It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
We’re getting closer and closer to December and I don’t know about you, but we’re ready to dive right into all things Christmas! We’ve been slowly adding festive decorations throughout the house, and I’m just dying to go to the tree farm to pick out our first real Christmas tree! This time of year is always so busy with all the preparations leading up to Christmas; decorating the house, shopping for gifts and planning your annual parties and family gatherings.
Christmas is my favourite holiday for many reasons but the traditions and spending time with family and friends is what makes it extra special. There’s a magical kind of energy that fills a house during the holidays as the ones you love come together under one roof. All the time spent shopping and cooking is well worth it when you look around to see everyone enjoying quality time together.
Gathering together around the table to enjoy a meal with your family is one of the many highlights of the season. Whether you do a potluck full of traditional dishes or a Christmas morning brunch, like our family, it’s always fun to pull out and show off all your holiday linens and kitchenware. Setting the table is something I’ve always enjoyed doing, especially when I can add just the right details to make it extra festive.
I’ve put together a Christmas tablescape using all the wonderful holiday inventory found at Anna’s, and I hope it will inspire you!
This will be our first year getting a real Christmas tree and I’m beyond excited for that fresh pine scent to fill our house. If you’re more an artificial tree type, there are other ways to get that glorious evergreen smell inside your home. In the past I’ve incorporated fresh garland throughout the house by hanging it around the kitchen window, placing it on the mantel and attaching pieces to some of my mirrors. Another great way to incorporate fresh boughs and garland is on your dinner table. Anna’s has a great selection of fresh greenery, garlands and wreaths to create the perfect look inside and outside your home.
The first step to putting together the perfect Christmas table scene is figuring out what colour scheme best suits your style and home. I’ve decided to go with the traditional red and green Christmas theme and started with this beautiful table runner that offers a subtle herringbone pattern in a rich red and natural linen. Table runners are great at framing and drawing the eye to the centre of the table, and layering is a great way to achieve dimension and include a variety of different textures to your tabletop. Setting a cozy atmosphere is key to creating a warm and welcoming table, a place where your family and friends want to gather. Candlelight instantly does that for me so I was drawn to these simple cast iron candlesticks. I placed three of these evenly down the centre of the table and then began arranging all my fresh greens. I selected boughs of long needle pine, boxwood and juniper. I arranged and wove these through the candlesticks to create the look and fullness I desired. Next, I nestled a strand of vintage ornaments throughout the greenery and added a strand of battery-operated twinkle lights. The addition of the dried orange slices throughout the centrepiece finished everything off perfectly and gives off those vintage Christmas vibes I was going for. This was my first year making these dried oranges and they are so easy to make. I will be stringing them to make a garland and probably hanging them in my kitchen. Here are the simple instructions on how to make your own!
What you need:
- oranges (to make a garland cut up 5-8 depending on how long you want it)
- Knife
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- String (if you want to make a garland)
- Scissors
- Needle (with large eye – if you’re making a garland)
- Cinnamon & Orange essential oil (optional)
Set oven to 225.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut oranges into thin slices and place on a baking sheet.
Bake for one hour then flip over and bake for another hour.
Keep baking and checking every 15-20 minutes and taking out the ones that are browning.
Place on cooling rack and let them dry out for another day or two (I placed mine by heat vents to help with the drying process). Add a couple of drops of cinnamon and orange essential oil to each slice (optional).
*For garland*- Use a needle and thread the string through the slices.
Hang and enjoy!
I gave each place setting a little extra love by neatly folding and placing napkins, a mini pine cone wreath ornament and a place card on top of each plate. Personalized touches show that you’ve gone the extra mile and makes for an overall finished appearance. Anna’s has an amazing selection of seasonal dishcloths with a variety of prints and patterns that can also be used as napkins. I chose these plaid and stripe ones that come in a set of two. If you’re looking to add some holiday hosting dishes to your collection make sure you run into Anna’s, they have platters, bowls and mugs that are not only beautiful but practical too. The Vintage Christmas theme at Anna’s is one of my favourites, the old red trucks, the muted red and linen shades and the aged ornaments all come together to create such a warm and homey feeling.
Enjoying a hot coffee or tea with your guests is a must during the holidays, so set up a little drink station so everyone can help themselves. Display all your seasonal mugs and don’t forget to stop at Anna’s to grab some Four O’Clock tea, Balzac coffee and a cute mug or two!
Like I mentioned earlier, our family does a Christmas Day brunch with all our favourite breakfast food. This year I’m so excited to try out Anna’s lineup of breakfast goodies! They carry protein pancake mix in three different flavours, always delicious Mucci strawberries and a line up of strawberry, blueberry and apple flavoured syrups by Cooper’s Mill. Setting up a pancake and waffle bar with all the fruit, syrup and whip cream will not only be delicious but makes for a fun experience too!
Christmas will be here before we know it and I can’t wait to start planning and prepping for our annual Christmas parties and gatherings.
What are some of your favourite ways to decorate your table for Christmas dinner? Share your ideas in the comments below!
