By Roxanne Hughes Packham
Have you ever just been at a standstill when trying to do a
unique Christmas tabletop for your family and friends at Christmas time? Here are some tips from Roxanne Hughes Packham, co-author of Inspired Design that should make it much easier! Check out her blog if you’d like to see coordinating pictures to go with the ideas. www.
unique Christmas tabletop for your family and friends at Christmas time? Here are some tips from Roxanne Hughes Packham, co-author of Inspired Design that should make it much easier! Check out her blog if you’d like to see coordinating pictures to go with the ideas. www.
Before
you get started remember: Do not underestimate the power of your home,
nor its ability to change lives. Do not underestimate the power of one
tiny, seemingly insignificant, act of kindness. A welcoming smile, a cup
of hot tea and an hour in a cozy nook spent listening to a friend can
be life-altering. Your home is a significant part of the way people will
be touched, by God, through you this Christmas season. God uses us as
his hands! Your table is the means through which you can touch others by
setting the stage for memories to be made.
A classic Christmas tabletop has to have red and green, plaid
and sparkle, inspiration and encouragement. The red and green is an
obvious choice, however sometimes it is easier than we make it. Collect
red and/or green fruits and keep a glass bowl of them in a prominent
place in the kitchen. You can add a few springs of ivy or pine to get
really festive. Candies, such as M&Ms, come in red and green
packages and in silver bowls makes any setting looks seasonal. Add red
plates and greenery from your yard to complete the look.
and sparkle, inspiration and encouragement. The red and green is an
obvious choice, however sometimes it is easier than we make it. Collect
red and/or green fruits and keep a glass bowl of them in a prominent
place in the kitchen. You can add a few springs of ivy or pine to get
really festive. Candies, such as M&Ms, come in red and green
packages and in silver bowls makes any setting looks seasonal. Add red
plates and greenery from your yard to complete the look.
Since Christmas is the one time we’re all into plaid, use it on your tabletop! You can tie it onto a pretty cross (see pictures on blog)
onto the top of a candlestick and make a beautiful statement about the
meaning of Christmas while pleasing the eye with the sparkle of the
candles! Tall candles in the center looks perfect, adding shorter
candles towards the two ends allow guests to be able to see over the
candles for conversation. Small votives
add sparkle and a feeling of warmth and coziness. You can use a plaid
scarf, runner or piece of fabric draped diagonally across the table for
an overall Christmas look, while allowing the beauty of the wood
tabletop (or glass) to show through.
Lastly, and most importantly, the
"Inspired" part of the table top design. Warming the souls of those
within your home is perhaps the most important part of hospitality and
the reason in Romans 12:13 we are told to Practice Hospitality. The
easiest way to do this is keep a couple of framed quotes on the central
part of the table, one towards either end. Not only can you do place
cards with just names but think of an encouraging scripture or quote
that reminds you of your guest or something that might encourage or
inspire them. Praying over whatever is going on in a person’s life, not
only releases the power of prayer, but lets them know you have been
thinking of them and remembering their needs. In this time in our
culture, what could be more inspiring!
God bless and be encouraged! Hospitality can change our world one life at a time!
