Create a Lighted Christmas Tablescape

Will you be hosting a Christmas dinner this year? I love styling a Christmas tablescape ~ especially one that is lighted and festive. Here is how to create a lighted Christmas tablescape for your holiday entertaining.

I like to create our Christmas tablescape early in the season. That way we can enjoy it for a few weeks.

Since our dining room is one of the first things guests see when they enter our home, it’s nice to have the table all decked out for the holidays.

Each year, I come up with a different Christmas color scheme. Although I always. incorporate treasured Christmas decorations, I do like to add something new for a fresh look.

This lighted Christmas tablescape with a lantern as the focal point is one you can easily create.

this Idea.

Pretty Lighted Christmas Tablescape

As it turned out, I had been asked by a local women’s club to create a video for their Zoom Christmas luncheon. I knew that my Christmas tablescape would be perfect to share. They even sent a professional videographer to my home to film me creating the tablescape.

When I create a tablescape, I love to use items that I already have or items that can be used in other ways.

Tablescapes, especially for specific holidays, should be thought of as another decoration.

TIP: I recommend that you set your Christmas tablescape a few weeks ahead of time so you can enjoy the pretty decorations.

Step 1 – Decide what your theme will be in terms of color or items to be used.

First, for this centerpiece, my color scheme would be white and gold with pops of red and green. I wanted to use some of our Santa collection and bottle brush trees.

When creating your Christmas tablescape early in the season, I make a centerpiece with faux flowers. Before entertaining, you can replace faux flowers with fresh flowers

This year, I wanted to reuse some of our favorite decorations:

• some of our Santas
• bottle brush trees
• ornaments
• our Christmas Lenox Holiday china

Shopping for My Tablescape

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For new items for the Christmas tablescape, I wanted to use either lanterns or large jars or vases to hold my Santas.

I decided to do a little online shopping for new items to complement what I already had on hand.

• I was so excited when I found these wood and glass lanterns that could be used throughout the year in our home. This lantern set is very similar to the one I ordered. I love how the top lifts up for easy access.

• I love apothecary jars and I have several. I needed a really big one, not just for this centerpiece, but for year-round use. This large gallon apothecary jar went into my shopping cart faster than you can say jingle bells.

• I needed one more thing before I could start creating my tablescape – a pretty runner to set my lanterns and apothecary jars on. I found this beautiful white runner with a snowflake motif.

Creating Your Christmas Tablescape

Here’s three tips I always follow:

• TIP 1: always gather everything you will need for your tablescape – centerpiece elements, placemats, dishes, silverware, glasses, napkins, napkin rings. This will make the process go faster.
• TIP 2: completely clear off your table to start with a clean slate.
• TIP 3: always create your centerpiece first.

The first step was placing my new white snowflake runner on the table. I gave the runner a couple of pleats.

Styling the Lantern Centerpiece

Next, I created the centerpiece.

I filled the smaller lantern, the new large apothecary jar and two smaller jars with faux snow, Santas, bottle brush trees, small round ornaments and fairy lights.

I taped the battery pack for the fairy lights to the inside of the top of the lantern.

TIP: Battery-operated lights with timers are best for a lighted Christmas tablescape.

Wrapping greenery around the top of the lantern and jar added color and hid the battery packs.

The large apothecary jar is balanced by two smaller jars on the other side of the lantern.

Then I added more bottle brush trees and large red and gold ornaments. This brings in more color and interest.

To add more ambiance to my lighted Christmas tablescape, I love using battery-operated candles – especially if they have a remote control. I found this set of 3 in 3 sizes.

Adding Christmas Place Settings

Once your centerpiece is in place, it’s time for the place settings. I decided to use our white and gold-trimmed placemats and matching napkins, our Lenox Christmas Holiday china and my mother’s Francis I sterling silver.

The gold napkin rings add a little bling.

Then I added our Lenox Christmas Holiday wine glasses.

I love adding a personal touch to every tablescape and I love placecards. Making these Christmas tree ones was fun and easy.

After a few days, I decided that the white and gold placemats were too big and I wanted more red on the table. I replaced them with the red felt ones that I made last year.

Much better! Don’t be afraid to switch elements out.

Embellishments for the Christmas Dining Room

Don’t forget that there are other elements in the dining room that you can decorate. Anything that adds color and interest is a good thing.

We have two extra chairs on the back wall of the dining room. I love to place decorative pillows on them to bring the eye in, add color, texture, and interest.

These Merry Christmas pillows were perfect on the extra chairs. I can always use them in another room during the holidays. They have buffalo check red and white fabric on the other side.

I like to add interest to the backs of the chairs using small wreaths but I couldn’t find any. Instead, I used thin garland and made two loops to create a wreath. Then it was easy to tie them to the back of the chairs with Christmas ribbon.

Our bar cart sits in the bay window of our dining room. It’s the perfect spot to decorate for the holidays. I used the larger lantern of the lantern set. It was easy to repeat the same elements as on the Christmas tablescape.

TIP: Repeating elements throughout your decorations pulls the room together and adds a sense of coherence.

I also added more garland around the bar cart. Then I tucked in red and gold ornaments. It’s magical at night and is pretty from the outside of the house.

Speaking of magic, I love when the lights come on at night. With one click on the remote, then the candles come on, too. This is the lighted Christmas tablescape look that I wanted.

It’s so nice to pass by the dining room and see the pretty centerpiece and place settings.

Since I finished the Christmas tablescape, we have added more decorations to the rest of the room with garland and wreaths.

I hope you enjoyed these ideas for a lighted Christmas tablescape. It’s one of my favorites.

Here are some other Christmas tablescapes for your inspiration.

• Casual Christmas Tablescape with Santa and Sleigh
• Red and Gold Christmas Tablescape

Don’t hesitate to set your tablescape right now so you can enjoy it during the holiday season.

Don’t forget to PIN this tablescape. And you can check out these Christmas Pinterest Boards.