainable living. Borrow dishes and other tableware from friends or family if you don’t have enough. When single-use items are required, choose compostable or biodegradable options.
2. Incorporate Natural Elements
Nature offers an abundance of decorative treasures that are both free and sustainable. Pinecones, evergreen branches, and sprigs of rosemary can be used as centerpieces or accents on each place setting. Arrange them in bowls, scatter them along the table, or tie them with twine to create personalized napkin rings.
3. Upcycle and Repurpose
Before purchasing new decor, look around your home for items that can be repurposed. Mason jars can double as candle holders, and mismatched glassware and vases can add a vintage charm. Old ornaments or ribbons can be used to decorate place settings or accent centerpieces.
4. All-Natural Candles
Lighting is key to setting a warm and inviting mood. Choose candles made from all-natural soy wax or beeswax, which burn cleaner and are more sustainable than traditional paraffin candles.
5. Use Seasonal and Local Produce
Seasonal fruits like pomegranates, oranges, or cranberries can add a pop of colour to your tablescape. Not only do they look festive, but they’re also compostable, making them a zero-waste option.
6. Set the Tone with Thoughtful Details
Adding personal touches can make your table feel extra special. Add a little whimsy and fun with jars of candy canes or other family favourites. Handwritten place cards on recycled paper, a small favor like a sachet of dried herbs, tiny potted saplings or a heartfelt note at each place setting can create a memorable experience without excess spending or waste.
Ideas to Inspire You!
A Little Woodland Charm
Imagine a table adorned with a burlap or natural linen runner, pinecones, evergreen sprigs, holly, or other local foliage to add a natural touch to your table. The centerpiece could be a wooden tray filled with candles, pinecones, and small branches. Incorporate wooden elements like candle holders or coasters to enhance the rustic charm. Each place setting might have a wooden or hand woven straw charger, white, cream or dark plates, and an organic cotton or linen napkin tied with twine and a sprig of rosemary.
The Elegant Minimalist
Picture a simple, elegant table with a white linen tablecloth and a few well-placed decorations. A centerpiece of white candles in glass jars, surrounded by eucalyptus leaves, creates a serene atmosphere. Each place setting could feature a white plate or simply decorated heirloom china, a silver, brass or gold charger, and a linen napkin with a small, handwritten place card made from recycled paper.
All Natural and Organic
Visualize a table with a natural linen runner, decorated with fresh fruits like oranges, pomegranates, and cranberries. Create garlands using natural materials like magnolia leaves, pine, or eucalyptus. The centerpiece could be a wooden bowl filled with seasonal fruits, nuts and greenery to create beautiful and edible centerpieces. Each place setting might include a woven placemat, hand crafted pottery plates, and an organic cotton or linen napkin tied with a piece of twine and a cinnamon stick.
Total Vintage Charm
Think of a table set with vintage china, mismatched but very charming! The centerpiece could be a collection of repurposed glass jars, bottles and vases filled with flowers, greenery and candles. Each place setting might have a vintage plate, and a lovely linen or organic cotton napkin tied with a beautiful ribbon.
Eat, Drink, be Merry and Green!
Dining with friends and family is one of the most anticipated events during the holiday season. Here are tips to help you reduce waste, expense and lessen your holiday footprint.
- Take a head count and be realistic about how much food you will need. Don’t hinge success on consumption.
- Planning will help you prepare for leftovers, ensuring they don’t end up in the trash.
- Instead of plastic wrap, choose eco-friendly storage options such as bees wax food wraps and glass storage containers.
- Donate food and other goods you don’t need. Take advantage of apps that help you reduce waste and save money! From Poshmark to Flashfood, here are some great apps to help you reduce waste.
- Shop locally, choosing seasonal products and organic options when possible.
- Include more plants and eat less meat. According to a World Wildlife Fund article, the livestock industry generates 14.5%1 of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. It requires huge amounts of space, water, and feed. There are a variety of meat alternatives and delicious recipes that are widely available and a smorgasbord of vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas online.
1FAO - News Article: Key facts and findings
By embracing these ideas, you’ll not only create a memorable event but also celebrate the season in a way that’s kind to the planet. Sustainability can be beautiful, meaningful, and affordable—the perfect combination for holiday entertaining.
There is an abundance of information online to support your efforts to maintain a sustainable lifestyle. How ever you choose to spend the holiday season, know that every little thing you do to reduce your eco-footprint has a lasting impact, more so when we all work together.
This holiday season, I hope you will slow down, keep it simple, and enjoy good times with friends and family.
Happy Holidays!
Christine
Hello@bobbiebroon.ca
Photo by Vika Kirillova on Pexels