How do you decorate your table?

[fuzzpig]

I've never really made much effort with this before so I'd love some ideas! We will be hosting a couple of times although not on 25th (but it'd still be nice to decorate then to make it special)

On another thread somebody mentioned salt dough tea light holders which I might try with the DCs,

On Pinterest I saw an idea - jars filled with water, with some leafy evergreen twigs and fresh cranberries in, and a candle floating on top (do tea lights actually float?!)

Also I have some silver and gold spray paints, was thinking of getting some pine cones or something.

If you decorate your table for Xmas what do you put on it? :)

I'm not much help in this department - opting to keep things fairly simple (it's a minefield with a two year old at the table!)... but I did go out looking for pinecones yesterday and couldn't find a single one. Just thought I'd let you know in case you were going to do the same.

My table is groaning with food and drink, arty farty crap just gets in the way.

I have slate place mats and spheshul silver goblets that I use.

That's it

We keep it simple too - there is not much space except for the food. I have a couple of cream tablecloths woven with gold and silver threads and I usually manage to find some christmassy sprinkles from somewhere which DDs help to 'arrange' around the dishes, and on the floor, round the house, in their hair...

Yes this is a problem that all the home magazines have so far failed to address. Gorgeous decorated dining tables, but practically useless unless you remove the decs to make room for food and drink, crackers etc.

As there are only two of us, I put a gold runner across the table, and along it place a gold twiggy/berried type garland into which I have woven battery powered LED lights. It is much safer than naked flames as our cat has a habit of jumping on the table. Also if you have toddlers who make a grab for things! We get out the best crystal, china and cutlery, and some gold chargers and coasters which make it festive enough.

You can get bags of cones from lots of different places ready sprayed now.

I think if you have young kids you're duty bound to buy the tackiest Christmas disposable tablecloth you can find, with matching paper napkins, a snowman candle and lairy crackers full of plastic tat.

The tackier it looks the more magical my DS finds it (and I'm rubbish at all that artful bollocks).

I put the Christmas table cloth on the table (Mum and I share it depending on who is hosting Christmas - it is ancient!) and fill it with food and crackers. Job done!

I take out the 2 wine goblets with gold trim for DH and I, and we do use the nice denby (blue rims, white middles) service. DD has a set of Christmas themed ware (plastic but she's happy with that still as it's Christmassy) that I would be shot if I didn't use.

I put out candles (I have regular length white ones, half height blue ones, and tealights in blue glass holders, that I group in 2 sets of the 3 heights), and the advent wreath sits on the table beforehand and a side table during the meal.

I have nice Christmassy paper napkins or sometimes I use the blue and white ones I have as well, we put out cheerful kiddie style crackers, and I use the blue and white checkered cloth under everything. Coloured hats are on before we start the starters.

Sometimes I do a small centrepiece flower arrangement, not always.