Photo-worthy holiday tablescapes: 40+ Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve table decoration ideas

The fancy side of my brain would love if everything in my home looked like it popped out of a magazine. When I create a little wall gallery or a tabletop montage, I imagine others oohing and aahing at my glittering success. And when I get a compliment from a friend—or even the plumber—I’ll take it! But ultimately, I always come back to me. What do I like? What inspires me? What is meaningful to my heart?

The same goes for your holiday tablescape. What do you see? Is it bright and festive? Or natural and serene? Is it playful and free-flowing? Or is it formal and sophisticated? Is it for your own personal joy or will you be having people over?

The easiest way to start is by making a list of basic holiday tablescape ideas you like. For instance, here’s my initial list for a Christmas tablescape:

• Candles in every color, size and shape
• Ditto candle holders—whether they’re mod metallic gold or antique silver
• Found objects in nature, like pine cones and pretty branches
• Festive floral centerpieces in vintage vessels like teapots or atop a stack of pretty books
• Lanterns, vases and votives (I love mercury glass!)
• Sparkle elements, like confetti and tinsel garland 
• Cute, inexpensive craft items like bottle brush trees, bows made of ribbon or foil snowflakes
• Small heirlooms like my grandmother’s sugar bowl
• Partyware in a mix of holiday patterns 

After you finish your list, gather the items you already have at home. You may even come across other ideas as you prep! See, it’s already getting good!

I’m utterly amazed at the artistry of every florist, ever. What a gift to give the gift of beauty! But if you’re like me (i.e., not a florist), making a flower arrangement can be challenging and expensive! 

 A good alternative is to think of quirkier, more outside-of-the-box centerpieces. Here are some ideas:

• Fill a large bowl with oversized ball Christmas ornaments. You probably have some at home you can mix and match.
• Make Mom’s famous yule log the star of the tablescape by elevating it on a pretty cake stand. Those mini meringue mushrooms deserve the spotlight!
• Add a dusting of gold glitter to pine cones and scatter them across a table runner.
• Let your Nativity scene be the centerpiece of your Christmas tablescape.
• Incorporate lanterns to create mini holiday scenes, adding ornaments, cut paper snowflakes or candy canes.
• Wrap little boxes up and use them as risers—or have your guests’ gifts do double duty as decor! 
• Use fallen branches in your yard or fresh greenery to create a bundle of environmental beauty—tuck in little ornaments, notes of holiday cheer, or battery-operated twinkle lights. 
• Make a balloon table runner. Note: I’ve made a few balloon arches in my day and they can be time-consuming and frustrating, but they can also be stunning—so if you want it, go for it!
• Create ornaments out of those seashells you brought back from the beach. Display on an antique silver tray or in a rustic farmhouse box.
• Find some serving dishes in the shape of a holiday icon, like these nesting tree dishes, and spread them around.

This doesn’t mean you have to forget flowers! (Truly, I could never forget flowers.) If pretty petals are calling your name, pick up a bouquet at the store and either pop it into a vase or separate it to make an assortment of smaller floral arrangements. Showy poinsettias look beautiful wrapped in burlap or tucked inside a merry holiday tin. 

Note: Poinsettias are dangerous for dogs and cats. If any of your animals are as willy-nilly as my little dog, make sure they cannot reach them…or just skip altogether.

My favorite part of any holiday tablescape is the lighting. Candles or twinkle lights will always bring life and cozy ambience to your table decorations. 

When safely used, traditional candles are beautiful. But there are many rechargeable, flameless candles that look just as gorgeous in the right votives. And you can literally use most anything as a votive, especially with flameless tea lights—painted baby food jars, your great-aunt’s teacups or even an oyster shell.

 Here are a few more ideas to get your glow on:

• Turn a wine glass upside down and balance a flameless tea light on the base. Add an ornament or pom-pom snowballs underneath the glass as extra table decor!
• Use wood slices as flameless candle bases.
• Upcycle your soup cans by drilling holes in the sides and placing a tea light inside to make a lantern with a unique light pattern.
• Place a tea light on an ornate trinket or soap dish.
• Stagger different sized candles on a mirrored tray or shiny serving platter. These squiggle candles would look so chic in tall vases or adorning a panettone cake.
• For your Hanukkah tablescape, consider this amazing paper menorah or make your own menorah.

I bet you have all kinds of hidden treasures in your home that will be perfect votives! The kitchen is always a good place to look and expand your imagination. It’ll save you money and be more friendly for the planet.

I’m the most sentimental person in my family, so I try to include items with a story or meaning in my holiday tablescapes, no matter what. 

When you add a treasure to your table that was loved by someone you love, you’re including them in the celebration. Here are some ways to keep our memories alive by making new memories:

• Serve dinner on your mom’s wedding place settings. You could combine it with modern dinnerware or go all out with her pieces.
• Place a childhood ornament (or other special ornament) by each person’s plate. You’ll show them how much you care and it’ll make for such a fun, photo-worthy moment!
• Did someone in your family have fabulous costume jewelry? Wrap a sparkly bracelet around a candlestick or use dinner rings as your napkin rings.
• Turn a beloved scarf into a table runner. Or tie scarfs around the backs of your chairs.
• Include a vintage menorah passed down through the generations as a symbol of family and faith for your Hanukkah tablescape.
• Create an ornament for your pet who passed. Make their initial out of cardboard, paint or decorate it, then glue their little hair bows or tags onto it and give it a place at the table.

I love a good theme! Whether it’s by color, style or subject matter, you can really get creative with it. Here are some themes I’d personally like to try:

• Christmas-at-the-ocean tablescape
• A pink Christmas with touches of gold, winter whites and sparkles
• Nostalgic holiday: I’d bring back elements of my childhood Christmases to re-create those fond memories.
• Bows on bows on bows—on the cake, on the chairs, in place of a napkin ring, etc.
• A holiday tablescape filled with angels
• A New Year’s Eve tablescape with disco balls, star-shaped confetti, plates and napkins with a pop of gold, all on a black tablecloth for extra drama.
• Whimsical elements like ones from this play with your food article or festive Christmas centerpiece how-to.
• Christmas carol quotes: I’d take well-known and not-so-well-known lyrics and festively display them in my holiday tablescape design.

Does this list spark your own ideas? If so, grab a pen and start writing them down!

Whether you’re decorating for one or 21, there are so many ways to spruce up the details. I like to add welcome notes or give everyone a personalized ornament with their first initial or name written across it.

And you know I have more ideas! (You’re welcome, lovely!) 

• Attach a playful holiday expression to an ornament and place on each dinner plate—like, “You make me feel merry and bright all year long!”
• Make a playlist that includes a favorite song of each guest. Share the playlist at the end of the party.
• Write a sweet note in a holiday card for each guest. Hand-letter the envelope to use as a place card, too!
• Frame a small childhood photo of each guest and place it where they will sit. If you don’t have childhood photos, recent pics are always divine.
• Display funny quotes your guests have said over the years. If you’re like me, I keep hilarious things people say—it brings back those memories I want to hold on to.
• Write down a memory you have of each guest and share it.
• Have one holiday food or sweet that’s significant to each guest. Remember: If cooking’s not your thing, like it’s not my thing, it can be something you pick up—like candy or a favorite bottle of wine!

Believe me, I can pick at something forever. But there’s a time to stop and just enjoy. Also, this is the exciting part—picture time! Once your holiday tablescape is set, snap away!  

Try some of these:

• Hang a banner or garland behind your tablescape to create a focal point that’s perfect for wide-shot photos.
• Shoot from different perspectives—far away with the entire table in view or super close to capture the detail in a votive, plate or other personal touch.
• Use your phone’s portrait mode to get those enchantingly blurry backgrounds.
• Take pics using just the candlelight.
• Try an aerial shot for a flat lay viewpoint.
• Experiment with some unusual angles and light sources.

Ready to make that easy-peasy photo-worthy holiday tablescape? I believe in you! And remember, it all comes down to creativity, caring and the most wonderful centerpiece of all—love. 

For future tablescaping, save this article in your decorating files. You never know when you need some holiday inspiration. Cheers, merrymaker!

Want more fun party ideas for inviting folks over beyond the holidays? You know we have them:

• Let’s get together: 11 party ideas for adults
• Worth the wait: Tips and tricks to make your milestone event extra meaningful
• From parallel parking to prom: Turning teen moments into something to celebrate
• DIY party decorations for all of life’s little moments
• Dress up a party with DIY tissue paper confetti