Anya Hindmarch, designer
I love thoughtful touches on a Christmas table. This year my table will be laden with our crackers, complete with funny (hopefully!) jokes, hats and stickers. There will also be one of our ceramic baubles at each place-setting – a little something to decorate their trees for years ahead.
Twig Hutchinson, Minford journal
Add impact and colour without splashing out on new table linen by using wrapping paper as an oversized place setting for each of your guests: marbled papers from Compton Marbling or Shepherds bookbinders. Cut a standard sheet in half and then lay your placement on top, including the cutlery, etc. Also, vintage madeleine moulds, easily found on Etsy or eBay, make the prettiest tapered candle holders.
Charlie McCormick, gardener
Our Christmas table is a white tablecloth, on which we have lots of candles and narcissus paperwhites – a type of daffodil which you can force to flower inside during the winter months and which I sometimes put into smaller silver cups. But really I love just foraging for anything I can find – rose hips look great.
Paula Sutton, Hill House Vintage
I think napkins are great at elevating a table. I have napkin rings of every kind, but otherwise make your own with twine or string. Look for bay leaves or holly to thread through the twine. Better still, if you find a leaf that is large and flat, you can write your guest’s name on it as a place-card for a very special touch.
Phil John Perry, florist
A centrepiece down the middle of your table can be created with minimal effort with whatever you can find outside – holly, spruce, bay leaves and herbs – and by tangling the stems of one flower into the next. I like things at different levels to have different focal points; use upside down bowls or vintage glasses as plinths on which to rest other bowls of fruit or nibbles, to create an interesting “up and down” effect.
Laura Jackson, Glassette
I always do DIY crackers (from any great craft store). It’s a way of giving a lovely present which isn’t nail clippers. I always paint them myself (or this year my daughter is helping) with bold stripes of acrylic paint and then I tie around coloured chunky velvet at either end for something very personalised.
Caroline Kent, Scribble & Daub
I’m all about paper for decorating – it’s affordable and sustainable. Find vintage streamers online and at vintage markets which you can weave over the table, adding bowls of marzipan fruits and sugared almonds for an extra treat and some fun festive colour without resorting to the usual clichéd shades.
Tina Vaia, designer
A Christmas table has to be fun – and starts with a great tablecloth. I love creating a high/low effect with tapered candles and branches, as it makes a good visual landscape and you never want anything that cuts off the person opposite. My platters and bowls are raised, too, so you can squeeze other dishes alongside, as there is never enough space.
Milli Proust, florist
I love using straw flowers because they shine in the candlelight and they make a beautiful scene for as little as £10 a bunch. Cut them to different heights and stick them in bottles or stoneware vases, place them next to different candles and they will glow so beautifully. They also work well with wintery foliage.
Skye McAlpine, food writer
I always want my table to look bountiful, as if it’s from a painting. This means lots of candles at different heights and stacked-up cake stands on which I stick pears, apples, grapes or leafy clementines to create a sense of abundance. Smaller bowls of nuts, chocolates and gold coins strewn down the centre of the table can also look very festive.
