12 Christmas Dinner Table Ideas (+ Free Printable Menu)

A beautiful Christmas table does not need a big budget. A few printed touches, some greenery and candlelight go a long way. Here are twelve ideas, starting with the easiest.

1. Print a menu. A menu on every plate or one in a frame in the centre makes dinner feel like an occasion. Download our free Christmas menu in evergreen and gold, ready-written or blank. 2. Write place cards by hand. Handwritten names on tent cards feel personal and settle the "where do I sit?" moment. Our menu and place card set includes tent cards eight to a sheet. 3. Use a greenery runner. Lay sprigs of fir, eucalyptus or rosemary down the centre. Rosemary smells wonderful and costs very little. 4. Choose one colour scheme. Red and green for tradition, green and gold for elegance, or soft red with cream. Match your menu design to it: our set has Evergreen & Gold, Holly Berry and Red Bow. 5. Tie napkins with ribbon. Tuck a 4 × 9 in menu card into each napkin for a restaurant feel. 6. Light it low. Tea lights in jars, or a few tall candles, flatter food and faces alike. Keep flames away from greenery. 7. Add crackers. Lay a cracker across each plate. Print a few cracker jokes of your own for the ones that come without. 8. Set a drinks station. A printed drinks menu beside the glasses saves you playing waiter all evening. 9. Make a children's corner. Put colouring pages and a word search at the children's places. Our free word search is ready to print. 10. Plan the cooking. Write a timing plan, working back from when you want to sit down, and stick it on the fridge. 11. Keep the centre low. Guests should be able to see each other over the decorations. 12. Plan a game for after. Once plates are cleared, a Christmas quiz keeps everyone at the table a little longer.

For more, browse all our Christmas printables.