Tablescapes are a fun and easy way to add festive flair to the dining table or any other table in your home for the Christmas Season. It can be as simple as putting a few pinecones in a bowl and putting it on the table, or as elaborate as creating a Christmas scene down the length of the full table. We have been having lots of fun at the store changing up the tablescapes on a weekly basis and coming up with  new ideas for each one.

The first step would be to come up with a theme. It can go with the china dishes and silverware that you plan to use for dinner, and/or follow the same decor style used on the Christmas tree and other areas of the home. It can be rustic, elegant, Victorian, whatever you decide to do. If you plan to use a tablecloth, that will be the background that you build on. A colourful fabric runner can be placed on top of the cloth or you might choose to place the scape on top of a mirror, piece of reclaimed wood, for example, or just on the table itself. The choice is yours!

One tablescape idea that works well is using green garland, and dressing it up. Run the garland down the table first. You can light the garland up by running battery operated mini lights through the garland. If there are some bigger things such as candle holders, mini trees, angels, tree toppers, hurricane lamps, nutcrackers, or any other favourite or heirloom pieces you have, this is the time to place them in and along the green garland. If using candles, choose the battery operated candles as these are safer. When the bigger items are placed, you can add flowers , branches, berries, cones, fresh or decorative fruit, nuts decorative garland strands, Christmas ornaments, and anything else that you like. If there is no garland, place the bigger items along the runner, mirror, etc., spacing them and setting the taller items in the centre and working out. Now you can add the smaller items. Let your imagination go.

For something smaller scale you can use a Christmas wreath set in the centre of the table and place a few favourite things in and around the wreath. Or you can fill a bowl with berries, cones, moss, fruit, or a mixture of and add a few whimsical items around it. Trays or a decorative plate, can also be used to make a tablescape. Place a few of your favourite items on a tray/plate and place it on the table. Favourite items could be a snowman collection, or a few decorative ornaments, candles, greens, plants, again anything that adds to the theme.

Even a vase filled with some curly willow or other branches and then hanging a few small ornaments off of the branches is attractive, or just placing a few decorative floral Christmas picks in a vase and placing it along the table.

A tablescape is a great way to showcase some of your favourite Christmas pieces or to just add some sparkle to a table that needs a decorative touch!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden  Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill road (closed for the season)