Tablescaping Inspiration: Fantastical Christmas Celebrations

There’s nothing quite like gathering around the dinner table at Christmas with those you love most, piling plates high with Brussell sprouts and topping up glasses with something fizzy. So, here at Spode we’re in full planning mode for our festive get-togethers to ensure the most fantastical of celebrations all season long.  

Whether you’re hosting the main event this year, having friends around for a festive afternoon tea, or offering a helping hand at someone else’s feast, we’ve got our tips on how to create a Christmas tablescape and our favourite looks to ensure a magical celebration. 

Before we delve into styling our Christmas tables, it’s important to know what is meant by the phrase ‘tablescaping’. If you aren’t already aware, tablescaping is simply the act of setting a themed table by intentionally arranging crockery, utensils and decorative accessories in a creative way. 

Essentially, it’s all about making your table look beautiful, ready for enjoying a delicious meal. We all know the basics of setting the table, but tablescaping takes it to another level, bringing in colour themes, napkins, vases, candles, and centrepieces. It’s a trend that’s taken the Instagram world by storm and we’re one hundred per cent here for it. Especially for important memory-making occasions such as Christmas.  

A foundation for any table setting is a tablecloth which also provides a base to layer for any additional linens, such as a runner and napkins. A runner placed along the centre of the table helps to create a defined space for each guest’s place setting, as well as a clear space to place food, condiments, and decorative accessories. The colour and style of your table linens will depend on the theme of your festive décor, but if you’re using patterned or colourful tableware, use this as a starting point to inform your colour palette. 

Of course, with any table setting large or small, you need tableware, serveware, cutlery and glassware. The amount of crockery needed for your celebration will depend on the number of people attending, as well as the amount and type of food being served. At the very least each person will need a dinner plate and side plate at their place setting, along with a glass for something fizzy. If you’re serving a soup starter, a soup plate or bowl is also a must. Then for the serveware. Platters of all shapes and sizes are crucial, along with gravy boats and serving spoons. Create a feast for the eyes with serving dishes placed at every corner of the table. 

Once you have your linens and tableware in place, the final step is to add the finishing touches with decorative accessories. At Spode, we love to add colourful blooms and festive foliage to our tablescapes. Create a striking Christmas table centrepiece with a beautiful bouquet made up of flowers in colours to match your theme, or go traditional with an evergreen garland stretched across the centre. Finally, add a subtle touch of sparkle to your table with flickering candlelight. By using a mix of candlesticks and tealights, height is added to the table along with a warm glow. 

Now you know the fundamentals of what’s needed to create a striking tablescape this Christmas, take inspiration from the looks we’re styling this year with our favourite tableware taking centre stage.  

If you like a traditional feel to your Christmas décor with festive colours of red and green then a classic Christmas table is for you. Nothing brings joy and cheer to the home quite like our Christmas Tree collection, with its iconic design bringing a touch of nostalgic charm to festivities.

To keep the look fresh, follow this year’s Merry & Bright trend and pair with gold accents and pops of deep reds and pinks in candlesticks and decorations. Rich shades of purples and teal across linens act as the perfect base for this look without feeling too matchy, and a centrepiece of colourful florals brings drama to the table in a stylish and sophisticated manner.

For more inspiration on celebrating with Christmas Tree this year, take a look at our Joyous Celebrations with Christmas Tree Guide. 

For those wanting to create a setting to impress without being overtly Christmassy can do so by dressing up their favourite all-year-round tableware. It’s your favourite for a reason, so why not make the most of it and take it through the seasons with you? We’ve opted for our iconic Blue Italian crockery, a timeless choice that allows you to mix up traditional aesthetics with a fun and unique twist without a lot of effort. 

Start by adorning your table with a blue tablecloth, layered with a runner in a slightly different texture and shade, adding intrigue and depth. Then start by layering your ceramics. A gold charger plate or placemat brightens up the table and breaks up the blue tones. Then pops of pink on candlesticks, vases, and florals add a gorgeous contrast.  

The perfect table for Christmas breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with bowls and platters scattered amongst each setting. You could even take this through to your New Year celebrations for the chicest way to start 2023.

Christmas celebrations don’t just have to be about the turkey and stuffing. You know just how much we love afternoon tea here at Spode and Christmas is just one more perfect excuse for us to reach for our cake stands one last time before the year ends.  

A real twist on tradition in more ways than one, we’ve styled our festive afternoon tea setting with the maximal Zoological Gardens collection. Style your table with pattern-on-pattern, giving a little extra flair to the scene. Start by layering patterns with the table linens, before adding your mix and match ceramics. Continue to be bold with extra touches, opting for playful candlesticks, colourful tealight holders, and foliage full of drama. A feast for the eyes, matching colours seamlessly through different elements pulls everything together whilst still maintaining a maximalist approach.  

For more festive styling inspiration discover our top trends for the season, and for gifting ideas take a peek at our gift guide. We’d love to see how you style your festive celebrations, don’t forget to share your posts with us on social @by_spode.