While I don’t want to rush the Thanksgiving season, I made a shift from harvest to holiday, long enough to pull out the red and green for a little pre-season holiday fun and to set and photograph a Christmas table!
In anticipation of the Christmas season,
I’m at the table with Pfaltzgraff Holiday Heritage Dinnerware
along with candy canes, trains, trees, greenery, garland and plaid!
A Christmas tree with all the trimmings on Pfaltzgraff Holiday Heritage stoneware,
and the iconic symbol of the season, provides the inspiration for the table.
And Mikasa French Countryside Ruby goblets add a graceful silhouette
and pop of seasonal red color at the table for holiday beverages.
I’ve had several emails and comments recently about how to dress
and layer a table so here a few photos and my process step by step. . .
A red and green plaid tablecloth provides the foundation for the table. Plaid equals Christmas cheer for me, so I used a coordinating pair of napkins in red and green checks and plaid, for double the cheer and plaid tidings! An assortment of pewter napkin rings coordinate with octagonal chargers.
Christmas stars and evergreen branches border the tree on Holiday Heritage plates, so I decked the table with boughs of Leyland cypress to rim the edges of the stoneware plates. . .
Along with some beaded garland that hangs on our tree for a little plate trimming! My beaded garland is about 7 feet long so I draped it around the plates twice, but you could use any length of beaded garland, winding it around your plates and on top of chargers or placemats, tucking in the bits of greenery.
If you have access to Leyland cypress, it’s an ideal evergreen to Deck the Halls or the table, since it won’t leave a sticky, sappy residue behind like cedar, pine or other evergreens.
I wanted to find a train for a centerpiece to match the train under the tree on the dinnerware but thought it might be a long shot. . .
I found one waiting for me at Kohl’s to board my table,
complete with a tree in the caboose!
I’m not affiliated with Kohl’s but stop in to check regularly for linens and table top inspiration, since there’s always a sale in progress along coupons available to use for an additional discount.
I added sprigs of greenery and candy canes to decorate the smokestack or chimney of the train.
The little elves at Kohl’s conveniently stocked the shelves nearby the trains with metal Christmas trees, complete with red votives to match the French Countryside ruby goblets!
‘Tis the Season for Giving Thanks, and I’m thankful for those busy and hard-working retail elves and doubly thankful that I am no longer one of them :)
I elevated the tree votive holder with a cake plate for some height for the table and added some candy canes.
A Round Bake and Serve Food Warmer from Towle Living, filled with an assortment of Christmas ornaments, moves from oven to table for year round entertaining.
And a Holiday Wishes Tree Salad Serving Set by Towle includes a serving spoon topped with Santa, and a serving fork topped with a Christmas tree.
And a Holiday Wishes Christmas Tree and Candy Cane Spreaders by Towle, provide a festive way to serve dips or condiments for Christmas entertaining.
Holiday Heritage Table Details:
*Dinnerware / Pfaltzgraff Holiday Heritage Dinnerware
*Flatware / Pfaltzgraff Linden
*Goblets / Mikasa French Countryside, Ruby
Chargers & Napkin Rings / Pottery Barn, several years ago
Napkins & Tablecloth / HomeGoods, several years ago
Train & Tree Tealight Holder / Kohl’s, recently
*Christmas Tree and Candy Cane Spreader Set / Towle Holiday Wishes
* Santa and Christmas Tree Salad Serving Set / Towle Holiday Wishes
*Round Bake and Serve Food Warmer / Towle Living
*Lifetime Brands’ products have been provided free of charge in exchange for promotional consideration.
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Metamorphosis Monday,
The Scoop, Inspire Me Tuesday,
Wow Us Wednesdays, Tablescape Thursday,
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You know I’m a big fan of plaid Mary! This is a fun table, one both kids and grown-ups would enjoy! Lovin’ that pretty Merry Christmas ornament too:@)
Beautiful, Mary! Love the plaid!
That is sooo pretty! As usual … :)))) love it Mary!
Starting another Monday with a big smile Mary, nothing says Christmas more than a choo choo full of Christmas trees and candy canes! Your plaid cloth and Christmas tree centerpiece were made for this dinnerware, and your Christmas flatware is such fun~ and of course, an ornament casserole is the perfect side dish! Ho ho ho~
Jenna
Thanks for sharing your tips on how to dress a table, Mary! I love how you coordinated all the accessories to the pretty plates. You find the best table decor at Kohl’s, which is so helpful with all their coupons. Thanks for giving us some holiday inspiration.
Those candy canes coming out of the chimney…WHO THINKS OF THAT…you do!! Way cute!! franki
Of all the tablescapers and on-line decorators I follow–NO ONE is as artistic as you. I love your creative style.
What a lovely table setting! You always are so creative in bringing all of the elements together. The Towle spreaders and serving set are such nice little touches.
How Festive! Michael’s had their Christmas trees, decorations on the shelves 2 weeks ago and the Christmas Carols are playing in a lot of retail stores now. Guess the merchants are hoping that this year will be more fruitful in sales than last year. Mary, is that a new tablecloth and napkins? I could just see all the red wash water when that is washed. Be sure to wash it in cold water and maybe add a little white vinegar to the water so the colors don’t bleed out. I remember having a pr. of red flannel pj’s one time, and not only did I ruin a set of sheets for the landlord but some other clothes too when I washed them with some other clothing. Those pj’s got put in the trash after that! That was about 51 years ago but I’ve never forgotten it!
Oh my! So Beautiful! I Love the plaid linens and the dinnerware.
You always have a Beautiful table setting with all the right touches.
Thank You for sharing!
Sandi
Ho ho ho, and so it begins! Cute chargers and salad servers. Been in the holiday mood all weekend thinking about my advent calendar, let the merriment begin!
Very cute, Mary! Kohl’s does have a good table linens selection. Very far from me, but that is a good thing!
Oh what a beautiful and fun table!…”Oh what fun….” I will have to see if any of my neighbors have a leyland cypress tree they need trimming…but on the other hand the deer around here keep them trimmed!!!…Love that beautiful pattern…and you always enhance it by your gorgeous tablescapes!!.
Oh, I love it! The little train is a wonderful addition. Off to Kohls to see if there is one in my store, wish me luck!
Love it all. Those chargers are amazing. I’ve just been looking at your do ahead holiday appetizers and they all look wonderful.
Oh wow, THANK YOU Mary!
This is really pretty. Love the plaid. It would work nicely with my Pfaltzgraff, Winterberry collection.
Such a festive table!
Plaids speak Christmas to me also…a long time ago, when I lived in SC I made a tablecloth using lengths of Black Watch plaid…at the time I also had a collection of red candles in different sizes and a collection of wooden, brass and silver rocking horses in assorted sizes…I remember one year I ran garlands of holly, cypress and cedar through the center of the table and then placed red candles at random and filled in with the rocking horses.
My napkins were BW plaid and solid green and the napkin rings were small wooden rocking horse tree ornaments. I used my son’s pewter plates and covered soup bowls…Unfortunately, we had a fire almost 15 years ago and all that stuff was lost…The many nieces and nephews and grandkids were quite impressed with that table…
What fun you must have working with all the beautiful tableware and you don’t fail expectations. I particularly like the use of the evergreen around the plates. I just might copy that idea.
It’s never to early to start thinking about Christmas! There’s always so much to do, so much to decorate…I think about it all year in anticipation!!! Besides, people look to our blogs for great ideas for holiday decorating, and your site certainly has no shortage of those!!! Case in point: the train on the table with the candy canes going for a ride! I lean toward the traditional most of the time, so plaid is totally up my alley! I love to decorate with fresh greenery when possible, and the way you displayed it around the plate and mixed it up with the candy canes are really neat ideas.
This is terrific table, mary, and it surely puts us all in the mood for a little jingle bells!
Gorgeous and festive as always! Love it!
You are a creative genius, my friend! Finding the train was serendipity! It is perfect, and I LOVE the plaids. I am going to go on a hunt for some leyland cyprus greens. May have to buy some at the nursery but will ask the neighbors first. Thanks for another beautiful table. How far in advance do you get the dishes to have time to shop for accessories. I am now going to look for the serving pieces. XO
Thanks for sharing your info. I really appreciate your
efforts and I am waiting for your further post thank
you once again.
Such a welcoming and festive table! So pretty with the plaids and perfect for the holiday season.
With Christmas only being seven Thursdays away I needed the motivation ☺. -Brenda-
P.S: Also thank you for including the Pfaltzgraff link.
Gorgeous. I love the plaid and that train is so perfect. Using greens around the plates is so pretty too. Thanks so much for linking to Inspire Me.
Oh my goodness, Mary…how special is all the RED & GREEN!! I just love the whimsical look to it…I know Ms. C. would flip over the train with all its contents. Too, too cute!
I have just a few dishes with the traditional Christmas tree motif…Nippon I think?…and seeing how you’ve arranged them gives me a whole new perspective on how to use them.
You continue to inspire with every post. Thank you SO much for sharing your wonderful ideas!
Hi, Mary! This is THE MOST charming and cheery Christmas Table I have ever seen! Really and truly the best! Thank you, I just love it.
Mary, your tablescape is joyful and beautiful. The tablecloth is one of the prettiest plaids I’ve seen in a long time, and it’s the perfect backdrop for your dishes. I enjoyed reading about how you draw inspiration from the pattern. Finding the train was no accident. Eudora Welty once said that when she was writing fiction, the things she needed seemed to come her way (I’m paraphrasing); this is true for any creative activity. So glad the train found its way to your home and this table. xxoo
Ho! Ho! Ho! What a festive table that is putting me in the mood to pull everything out and go ahead and start decorating! And the magical train completes the table!
Beautiful…I love everything about this table, especially the train and the chargers lined with evergreens. Lovely!