10 best Christmas table decorations

From festive placemats and napkins to freshly made centrepieces, IndyBest finds decorative pieces to enliven your Christmas table

Put the finishing touches to your Christmas dinner and display your culinary triumphs with pride with our edit of table decorations, from fresh foliage centrepieces and place cards to napkins and tea lights.

1. Broste Birch Candle: £14, johnlewis.com

This white, birch-wrapped pillar candle is as elegant as it is unusual; perfect for a neutral, more rustic colour scheme. It’s unscented, so you can enjoy it without the smell overpowering your food.

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2. The Forest & Co Mistletoe Lights: £24, notonthehighstreet.com

You could put them on the mantlepiece or banister, but we think this 1.5m garland of artificial mistletoe and snow-dusted pinecone LED lights would look great running up the centre of your Christmas table. The flex is clear rather than green for a lovely, subtle finish.

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3. Laser Cut Nightlight: From £5, etsy.com

These plywood houses add a touch of Scandi style; simply remove the base and insert the battery-operated candle to light up your meal. Get them made with your own house name or number or start a village with three different sizes.

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4. ‘Christmas with the…’ Personalised Table Runner: £30, notonthehighstreet.com

Celebrate a family Christmas with pride on this hessian table runner, which is personalised with your surname printed in red or black; one to keep for many years to come. Order by Friday for delivery in time for Christmas.

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5. Red Christmas Heart Felt Placemat: £1.95, dotcomgiftshop.com

Red placemats are a simple way to add festive colour to your usual white tablecloth and they’re a bit of a bargain, too. You can also thread the tops with ribbon and hang on the wall above the fireplace or over door frames.

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6. Four Robin Napkins: £40, thornbackandpeel.co.uk

Ditch the paper napkins and invest in a beautiful set of hand-printed cotton napkins in this brown and red robin design. Matching crackers also available for the well-co-ordinated table.

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7. Party Porcelain Gold Stag Canape Picks: £8.50, talkingtables.co.uk

Add a festive touch to your pre-dinner canapés or simply jazz up the pigs in blankets with these gold, stag-decorated cocktail sticks. Save the decorations and put them on new sticks for next year.

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8. Party Penguin Christmas Table Confetti: £2.99, thelastdetail.co.uk

Confetti doesn’t have to be tacky, as evidenced by this super cute penguins-in-santa-hats and snowflake scatter; though, unfortunately, it’s still just as annoying to clear up afterwards.

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9. Six Christmas Cracker Place Cards: £2.75, paperchase.co.uk

Sometimes a seating plan is necessary to avoid the dreaded family spats and keep the conversation flowing. Guide your guests to their seats with these cracker-shaped place cards, which are double-sided red and white, so you can choose which best suits your colour scheme.

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10. Christmas Jewel Candle Centrepiece: £50, waitrosedirect.com

The traditional fresh table centrepiece is given a modern update with the red-and-purple colour scheme of this one from Waitrose, featuring fresh roses and foliage, pine cones and a Christmas-red candle in a hurricane vase. Last delivery Tuesday 23 December.

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Verdict:
If your Christmas decs are traditional red, white and green, we reckon Waitrose’s fresh Christmas Jewel Centrepiece is just the finishing touch you need, but if it’s understated, simple style you’re after, the Broste Birch Candle and Thornback and Peel Napkins make a delightful pair.

More decorations: 12 best Christmas crackers
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