Sit-Down Christmas Dinner in a Small House

Happy New Year!

As my long-time readers know, in our home, Christmas goes on until Jan 6th... at least!

 With that in mind, I wanted to share the tablescape and table set-up I created for last week's family Christmas dinner.

We have a small house by today's standards so it is a challenge to accommodate multiple guests for sit down meals but with a little ingenuity, we make it work.

This year, we were expecting 16 family members so we purchased a fold-up banquet table. By moving the existing furniture back, we were able to place it in our living room. I set the table with 8 place settings but you could accommodate 2 more on the ends if need be. 

 

 

These types of tables are the usual length but are narrower than standard tables.  As such, it is a bit more difficult to create a centerpiece but of course, I did my best!

 

 

Black lanterns and candlelight were the theme for the centerpiece design.

 

A bit of tartan, some Christmas greenery and these black & white salad plates Canadian Superstore rounded out the colour scheme for the tables.

Basic stacking chairs were given a bit of formality with some white pillow cases embellished with ribbon and silver ornaments.

 (Thanks to my mom for the idea!)

 

Below, you can see that the table just fit alongside our living room furniture.

 

A look at the living room/dining room set-up.

 

Two extra leaves added to our regular dining room table allowed for eight guests to sit here as well.

Black lanterns were given a Christmas look with votive candles inside glass inserts along with faux greenery and berries.

I didn't have enough black dinner plates so mixed and matched with white ones.

 

Some sparkly votive holders on pedestals amongst faux greenery were placed in the space between the lanterns.

 

A side view...

 

I wanted to add a bit of trendy tartan to my table so I folded a plaid napkin around the center of the table runner.

 

 

Once the meal was over, this table in the living room was easily de-decorated and folded up...

 

 ...so we could use the existing furniture to sit and visit in, in comfort.

What did you do for your Christmas dinner table(s) set up? Were you able to accommodate all your guests for a sit-down meal?

 

Although it might take some advanced planning and a bit of manual labour, it's always nice when guests can sit at a table for special occasions.

In case you are wondering...we had our guests serve themselves from the food laid out "buffet-style" on our kitchen island and then they sat down at the table(s).

 

 

Thanks for visiting!

All the best for 2015!

 

I will be linking this post to these wonderful blog parties:

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Foodie Friday & Everything Else at Rattlebridge Farm

Feathered Nest Fridays at French Country Cottage

Weekend Retreat at AKA Design & Life

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Saturday Sparks at Pieced Pastimes

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings

Tutorials & Tips at Home Stories A to Z

The Scoop at Stone Gable

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Tuesdays at Our Home at Our Home Away From Home

Show & Share at Coastal Charm

Talented Tuesday at Home Remedies

Wow us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table & Dreaming