Inspiring New Years Eve tablescape ideas: celebrate the occasion in style

Setting a beautifully looking table is a very pleasant activity which adds to the festive mood of any occasion. We have selected some inspiring New Years Eve tablescape ideas which will help you arranging all the details. What, exactly, is tablescape? Some call it “the art of the overall table decor”. In simple words this means combining colors, centerpiece and place settings, choosing proper accessories, cutlery and tableware, etc.

Do you have to create a special New Years Eve tablescape? The answer is simple – if you want to make your family and friends feel special, if you want to create a festive atmosphere and good mood around the table, then it is worth spending some thought on table décor. What many people do not realize is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on decoration. Sometimes less is more! You can use your everyday dishes and cutlery and just add a touch of glamor!

New Years Eve tablescape ideas – feel free to experiment

One of the greatest advantages of New Years Eve tablescape ideas is that they allow you to experiment. Setting a festive table does not require keeping to strict rules and you can give free rein to your imagination and design talents. Nowadays the choice of New Year’s Eve decoration is extremely wide, thanks to a huge selection of festive and decorative elements – bright confetti, beautiful candles, garlands, snowflakes, symbols of the coming year, colorful New Year themed napkins, etc.

The first step is to choose a theme. Think of something that inspires you! You can create a composition based on the interior of the room, the color or pattern of the tablecloth, napkins or wine glasses, and of course, the occasion – the end of the old and the arrival of the new year.

What do you need for the perfect festive tablescape? Whatever the theme or color palette, you need some basic elements – tablecloth and runner, dishes, glasses, napkins, decorative elements like candlesticks, candles, glassware, flowers or branches, etc. If you look around, it is very likely that you already have most of these so it is time to start decorating!

How to set a table for New years Eve – simple step by step instructions to follow

Everyone who has tried decorating a table is aware that it may sound pretty simple but, in fact, requires some attention and careful planning. We will give you some guidelines to follow which will make this task a lot easier. However, it is important that you prepare the table before the arrival of the guests and not leave everything for the last minute.

Choosing a color palette is the first step. Select a tablecloth, runner and placemats, if using any. The colors suitable for New Years Eve are gold, silver, black, but Christmas red is also absolutely recommended. With white, you know, you are never wrong but it should be enriched with elements in contrasting color, unless you plan an all-white decor. If you plan lavish decorations, it is best if you choose a neutral or single-color tablecloth. Make sure that the tablecloth as well as napkins are clean and ironed.

Arrange a table centerpiece – this is step two. Again – you have a lot of freedom for creativity. A glass bowl full of glittery or sparkly ornaments, candlesticks, vases, bouquets, figurines, garlands, evergreens, homemade decorations – choose whatever works with your theme.

Create the place setting. Here you can follow the rules of formal etiquette or choose a more liberal setting. Think of what you will really need. You may have beautiful soup bowls, but if you are not serving soup, they have no place at the table. Forget about plastic dishes. Use plates and glasses made of glass, crystal, ceramic or porcelain. Spoons, forks and knives must be made of metal. Gold decorative elements, for example, napkin rings, will look stylish. First put the charger plate, then the plate for the main dish and the one salad. You can add a small bread plate to the left. The cutlery positioned inwards and from left to right: on the left of the plate the normal fork and that of the fish, on the right there will be knife, with the blade facing inwards, and spoon while, the cutlery for cheeses and desserts on top horizontally. The glasses are positioned according to their size: first the water one, larger, and then red wine, white wine and flute for champagne or sparkling wine.

Add place cards. You can even make them as a DIY project. The important thing is to combine them with the colors and the theme of the table. For an original New Year’s Eve table, you can use small alarm clocks placed in front of each dish and the guests can count together the hours and minutes until midnight. Another option is to use masks or trumpets decorated with glitter as a placeholder.

Last but not least – think about chair decoration. It is not really necessary, but it will be a really nice touch. The easiest way to decorate a chair is to tie ribbons in the main or in a contrasting color. Hopefully, these tips will be of help and now that you know how to set a New Years Eve table, it is time to create your own magnificent tablescape!