8 ways to refresh your holiday table

Update traditional place settings with a casual, colorful new take. Get our budget-friendly ideas

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday table settings

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Holiday decorating: Fresh ideas for your Christmas table

Relax your holiday look

Give a nod to the season with dashes of bright red―but pair them with an unexpected shade such as pale turquoise.

You can even skip the tablecloth: Show off a pretty table along with your easygoing style. Just keep a few cocktail napkins handy for spilly friends and relatives.

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday table settings

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Mix up the china

Trade fragile-looking or matching tableware for an inviting, eclectic mix.

Top your white heirloom dinner plates with colorful pottery. We found these at a thrift store. 

Ceramic salt and pepper cellars, $36 for the set from Rare Device.

Similar napkin rings $6 each from the Conran Shop.

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday table settings

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Swap glasses

Try contemporary glass flutes instead of crystal Champagne stems.

These were $6.95 each from CB2.

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday place cards

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Invite the outdoors in

Create placecards from any type of thick paper that you have on hand, then nestle them in clusters of colorful winter berries, branches, or pinecones from your yard.

More ideas for place settings

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday candles

Photo: Thomas J. Story

Update the sparkle

Ditch stuffy silver candelabra (and all that polishing) for shimmering glass candleholders in a variety of shapes and heights.

These are from CB2 (from $2.95 each).

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday candles

Photo: Thomas J. Story

More accessories for your new holiday table

Kate Spade Gwinnett Lane turquoise accent plates ($20; Bloomingdales).

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday candles

Photo: Thomas J. Story

More accessories for your new holiday table

Red cotton napkins ($3.95 each; Crate and Barrel).

Fresh ideas for your Christmas holiday candles

Photo: Thomas J. Story

More accessories for your new holiday table

Slant 16-ounce sliver quatrefoil wine glass ($90 for set of 4; Slant Collections)

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