Christmas at the dinner table: styling tips!

Setting the dining table for Christmas dinner can seem like quite a challenge. To create a beautiful holiday table without stress, we’ll take it step by step. Let’s start at the beginning! Choose a theme for your Christmas table. The trends for 2025 are Vintage Feeling, Sweet like Sugar, and Winter Wonderland, but you can also pick a specific concept, like Janny van der Heijden did with angels. This theme will determine the main colors at the table, ranging from warm traditional Christmas shades like oxblood red and pine green to sweet, playful colors such as pastel pink, bright purple, and silver.

Once you’ve chosen your main theme and Christmas colors, we can start dressing the dining table. We do this layer by layer, beginning, of course, at the beginning: a tablecloth or table runner. Choose one that matches your theme with coordinating patterns and colors, or, if you prefer a calm base, go for solid, natural tones that complement your chosen main colors. A table runner immediately creates a central focal point on the table, while a tablecloth gives a unified look. Next, based on the shape of your table, select a centerpiece as the main decoration. This could be, for example, a pyramid tulip vase filled with holly, a green Christmas arrangement surrounded by candlesticks, or a large serving bowl filled with festive ornaments. If you have a long table with a runner in the middle, it’s nice to lay pine branches along the length of the table and decorate them with tealight holders and Christmas ornaments that match your chosen theme.

The star of the Christmas table is, of course, the main dish, but the stage for all this delicious food is just as important. Choose a beautiful Christmas dinnerware set to serve all those tasty treats. A good dinner set ensures that guests can fully enjoy both the rich flavors and the good company. Plates should have enough space without sauces dripping over the edges, pitchers should pour smoothly without spilling, and serving dishes should be easy to pass around. With years of experience, the queen of the kitchen, Janny van der Heijden, has designed her Christmas Angel dinnerware for Heinen Delfts Blauw. A well-functioning set with traditional Christmas decorations. If you think it’s too much to buy a whole Christmas dinnerware set just for the holiday, use your everyday dishes and add a few bowls or small plates from your Christmas set to make it feel special without making a big investment. With large, neutral chargers, the small Christmas plates will really stand out!

The Christmas table is starting to take shape! The tablecloth, centerpiece, and dinnerware are in place. Now it’s time to add the finishing touches! For example, place a name card on each dinner plate. You can do this in a festive way by rolling up a napkin, tying a flat Christmas ornament to it, and adding a handwritten name card. Or, for a more natural look, take a sprig of pine and a festive ribbon, then attach a name card to it. If you really want to go all out, you can fill cocktail glasses with an upside-down pine sprig and freeze them in a layer of water inside the glass. Just before your guests arrive, take the glasses out of the freezer, pour the drinks in, and hang a name card on the stem of the glass. Stick to the theme you’ve chosen and fill the table with matching ornaments, then light the candles. Special tip from Janny: to spread that wonderful Christmas scent throughout your home, simmer a pot of water on the stove with pine branches, orange peel, and cloves. Let your guests gather around for a delicious and unforgettable Christmas dinner!