Rustic Christmas Tea Table Decorating Ideas

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40 Merry and Bright DIY Christmas Table Settings

Fun place card holders, centerpieces and decorations for a memorable dinner.

Brian Woodcock

The start of winter should be a cue to plan out your Christmas decorations. Of course, you can't escape finalizing your holiday gift list, but finding time to settle on things like a festive wreath for your front door or a clever theme for your Christmas tree can make all the difference. In the midst of your holiday planning, don't overlook your dinner table. DIY Christmas table settings are an easy way to show off your style and let guests know just how much attention you pay to the details.

This year, make your loved ones feel extra special with any one of these Christmas table settings, from candy cane place card holders to a table runner crafted of garland. Now all you have to do is make sure your holiday menu is just as good.

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Candy Cane Place Card Holders

Grab the mini candy canes that didn't make it onto your Christmas tree and put them to use as place card holders. Go for an assortment of colors for a fun look.

SHOP CANDY CANES

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Holiday Shakers

If you love nothing more than a good holiday shaker, this easy craft idea is for you. Fill basic salt and pepper shakers with everything from mini trees to reindeer to add a festive touch to your table.

SHOP SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS

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Gingerbread Place Card Holder

Give the place cards you use year after a year a rest this time around. Instead, place gingerbread cookies on top of cloth napkins and wrap them in a complementary ribbon.

SHOP GINGERBREAD COOKIES

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Rustic Charm

Give your dining room table a log cabin feel for the holidays. All it takes are a few flea market finds—think wooden crates, vintage sleds and snow-covered trees.

SHOP WOODEN CRATE

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Laid-Back Style

Your Christmas table setup doesn't have to be over the top to make a statement. Swap placemats for folded tea towels and use red tumblers as vases for a simple yet chic look.

SHOP TUMBLERS

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Christmas Light Napkin Rings

Don't be so quick to toss your unusable Christmas bulbs in the trash. Consider turning them into festive napkin rings. Just place a loop of red and white baker's twine at the bottom of each bulb with hot glue. Then, tie your new creations around colorful rolled napkins.

SHOP CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

RELATED: 32 Cozy Christmas Living Room Ideas

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Fun and Fancy

Mix pinks with gold accents. We used a scarf as a table runner! Repurpose pieces from broken terracotta pots as name cards.

SHOP TABLE RUNNER

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Christmas Drink Picks

Bring more holiday cheer to your guests' drinks with some fun skewers fit for the occasion. Cut your drink skewers to about 3" long, then attach mini bottle brush trees in fun colors to the top of each one. Simple hot glue works well for this project.

SHOP BOTTLE BRUSH TREES

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Festive Chalkboard Nametags

Use chalkboard paper for your tablecloth, and write the names of guests above the plates. Make napkin rings by stringing cranberries on a thin wire, tying it into a circle with a sprig of eucalyptus.

SHOP CHALKBOARD PAPER

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Napkin Bells

You can't deny that holiday bells have magic. Bring that same spirit to your table by dressing each corner of your dinner napkin with mini bells.

SHOP BELLS

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Formal With a Twist

Try an icy blue and silver color palette. For the name card, tie a store-bought tag to a metallic glass ornament.

SHOP ORNAMENTS

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A Pop of Plaid

Go for a snowy New England vibe and consider using a few plaid throws as table cloths — preferably old ones that can withstand inevitable spills.

SHOP PLAID THROW

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Cozy Christmas

Use real pine cones and fresh flowers to give off a subtle aroma that'll have guests reminiscing about holidays past. Learn how to make the snowflake napkin ring with our step-by-step tutorial.

SHOP PINECONES

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Wreath Chandelier

Using a hook and ribbon, suspend greens from the ceiling above your table. Love the look, but have a permanent light fixture? Drape pine around the frame and secure with ribbon.

SHOP WREATHS

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Crafty Leaf Garland

To express your creativity, make your own leaf garland out of green craft paper. Add red jingle bells to finish the festive look.

SHOP GREEN CRAFT PAPER

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Wooden Bead Stars

Add more visual interest to your table runner by using wooden beads to make star-shaped decorative accents.

SHOP WOODEN BEADS

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Felt Tree-Topped Hurricanes

Transform your table into an enchanted pine forest. Just cut out fir shapes from felt and hot-glue them onto candle holders filled with faux snow.

SHOP FELT

Get the tutorial »

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Black-and-Gold Dinner Table

This elegant mix of gold cutlery with black accents creates a simple color palette that feels polished and sophisticated.

SHOP FLATWARE

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Mercury Glass and Cranberries

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Garland Runner

Gone are the days when you only have to rely on traditional cloth table runners. For Christmas, make your table feel a bit more special by draping garland right down the center.

SHOP GARLAND

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Indoor Wreath

Treat a nearby windowsill like the mantel and layer greenery, candles, and pinecones. Hang a rustic wreath up top for the finishing touch.

SHOP WOOD CHIP WREATH

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Fancy Plates

Break out the fine china, or put one gilded salad plate atop an everyday set to make each place setting feel special. A runner of greenery and blooms is a low-profile floral option that's easy for guests to chat over.

SHOP FRESH RUNNERS

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Woodsy Centerpiece

This five-minute centerpiece is as easy as filling a glass container with unshelled nuts, faux cranberries, pine cones, cinnamon sticks, and dried citrus. Centered on a polished wood slice, the table's good to go.

SHOP TRIFLE BOWLS

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Adorned Chairs

Mini wreaths tied to chair frames with raw-edge ribbon will make every person at the table feel like the guest of honor.

SHOP GRAPEVINE WREATHS

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Personalized Place Settings

A bit of greenery is all your neutral linens need. After making name cards with cut cardboard, secure the tags to a circle of leaves welcoming each guest.

SHOP FAUX LEAVES

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Piles of Gifts

Not all the presents need to be under the tree. Show off your prettiest wrapping paper on the dinner table, swapping pink for red for an extra twist. Fill out the display with homemade confetti-filled ornaments in coordinating colors.

SHOP GOLD PAPER

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Edible Name Card Holders

Thanks to a pearl-topped pin, ripe pears serve as edible name-card holders. Pears also appear, with greenery and tiny ornaments, in a DIY-on-a-dime centerpiece.

SHOP PEARL HEAD PINS

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Fancy Fruit

Faux grapes, limes, and pears dusted with glitter look plucked from Jack Frost's icy orchard — and will last for years. (To craft, coat fruit with spray adhesive and roll in a mixture of three parts white glitter to one part silver glitter.

SHOP FAUX PEARS

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Ultra Modern Colors

Black, white, and neon yellow aren't the traditional palette, but they look fresh on baubles and paper Christmas trees. For each not-so evergreen, use printed card stock or paint on your own mod patterns.

SHOP WHITE ORNAMENTS

Monique Valeris Senior Home Editor, Good Housekeeping Monique Valeris is the senior home editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers decorating ideas, home tours, gift guides and more.

Katie Bourque As an Editorial Fellow for Good Housekeeping, Katie covers health, beauty, home, and pop culture.

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