Your Holiday Table

You are setting the table for a holiday party. You want your table to be gorgeous, but there are lots of demands on your money. Do you sometimes wonder when you can cut corners and when you should splurge? The answer is, there are many ways you can save money and still set a stylish table. You do not have to go out and buy everything new. You can completely change the look and feel of your table by integrating some really inexpensive things with what you already have.

1. The biggest trick is mixing some inexpensive items with some of your more expensive things. The expensive items will elevate the look of the inexpensive ones, and everyone will think your table looks very luxurious.

2. Mixing styles is very in right now, and you can find cheaper-than-cheap dishes at import stores to mix with the china you already have. Small Asian-style bowls and plates in porcelain or lacquer look rich with many different china patterns. Simply designed glass plates are also a great addition. Last summer I purchased several sets of plastic salad plates at a craft store for $1.98 per set of four in both blue and green. By themselves they look like, well, plastic plates. But used as a charger under a dessert plate they tied in my color scheme and made the whole table look more interesting. No one even noticed that they were plastic.

3. You do not have to buy expensive candles. The scented ones will only compete with your delicious food, anyway. And who wants to eat freesia-scented lasagna, after all? You can buy large bags of votive candles and have them all over the house without spending a fortune. Keep your eyes peeled throughout the year for cheap votive holders. They do not have to match as long as they have simple lines, especially if they are all the same color. I like to collect clear ones, which go with everything, so I’ll only need one set.

4. Buy inexpensive holiday decorations at discount stores or on sale. If they are the wrong color, a quick once-over with a can of gold or silver spray paint can work wonders. Group them on the table with a couple of small, inexpensive plants to make a centerpiece that makes a statement.

5. You can find insanely inexpensive tablecloths at discount stores or on sale. I regularly use 3-yard lengths of fabric purchased for next to nothing on sale at a fabric store. If the fabric seems a little flimsy, make it appear more luxurious by layering it on top of a double-thick length of cotton flannel that you keep just for this purpose. Make sure the flannel hangs over the edges of your table by several inches so it hangs gracefully.

6. While you can make a spectacular table with inexpensive table coverings and decorations, you definitely should splurge on napkins. Your guests will be handling these, so the more luxurious the better. I buy white hotel napkins from Williams Sonoma and use them with almost all my table settings, regardless of theme or color. They have a wonderful feel, you can bleach them, and you can afford to spend a little more on them because you only need one set to go with everything. And you can replace any that become damaged or worn because the same ones are always available. Iron them with spray starch for a heavier, richer feel.

7. Your food is where you want to buy the very best you can afford. It will only be as good as the ingredients you choose, so cut back in other areas first. It is better to serve cheese fondue and a simple salad made with fresh, top-quality ingredients, rather than a seven-course exotic meal made with inferior ingredients. At the same time, expensive does not always equal better, so be sure you are looking at quality, not price.

Follow these simple guidelines and your table will be one of the most luxurious and distinctive on the block.