Christmas Decorating Ideas for Your Dining Room

With holiday dinner party season upon us, you might be looking for dining room Christmas decorating ideas. Welcoming guests into a festive room sets the mood for the party and gets everyone into the holiday spirit. Not planning to host this year? Why not go all out on Christmas dining room decorations to make family meals at home feel extra special this time of year? 

Whether hosting friends and coworkers or just decorating for yourself, there is no shortage of dining room Christmas decorating ideas to choose from. Here are some steps to consider when planning out your perfect dining room décor straight from our interior decorators that love holiday projects. 

Choose a color scheme and stick with it

Start decorating your dining room for the holiday by selecting your color scheme. The traditional choice is red and green, but there are actually dozens of color combinations to choose from these days. 

Examples of on-trend Christmas color combinations include:

• Jewel Toned - think rich emerald colors combined with deep amethyst, mustard gold, and ruby red
  
  
• Orange and Red - this color scheme is the perfect base for a rustic Christmas feel, and should incorporate natural elements like dried oranges and wooden red ball garlands
  
  
• Pink and Gold - take this color scheme up a notch with shiny baubles and a pink Christmas tree decked out in the room

• Black and Gold - perfect for a shinny, elegant affair that exudes sophistication. 

Add a Show-Stopping Centerpiece

The tablescape is a critical element when decorating your dining room for the holidays. And it should all start with a show-stopping centerpiece. 

Keeping with your color scheme, create a centerpiece that captures the mood you want to create. For a glam Christmas feel, bunch shiny Christmas bulbs together in glass vases of varying sizes. Add gold or silver garland and color-matching florals. 

Traditional Christmas centerpieces that still have a wow factor include table-sized decorated trees, or large branches of fresh or artificial holly berries along with classic touches like peppermint candies and dainty Christmas bows. If you have a round dining table, consider adding one of our holiday garlands to the center of the table and wrap it in a croissant shape, then add an arrangement in the middle of the circle. Alternatively, if you have a rectangular table, consider stretching out the garland diagonally across the table for another added touch of elegance. 

Show-stopping doesn’t have to mean big. If you prefer a simple, streamlined look, make it stand out with high-quality pieces that form a cohesive group. Place a neutral fabric runner on the table and cover it with a few natural elements like pine cones and tree branches. Of course, simply placing one bursting bouquet of seasonal flowers at the center of the table always does the trick.

Layer with Multiple Textures and Heights

On the table, the mantle, or on any surface you wish to decorate in your dining room, don’t forget to layer the look. Placing items of different textures and heights creates visual excitement and makes your room look like it was decorated by a professional. 

For the mantle, lay down a long garland then add nutcrackers, small Christmas trees, or candles of varying heights. Fill in the rest with Christmas ornaments of varying sizes and textures. If you love candyland, we offer an array of your favorite sweet-inspired fun-sized ornaments for any space in your home. This is a fun idea for a flocked or traditional artificial Christmas tree. 

On your table, be sure to have some items that lay on the table while others stand up to create height. This can be done with candles, but it can also be done with plants of varying sizes, elements like figurines and candy-filled jars, and glassware.

Create texture with a range of fabrics (velvet ribbons, linen napkins), layered place settings, and metallic votive holders.

Get the Lighting Just Right

Once you have your dining room Christmas decorating ideas in place, make sure they look their best by adding the right lighting. 

Candles give off a dreamy glow that leaves everything - and everyone - looking perfectly festive. Warm white Christmas lights achieve the same effect, and can be placed on your centerpiece, around windows, or along the mantle. Hang some from the wall behind the drink station for an eye-catching effect. 

Or, add lighted seasonal décor like holiday signage, strings of stars, and snowball lights to achieve the perfect effect. 

Easy dining room Christmas decorating ideas 

Make decorating your perfect Christmas dining room easy by following these tips. With just a few simple steps, your dining room will become a cozy Christmas wonderland ready for hosting and creating lifelong at-home holiday memories.