Hello fun job! This holiday season, I’m working with BIG W on a series of Christmas themed posts. I had a blast looking at their fab Christmas range and my best pick this week is Battery Operated LED light set (20 lights). They are only $2 and brilliant for all kinds of festive decorations and especially the table because they set that magical tone, and don’t need to be plugged in.
When it comes to decorating the Christmas table, I start with an easy centerpiece and work my way out from there. For the middle, I like to couple every day items from around the home with festive decorations. Then, once I have the centerpiece sorted, I look at extending a theme to the rest of the table with items like napkins, name place tags and bon bons.
Decorating the Table in Three Steps
- Start with a table centerpiece theme
- Use everyday items around the home
- Introduce colour and styling through festive decorations and items
Below are ideas on how I bring these three concepts together.
1. White Christmas in a Jar
Concept: a mini fantasy world in a jar
Colour scheme: silver and gold with white highlights
Everyday items: glass cookie jar, salt, glass tumblers (or glass jars)
Festive items: gold table runner, mini Christmas trees, silver mini bonbons, small gold baubles, LED lights, candle
Tip: instead of trees, use an angel or snowman figurine inside the jar
2. Baubles in Glass (with a holly garland)
Concept: easy to bring a pop of colour and a garland ties it all in
Colour theme: traditional red and green with silver highlights
Everyday items: large vase or bowl
Festive items: red table runner, garland, baubles
Tip: bring out the silver highlights with silver napkins and bon bons
3. Stick Christmas Tree
Concept: celebrate with nature
Colour theme: natural tones with diamond (clear) highlights
Everyday items: vase or large jar, tree sticks
Festive decorations: gold table runner, potpourri balls, LED lights, silver birds, diamond tree decorations, small gold baubles
Tip: Make joke tags with paper and hang on the tree
4. Candle & Beads
Concept: bring romance, fun and colour to the table
Colour theme: pink & green with bright highlights
Everyday items: vase/candle holder
Festive decorations: beads, baubles, candle
Tip: Christmas doesn’t always have to be in traditional colours
5. Tea Candle & Glass Tumblers
Concept: Simple! 6 to 8 glasses with tea light candles lined up in the middle of the table
Colour theme: gold, gold and everything gold with glass highlights
Everyday items: glass tumblers (or empty glass jars)
Festive decorations: LED lights, tea light candles, small gold baubles
Tip: attach ribbon to mason jars and use instead of glass tumblers
6. Light Jar
Concept: sparkly lights add a touch of magic to any setting
Colour theme: gold & brown
Everyday items: large jar, bowl or vase
Festive decorations: baubles, potpourri balls, LED lights
Tip: use different coloured baubles to match any theme
7. Fruit feature
Concept: decorate the usual, because it’s Christmas
Colour theme: blue and orange with gold highlights
Everyday items: large glass bowl, oranges
Festive decorations: diamanté stickers
Tip: add eucalyptus leaves and gum nuts along a table runner and add a scattering of LED lights
8. Ice Sculpture
Concept: make your own ice sculpture
Colour theme: white, red with silver highlights
Everyday items: water, balloon, tray/plate with sides
Festive items: candle
Tip: add poinsettia or red rose petals to the balloon before adding water
Good-good times are coming.
Video
The White Christmas in a Jar setting took under 5 minutes to set up. Below is a speedy version.
Giveaway
Get organised early this Christmas with a chance to win a $100 BIG W gift voucher. (I’ll have another 3 vouchers to giveaway in the upcoming weeks).
To enter, leave a comment below to the answer to this question (and your answer could be featured as part of the BIGW_HintSquad):
What food item is essential on your Christmas table and why?
T & Cs – Must be over 18 year of age, Australian residents only, judged on merit. Please read full terms and condition in the link above
Congratulations Rebecca Roffman!
Items I used available at BIG W:
LED lights ($2), 12 silver baubles-60mm ($3), mini bon bons-8 ($4), bird decoration pack ($3), diamond drop decoration-12 ($5), bead garland ($3), table runner ($13), 20 small gold baubles-40mm ($3), 92 tree decorating pack ($15), tinsel holly garland ($5), mini tree table decoration-3 pack ($10), tea light candle-60 ($9), large pillar candle ($8), wave tumbler-6 ($8), potpourri balls pack ($18), large candle vase ($20), large glass bowl ($20)
Disclosure
This post is sponsored by BIG W. All views and materials (including photographs) produced are my own. You can read my disclosure policy here.
265 Comments
Kim Morgan
November 25, 2013 at 11:44 pm“It’s usually a scorcher in WA, at Christmas Time, so I would have to say fresh king prawns with seafood sauce! (Yum!)”
Karina W
November 25, 2013 at 11:49 pmOne giant oversized honey glazed ham thats big enough to feed 500!
Natasha Tessier
November 25, 2013 at 11:50 pmPIES!!! I love almost any pie at Christmas!!
Evelina Dobrowolski
November 26, 2013 at 12:12 amIce cream pudding. Yummy christmas pudding but nice and cold for our Aussie Christmas.
Ramandeep Kaur
November 26, 2013 at 1:07 ampudding and fruit pies will work for me, as I am vegetarian and definitely gonna serve all veg. food to all my guests.
Erica Hunt
November 26, 2013 at 1:13 amA fruit platter. Best part of Christmas all the stone fruits and cherries yum yum yum it’s Christmas on a plate.
Shannon Philp
November 26, 2013 at 1:33 amDesserts desserts desserts – from trifle, summer fruit salad with mango lychees cherries always make sure you have room for dessets
monica gonzalez
November 26, 2013 at 3:45 amIce cold cherries there little bursts if christma
monica gonzalez
November 26, 2013 at 3:45 amChristmas
Trevia Bik
November 26, 2013 at 5:35 amOur family love cherries at Chrissy but really food isn’t necessary, as long as our family are here our Christmas is complete. ???? ????
Michelle
November 26, 2013 at 5:38 amPork Crackle! We all fight over who got the biggest peice, who’s was more crunchier we all love it !!
Yohana
November 26, 2013 at 5:41 amPavlova definitive !!!! Is my family favourite sweet . I love to topping it with berries and a touch of Xmas edible decorations .
Shannon
November 26, 2013 at 6:03 amPumpkin cheesecake. Its a dessert my Mum always made and everyone thought sounded horrible but was amazingly yummy!! Now she is not with us its a special reminder of her at a time when family is so important. I will be teaching my boys how to make this also as the eldest was her whole world and she never got to meet the youngest.
Jodie Chapman
November 26, 2013 at 6:06 amNuts in their shells. Reminds me of Christmas at my (dearly departed) Nan’s house, always had nuts in their shells. Only at Christmas…..
Jacqui Fenton
November 26, 2013 at 6:21 amLeg of ham! Always a must in our house!
And Christmas pudding from my Mother in Laws
handed down recipe. Delicious!
Erin Heer
November 26, 2013 at 6:21 amHome made open top fruit mince pies- homemade is always better than store bought, & the open top reduces the pastry calories.
Bianca Moore
November 26, 2013 at 6:37 amWe have a traditional hot English roast for lunch. Turkey, ham, roast veg and gravy followed by my Grandmas home made Christmas pudding and mum’s fruit mince pies. Also after dinner mints are a must on the table. We wouldn’t have it any other way!
Annie Marshall
November 26, 2013 at 6:37 amsugar coated peanuts. always had them on the christmas table growing up but they are sadly getting hard to find.
Matilda marie
November 26, 2013 at 6:38 amWe always have home made Bon bons on our table. They usually have magnets or key rings inside and funny things my family have said over the year leading up to Christmas.
jody buhagiar
November 26, 2013 at 6:49 amTRIFLE !! Every year we try and out do from the last, im sure there are more colours and custard than ever before, and more alcohol in it 🙂
samantha savva
November 26, 2013 at 7:05 amHomemade pavlova! It isnt Christmas without without dessert and it isnt dessert without Pavlova. Nom nom nom
Alicia
November 26, 2013 at 7:08 amRoast pork belly with pistachio and sage stuffing. Crispy, crunchy crackling is a must and a favourite! Love, love, love!
Jennelle
November 26, 2013 at 7:16 amTurkey with cranberry sauce is a must on our Christmas table! However so long as the whole family is there we’d be happy with baked beans =D after all Christmas is all about spending time with those dear to your heart!!
deb hill
November 26, 2013 at 7:18 amChristmas pudding with brandy custard…<3 merry Christmas everybody <3
Jackie Kennedy
November 26, 2013 at 7:23 amBrussels sprouts, I love them but funnily enough it’s the only time of year that I eat them:).
Rebecca Stamp
November 26, 2013 at 7:25 amAt Christmas I must have mixed lollies, chocolate coated peanuts and cashews. I know it doesn’t sound like traditional Christmas food but my mum loved Christmas and that’s what she always had even though there were only four of us! I like to keep that tradition going in memory of my mum. Of course we must also have prawns and smoked salmon and I look forward to the day I can have Christmas at my place and start creating my own Christmas food traditions. I’m especially loving the idea of all the roast pork…..Mmmmm crackling and pavlova *drool*!
Katrina Tait
November 26, 2013 at 8:12 amRum balls (or the less alcoholic variety for the kids)! Always a hit and something that we only ever have on the Christmas table.
Shae
November 26, 2013 at 8:23 amIt has to be the Christmas Ham! By New years we are well and truly over ham though!!
Maree Askell
November 26, 2013 at 8:58 amSweet Mince Tarts with a dusting of icing sugar and a bowl of cherries from the Adelaide Hills.
Michelle Harris
November 26, 2013 at 9:56 amWe are European so Lasagne and Panettone are a must followed by Espresso coffee
Kerry
November 26, 2013 at 12:37 pmSeafood in all different forms. From shelled prawns to fresh mussels in my own garlic butter sauce with herbs from my garden.
Shanra Grills
November 26, 2013 at 1:27 pmPork crackling, the one time of year we can eat guilt free,…
Jemma madden
November 26, 2013 at 2:51 pmWe’ve moved from Republic if Ireland to Australia – so struggling with the weather difference here at Christmas . The first year we hAd a BBQ but Turkey is Deffo a Must on our Christmas dinner table that and SPROUTS – weather we like them or not they’re going on the table !:) lol!
Rose
November 26, 2013 at 3:00 pmWe have the traditional hot roast and veg, but we change the choice of meat from year to year….however Prawns ALWAYS make an appearance on our Christmas table 🙂
claire Scott
November 26, 2013 at 7:01 pmI love Pavlova with cream and yummy fresh fruit like mango, banana, strawberry and kiwi yummmm
Donna Denton
November 26, 2013 at 10:25 pmFor as long as I can remember, there was always tinned asparagus and gherkins on the table for Christmas lunch and I have continued that (even if I am the only one who will eat them). I also have to have a roasted turkey breast no matter what else we are having. We follow that with a plum pudding and custard and eat copious amounts of lollies and chocolate covered nuts and sultanas and rumballs (if there are any left). Dinner is always trifle, pavlova and jelly and ice cream. Because it is the one day of the year that you can eat all of your favourites!
Maria P
November 27, 2013 at 9:43 amMango Salsa. It goes brilliantly with all that yummy Christmas ham.
Renee Ballantyne
November 27, 2013 at 11:12 amcranberry sauce for sure as chrissy dinner isn’t the same without it
Katrina Corbett
November 27, 2013 at 12:34 pmPrawns with homemade seafood sauce is a must and always on our christmas table.
Megan
November 27, 2013 at 4:04 pmDefinitely roast vegies; because it means family, it means togetherness and it means a tradition of 40 years of Christmas’!
Kate L
November 27, 2013 at 8:57 pmBrandy Buttercream Cupcake brings back my fondest Christmas memories.
Luscious fruit mince cupcakes with a melting brandy-flavored heart and topped with snowy buttercream icing…. Mmmm, makes me dream of a white Christmas!
abbey dunne
November 27, 2013 at 9:44 pmYorkshire puddings, nothing like a piece of battery goodness to bring back memories of the homeland whilst celebrating Christmas in Sunny Australia.
Charlotte
November 27, 2013 at 9:50 pmMy grandma’s famous shortbread, because although she can no longer join us at the table for Christmas her spirit lives on in this treat we have all enjoyed every year for as long as I can remember!
Michelle Gray
November 27, 2013 at 10:10 pmDad’s camp oven cooked lamb roast, it’s so so good, words can not describe!!
Eugenia
November 27, 2013 at 11:08 pmMum’s homemade bread rolls! It’s not only the perfect accompaniment to a hearty Christmas roast, entree, or soup, but also gives us reason to ‘break bread’ with each other and share in the Christmas spirit.
Janine Marie Gardiner
November 28, 2013 at 6:31 amOur homemade potato salad. Everyone gets involved with making it every christmas, with lots of advice, and we make enough to last for three days because we all love it soooo much. It’s been a family tradition for over thirty years now.
Tanya Clarke
November 28, 2013 at 6:32 amChristmas turkey is always on the Christmas table. It wouldn’t feel like Christmas without it at our family home, even if it is 40 degrees outside!
Alisia Cameron
November 28, 2013 at 9:18 amIt HAS to be a roast Chicken! If only because of the terrible dad joke that gets told (by my dad, of course) every year (EVERY year…) as he serves up…
‘Hey everyone shhh, listen, hey, why did they let the chicken join the band … because he had the DRUMSTICKS! Haha, get it!? Drumsticks!”
Shan Tee Rickus
November 28, 2013 at 9:47 amChristmas is approaching,
This year it’s such a treat!
With two daughters under two,
We’re kept up on our feet!
To celebrate a first,
And a second Christmas Day.
The deco has to be perfect!
And I always get my way!
With a Real Housewife budget,
I’d go OTT on the glam!
But my budget is conservative,
So it’s not caviar it’s ham!
A golden leg of pork,
Cooked with honey glaze.
Served centre of the table,
And with leftovers for days.
As a true Blue Kiwi.
I MUST have seafood platters!
Garlic skewered prawns,
And lobster is what matters!
Crunchy garden salads,
Creamy potatoes too.
You could say our family Christmas,
Revolves around our food!
But the dish that is a must.
And I can genuinely say I love her.
Is a strawberry crowned and creamed,
Queen Christmas Pavalova.
A Queen that’s loved by many.
The perfect finish to our day.
It’s cheer and joy all round.
I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Sarah
November 28, 2013 at 10:31 amSeafood!!! Prawns, oysters, baby octopus, calamari etc
Kath
November 28, 2013 at 10:34 amCherries! Lots and lots of cherries. Why? because Grandma used to always have them…so Mum did and now I do. It is our thing 🙂