Expert Dinner Party Tips From IKEA

No matter what time of year it is or what the celebration may be, dinner parties bring families and friends together in a comforting way. These expert tips from IKEA will help you set the right tablescape for any occasion.

Deck the Halls
A traditional holiday theme can be done in a number of ways. Here, the centerpiece features a candle illuminating a vase that is surrounded by garland and ornaments following the table’s color scheme. You can also fill the vase with ornaments and bring in the lighting element with well-placed LED lights instead. The best part is that you likely already have these items on hand and can use them in new ways on your holiday table.

Visions of Sugarplums
Put your guests in the holiday spirit with customized place settings that can be re-used as decorations for their own homes. For a fun family project, write your guests’ names on wooden or glass ornaments and tie them around each napkin with a sprig of pine from a real Christmas tree. The pine will bring in a fresh seasonal scent. Whether you use fine china or everyday dinnerware to serve the meal, the seasonal components that add a holiday flair are in the details.

Setting the Scene
This colorful tablescape has a theme that can be used all year round. To do this at home, choose the colors you want to use for your place settings (setting them off with some flashes of white like you see in the dinner plate) then pick the complementary color that will make it pop (as you see here in the napkin). Determining a complementary color is easy when you use a color wheel – just pick the color that is directly across from your main colors on the wheel. It’s a surefire way to know they will work together.

Pops of Color
The bright and cheery colors you choose can be carried throughout the whole table without going overboard. For this centerpiece, one of the main colors is represented in the candle and the pop of color is in the details. When using candles, do not use a scented variety, as the smell of the candle will clash with the aromas from your meal.