A good Christmas table centrepiece doesn’t take an artist’s touch or much of a budget: a few fir branches, pine cones and candles are enough to transform the Christmas Eve table. Here are 6 ideas to make at home, from the quickest to the most elaborate, the sizes worth sticking to so your guests can still see each other, and what you can get ready in advance.
The 3 rules of a Christmas table centrepiece that works
- Height: don’t go above 25 or 30 cm so that diners can see each other and talk, or choose something slender, such as a candelabra, that doesn’t block the view.
- Space: set out the plates, glasses and serving dishes first, and measure what’s left. On a narrow table, a runner of branches along its length looks better than a large arrangement in the middle.
- Colours: two shades are enough; for example, fir green and white, or red and wood. Pick up the ones in your tablecloth and napkins so that everything matches.
6 Christmas table centrepiece ideas to make at home
1. The bowl of baubles, ready in 5 minutes
Fill a large salad bowl or a clear vase with shatterproof baubles, in two sizes and two colours, and add a string of battery-powered LED lights. It’s the last-minute solution and, with no flame or plants, also the most worry-free with small children or a cat in the house.
2. The tray of pine cones and candles
On a tray or wooden board, place three candle holders of different heights and scatter pine cones around them, leaving space next to each flame. If you gather them in the countryside, brush them and put them in the oven for about twenty minutes at 100 °C, without taking your eyes off them, to get rid of any insects.
3. The greenery table runner
Lay a linen runner or a wide ribbon down the centre of the table to protect the tablecloth from resin, and line up fir and eucalyptus branches on top, slightly overlapping. Add a few LED candles at intervals. It’s the best option for a long table.
4. The half log
A log split in half, flat side down, stays steady without any drilling. Place glass candle holders with LED candles on top and decorate around them with florist’s moss and small twigs. Choose dry wood and put a piece of felt underneath so that it doesn’t scratch the table.
5. The fruit bowl of dried oranges and cinnamon
Cut oranges into 5 mm slices, pat them dry with kitchen paper and leave them in the oven for 2 or 3 hours at 90 °C, turning them halfway through. Arrange them in a fruit bowl with cinnamon sticks and star anise. Properly dried, they’ll keep until the festive season in a closed box away from damp, and they scent the room without scented candles.
6. The floating candle in a vase
Choose a wide, low vase, fill it with water, submerge a sprig of fir and a few artificial berries, and set a floating candle on the surface. Keep the branches under the water, away from the flame. Three vases in a row also dress up a long table.
Where to get branches without overspending
Start with your own tree: the lower branches you cut off to fit it into the stand are perfect. Also ask at the florist’s or the Christmas tree seller whether they have any trimmings left over: some let them go for next to nothing. In the woods, the rules on cutting branches vary from one region to another and wild holly may be protected: find out first and don’t cut anything without permission.
When to prepare your Christmas table centrepiece
- A fortnight before: dry the oranges, clean the pine cones and check the candles you have.
- The day before: keep the branches somewhere cool (balcony, storage room or garage) and put the arrangement together in the evening.
- On the day: set the table around it, sit in one of the seats to check that the view is clear and light the candles at the last moment.
Candles, plants and pets: the precautions
- Candles: don’t leave them burning unattended and keep them away from branches, ribbons and the tablecloth. If there are branches nearby, LED candles are better.
- Plants: mistletoe, holly, poinsettia and eucalyptus can be toxic to dogs and cats if eaten. If you have a pet, use artificial ones or keep them out of reach, and see our guide to plants toxic to cats.
- Hair: if your pet sheds a lot, before your guests arrive run a reusable pet hair roller over fabric chairs and the sofa: it works without batteries or sticky sheets.
To bring Christmas into the house sooner, try our homemade Advent wreath too: the same branches and pine cones will do.