Simple yet stunning Christmas centrepieces

Five easy ways to make your festive fare look fabulous

Your table is the hub of festive gatherings, so keep it looking good throughout the holidays. Here are five easy ways to put together a stunning centrepiece with items that you may already have in your home.

Natural wonder

Use fresh greenery and your table will not only look impressive, it will smell amazing too. Gather together a selection of festive foliage, like holly and pine. Bind long branches with twine or use a foam garland to hold shorter stems, with something underneath to protect your table from water damage. Finish the look with pine cones, flowers, berries, baubles, candles or LED lights.

Instant glamour

This is a perfect option for smaller tables. Fill a big glass vase with colourful baubles and you’ll have an eye-catching centrepiece in a matter of seconds. For a slight variation, add some evergreen foliage to a white or metallic cake stand and top it with big statement baubles.

Festive forest

Get the kids involved and create an enchanted forest of 3D Christmas trees. You can find plenty of templates online, from simple shapes to intricate designs. Cut them out of card so they stand up well, make a few different sizes, and decorate them to suit your scheme. Alternatively, leave them plain and display them on a colourful runner.

Snowy scenes

Create your own winter wonderland. Start with a base of fake snow in a large tray, or use a big piece of white felt. Add tabletop or bottlebrush trees with a little snow spray, white ornaments and snowflake decorations. Finish with candles or LED tea lights to make everything sparkle.

Minimalist magic

Simple schemes can still make a big impact, and you'll get more space for place settings and serving dishes. Instead of a full garland, arrange single stems in bud vases; light a selection of different height candles on a wooden board or put strings of LED lights in mason jars; spray twigs white, put them in a vase and hang baubles or painted pine cones from them; or fill a big glass bowl with wrapped stocking-filler presents for all your guests.