My Last Years Christmas Tablescape 

So I wanted to share with you all my tablescape that I did last Christmas. I will probably keep the same set up this year, because it worked so well.

I decided to use my table in my formal dining room as the centerpiece for the cocktail party. I used shiny linen fabric and several Christmas lights to create a dramatic backdrop for the table. I don’t want to sound over cautious, but please be careful with Christmas lights. I absolutely love them and my home is filled with them at Christmas so I am not saying you shouldn’t use them, but you must be aware that they are a fire hazard. According to www.nfpa.org, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated annual average of 200 house fires that began with Christmas trees in 2011–2015. These fires caused an annual average of 6 civilian deaths, 16 civilian injuries, and $14.8 million in direct property damage. Therefore, be aware of the dangers and how to use them safely, but also make sure that you have sufficient home insurance cover. Click here to learn more about protecting your home from fires at Christmas.

Now that safety is out of the way, the lights did look lovely. You can’t really have Christmas without some fun lights and decorations, so make sure to decorate your home however you want. One thing to keep in mind is that energy bills may increase around this period. This is due to all of the lights and decorations that will be using up your energy. If you’re trying to keep to a budget around Christmas time, it might be worth looking into reducing your gas and electricity costs. Homeowners can read more here on that if they’d like to. Christmas is such an expensive time, so saving money is always a positive. Anyway, as well as my fabric and lights backdrop, I incorporated several holiday florals into the table and chandalier to provide a warm and festive feel to the room. To bring a warm and welcoming feel to the room I used ivory throw pillows as accents for under the table, which included a custom made “Merry Christmas” sign.

As guess arrived I welcomed them to the door with a holiday spritzer which consisted of equal parts: Ginger Ale, Vodka and Cranberry juice, 1 fresh cranberry and fresh Thyme.

I also made my first attempt at one of my dearest friends recipes…CAKE BALLS! Oh what an adventure, but I did get through it with her guidance :). I was happy with how they turned out. They were not as pretty as the ones she makes, but the sure were a hit with my guest! I displayed the cake balls in a great find that I found at my local Michaels Art’s n Crafts store. It is a beautiful sparkling sleigh. I was also excited to get it at 1/2 price!!!!

I was also excited to use my new bar set that I picked up at one of my favorite stores (Pier One). I have been looking at this set for awhile and finally picked it up prior the the holidays!