Christmas Table Settings

Formal black and white christmas table setting

1. Create a magical scene with candles, which add soft twinkling light to the setting. You can make similar candlesticks to these using spindles, coasters and – of all things – a tin lid. And for a little glitz and glamour, consider using a longish mirror on your table as a decorative alternative to a traditional table runner.

2. You can completely transform bargain-shop ornaments like these little resin birds into unique place holders. Just cut into the back of each bird to create a slot for a place card, then spray it silver. Very swish!

3. Enhance your monochromatic scheme with a superb white floral centrepiece. Your arrangement doesn’t have to be expensive. To save money, simply use a combo of supermarket and florist blooms.

4. If you’re after a stunning and sophisticated setting, go for black, white and silver. Starting with a crisp white cloth, mix and match black-and-white china with tall elegant glasses for a look that’s very now. And don’t forget the baubles!

Silver candlestick

Gather your supplies
- Decorative spindle
- 3 MDF coasters
- Hacksaw
- Tin lid
- Panel pins
- Flat-head nail
- Hammer
- Contact adhesive
- Metallic silver spray paint.

STEP 1
Saw pins off spindle ends.

STEP 2
Glue 2 coasters together. Using glue to reinforce join, hammer a panel pin through centre of these coasters and into spindle. Flip spindle upright so attached coasters act as a base. Attach remaining coaster to spindle as before. Hammer a flat-head nail through lid and, with nail protruding, glue lid onto coaster. Spray-paint candlestick with silver paint and leave to dry.

Place-card holder

Gather your supplies
- Resin bird or similar ornament
- Hacksaw
- Metallic silver spray paint.

STEP 1
Saw across bird, creating a slot for a place card. Leaving paint to dry after each coat, spray-paint bird with 2 coats of silver paint.

Traditional red & green

5,6. Make mini Santa sacks that double as place markers and goodie bags. Instead of name cards, use tiny pegs to clip a photo of each
guest to each sack.

7. You can create impressive servingware using a simple collection of bowls, plates and flan or tart dishes from an op-shop. Or, if the shops have shut, rummage through your kitchen cupboards and you’re bound to find plain white crockery that will do the trick. Before you start to stick them together (using a clear, fast-drying glue) have a bit of a play until you’re happy with the final look. And if you wish to make more than one, stagger the heights.

8. Use handcrafted accents and napery in everyone’s all-time favourite traditional colours – red and green. To complete the table setting, go for a beautiful centrepiece of Australian natives, such as Banksia coccinea, also known as scarlet banksia.

Serving pedestals

Gather your supplies
- 2 small and 2 large ceramic bowls
- Mini tart or flan dishes
- Selleys Multigrip.

STEP 1
Glue 2 large bowls, bottoms together, where the surfaces touch. Repeat for small bowls, then glue a flan or tart dish on top.

Santa sacks

Gather your supplies
- Two 10 x 15cm hessian rectangles
- General sewing supplies
- Ribbon.

STEP 1
With wrong sides facing, sew hessian rectangles together around 3 sides, then turn right side out. Turn top down. Fill bag with treats. Tie a coloured ribbon around the sack.

Casual bright and colourful

9. Dress up your outdoor chairs for the occasion with personalised slipcovers, featuring a handy back pocket for pressies.

10. Keep your floral centrepiece low so everyone can see each other – no need to peer around flowers to talk! Push a twiggy branch into the flowers to give the arrangement height without impeding anyone’s view, and dangle beautiful bright baubles from the twigs.

11. Make Christmas crackers using giftwrap or the free paper in the magazine. Fill them with riddles, silly hats, jokes and novelty items. Or customise them with a special gift for each guest.

12. Head outside and create a relaxed vibe everyone will enjoy. Feel-good summery colours, easy- does-it decorations and gifts galore – what more could you want?

Christmas crackers

Gather your supplies
For each cracker:
- 27 x 14cm piece decorative paper
- Extra paper
- 11cm cardboard tube (toilet roll)
- Craft knife
- Glue stick
- Cracker snap
- Filler items
- Ribbons
- Buckles and buttons.

STEP 1
Centre tube on paper. About 3cm in from short edges of paper, cut small evenly spaced slits across the width of the paper.

STEP 2
Feed cracker snap through tube, roll paper around tube and glue overlapped ends together. Fill tube with your chosen items. Pinch each end at slits, twist and tie closed with ribbon. Decorate cracker as desired.