Original decoration of a wedding hall with flowers: 60 photo ideas

We tell you how to become the owner of original furniture with minimal investment of time and money. Temporary and permanent transformation of the table, simple but effective decorating techniques, necessary materials - all this is discussed in the article.

You will learn:

how to choose the optimal decoration method depending on the condition and purpose of the table;
clear rules on how to create an exquisite composition from several types of table decor;
how to correctly use almost any material - self-adhesive film, glass, leather, wood, tile, paper, mosaic and others - to update the table;
subtleties of using the popular decoupage technique for decorating furniture;
how to paint an old table to make it look better than new.

Forever or temporarily?

The functional condition of the table is generally good, but its design is boring or seems outdated? Decorative details that can be easily changed if desired will help. The type of temporary decorations is selected depending on the type of table: from a tablecloth to a voluminous decorative composition. Thanks to table decor, you can refresh the interior of the room as a whole.

Film imitating marble

Temporary ways to transform a table include various stickers and self-adhesive films. If necessary, they are easy to remove, and not a trace will remain on the surface of the furniture. The range of self-adhesive films is wide: plain, mirror, imitating natural textures, with a 3D effect... They need to be glued to a thoroughly cleaned surface, otherwise all defects will be emphasized. It is worth cutting a piece of film of the required size with a margin of a few centimeters on all sides.

Decor from self-adhesive film can be cut out yourself

The protective paper layer is removed from a small area of the film. Then, slightly stretching, apply the sticky layer to the tabletop and smooth it with a soft cloth towards the nearest edge to get rid of air bubbles. After this, the next section of the paper layer is peeled off and the procedure is repeated. At the end of the work, the excess film is cut off, and the ends of the tabletop are covered with special tape or edges.

Serving according to meal times

For breakfast

When decorating a breakfast table, the pie plate is placed to the left of the main one. The fork is also placed on the left with the tines facing up, the knife on the right. Position it so that the blade points up and to the left. After the knife, place a teaspoon at a distance of 5 millimeters. Snack plates do not need to be displayed, because the dishes are already served in them.

For lunch a la carte

When working with a client in this format, place a stand plate on the table and a plate for snacks on top. Place a baking plate on the left, and place a knife, a tablespoon and a dessert spoon on the right of the main container. Glasses or glasses are placed just above the knife. Place linen napkins on pie plates. Remember that the distance from the edge of the table to the handles of cutlery and the snack plate should be 2 centimeters. It is necessary to place plates on the table only if food will be served to the table in dishes that are not suitable for individual meals.

When individually ordering lunch and dinner dishes

There is no point in putting all the dishes on the table if the dishes are ordered while you are in the restaurant. Provide the waiter with sufficient cutlery, napkins (both paper and cloth) and plates of all types. Regularly replenish the service so that there are no incidents when ordering dishes.

Temporary table decor: available options and composition

If the tabletop does not look its best, then tablecloths, table runners, napkins, and coasters will help to temporarily hide imperfections, in addition to self-adhesive film. Doesn't the table surface need to be hidden? Then pay attention to such decor as:

vase with artificial or fresh flowers;
dishes with fruits and vegetables;
candles in candlesticks;
glass transparent vessels filled with beads, shells, cones, coffee beans, candies;
teapot or coffee pot, carafe of water.

Such decorations are suitable for a coffee table, sofa or dining table. For a worker, it is better to choose functional decor, for example, homemade organizers or unusual lighting fixtures. Photos in frames, small figurines, books with bright covers or in antique bindings would also be appropriate on a coffee table or side table. Any tabletop will be decorated with flowers in pots.

Vintage table decor

As a rule, the decorative composition for the table consists of three items. A stack of magazines or a vase with many small items inside counts as one item. For a composition to look voluminous and interesting, its components must differ in at least two out of three parameters:

color;
form;
size.

If more than three items are used to decorate the table, then they are divided into several equal groups. Within each of them, the components must also differ in two or more parameters. Two or more decorative compositions are a suitable option for large tables.

When choosing items for the composition, make sure that they will look decent from all sides and harmonize with the interior. The dimensions of the decor should be proportional to the dimensions of the tabletop. So, a large vase is inappropriate on a miniature table.

Elegant dining table decor

What to do with decorating custom tables?

If the table is two-level, then it is not necessary to fill both tiers. It is enough to decorate the top one, and on the bottom you can put several books or a box.
A decorative option for a completely transparent table is to lay a carpet with a catchy print underneath it, and decorate the tabletop with items to match.
A tray of a suitable shape is placed on a soft pouf table, and laconic decor is already placed on it, for example, a cute vase or dish.
A win-win option for any table is to place an open illustrated magazine or book on it. Place a taller, rounded object nearby, such as a glass or vase.

Table decor in natural style

How to decorate the table for the New Year?

Coniferous branches

If you are thinking about ideas for DIY New Year's table decor, think about its naturalness. For example, green living pine needles bring a festive atmosphere, and when it is heated by the heat emanating from the flame of candles, an amazing pine aroma will be added to it, in the atmosphere of which all guests will seem to plunge into a winter fairy tale. In addition, this material can be completely free if you simply walk through the forest to get it, breaking off small branches from some Christmas trees and without causing significant damage to nature.

Miniature spruce branches can be placed near each guest's appliance.
You can lay out the branches along the center line of the table.
We also recommend placing the branches in the center of the table on a rectangular dish and forming them into a wreath. The composition can be supplemented with candles.
You can skillfully insert candles into the pine paws by first arranging cups into which you pour water and drop the candle tablets.
You can place shiny Christmas tree balls near the coniferous branches; you will get the feeling as if the New Year tree was laid out right on the table.
If such a large-scale decoration using spruce branches is impossible, then you can limit yourself to more modest-sized decorations with the same spruce greenery. There may be small (no larger than a plate) coniferous compositions with candles on the table.

Look at these photos of New Year's table decor - they demonstrate that coniferous branches make wonderful New Year's wreaths and various decorations, and they are very compact, so there is enough space for salads, cold cuts and other delicacies, as well as installations with candles.

It would be a good idea not to throw away the lower branches, which are usually cut off when installing a large Christmas tree, but to cut them into small fluffy branches, which can be decorated with large crystal beads and bright ribbons. If there are no beads, then you can cut out a small voluminous paper snowflake, or crochet it, and then add a picture cut out from a New Year’s card with a ribbon - and you’ve got a simple but cute DIY New Year’s table decor ready. It turns out fast, cheap, but beautiful and original.

Instead of spruce paws, you can use fir branches, to which you can also add caramel and a New Year's card.

Christmas balls

It's hard to imagine New Year's decorations without bright, shiny New Year's balls, from which you can create a lot of festive compositions. You can try simply putting them in a large clear glass vase; they will immediately begin to shimmer with different colors.

You can also put them on fir branches folded in a line in the center of the table or place them on a large dish along with snowflakes, beads, decorative candles and berries.

You can put a couple of Christmas tree decorations on a plate, and next to it a napkin tied with a colored ribbon, a golden bag with cookies in the form of figures or stars. Christmas balls can be wrapped in a bright colored napkin, which is then tied with a ribbon, also placing a pine twig under it.

Candles

It’s impossible to imagine New Year’s table decor without candles. With them, a real fairy-tale atmosphere will immediately appear, especially if instead of candlesticks you use lanterns, near which you place small spruce branches. Candles are simply a necessary element of decoration on a festive night.

You can make a composition of candles with fir branches, or you can fill transparent vases with water, add bright berries and a floating candle.

An apple candlestick looks unusual - you need to cut a cylindrical hole in the fruit, into which you then insert a candle.

Bright red and orange tassels of viburnum or rowan can be used to decorate any object, including a candle, with great success. You can turn glasses into improvised candlesticks, or use a lot of other ideas that we showed in the photo of decorating the New Year's table with your own hands.

Cones

Looking at the decor of the New Year's table with your own hands in the photo, you can notice how ordinary pine cones turned into cute boutonnieres emblazoned on every plate. You can come up with many other New Year's compositions from pine cones: a miniature Christmas tree, topiary, decorate candles with them, or place them in the center and in other areas of the table.

We'll tell you how to decorate the New Year's table with pine cones in the most advantageous way:

The cones will harmonize perfectly with cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, napkins and stars cut out of cardboard.
If you place a large open cedar pine cone in a transparent vase, you will immediately get the shape of a Christmas tree.
Cones can also be hung at the corners of the table or placed on the side of the plates. Of course, you should always remember that the decor should not disturb the guests too much; for example, pine cones hung too low on the side of the table can cause irreparable damage to the tights of the invited ladies.
You can also make miniature Christmas trees from large cones, painting them green and placing them between plates of snacks.
You can collect a lot of pine cones, from which you can assemble a voluminous and quite fluffy Christmas tree. To do this, you need to roll a cone from a sheet of thick paper, to which you then glue small pine cones over the entire surface using hot glue.
Cones can also be placed in serving vases or simply scattered on the table, alternating with moss and tufts of straw. This decor will correspond to the fashionable eco-style.

Based on the photos shown of a beautifully decorated table for the New Year, it is clear that you have two options - limit yourself to the natural appearance of the pine cones or paint them in the desired color. Cans of gold or other colored spray paint can be purchased at car dealerships or construction markets. This paint can be used to paint pine cones. Another painting option is to lower the cone into a container filled with PVA glue mixed with gouache (in approximately equal volume or with a slight excess of glue). It is necessary to completely immerse the cone with a thread already tied to it in the resulting colored mixture, take it out after a few seconds, allow the excess liquid to drain, and then hang it by this thread to dry. The result is a uniformly colored cone on all sides. Naturally, the color for the pine cone should be combined with the overall color palette of the festive table setting.

You can do it differently and simply powder the cone with gouache, dipping a foam sponge in it and lightly touching the scales of the cone. In this case, only their tips will be colored, which will also produce an attractive effect.

Citrus

This type of decoration will have two main tasks: to emit characteristic subtle aromas and to please the eye with its appearance. To arrange a composition of oranges you will need multi-tiered slides or beautiful transparent dishes.

To prepare oranges, you will need to equip yourself with a sharp-tipped knife, wood cutters, or a sewing thread cutter. Using these tools, you can cut very intricate patterns on orange peel: crisscrossing, zigzag, transverse.

You can add dried cloves to oranges by simply sticking them into the orange peel. If the latter resists, then you can first use the tip of a knife to make punctures in the skin, where you can then insert a clove.

Cinnamon sticks

They can also be considered a fragrant table decor for the New Year. Cinnamon sticks can be placed on spruce compositions, tied to textile napkins, decorated with candle holders with candles, or complemented with amazingly smelling citrus fruits.

As a result, you will not only decorate the table beautifully, but also fill the room with festive aromas.

Christmas wreath

Now it’s hard to imagine decorating a table for the New Year without New Year’s wreaths, which can be hung not only on doors and walls, but also to decorate the table with them. The technique of their manufacture is simple, and the variety of materials is very extensive. If you want to make a Christmas wreath with your own hands, be sure to watch the master classes on our website.

Particularly impressive are wreaths made of fir branches with cones, additionally decorated with Christmas balls, tied with bright ribbons with bows and several tall candles inserted into them.

Nests

The decoration of the New Year's table can be devoted only to natural themes, which are very easy to imitate with the help of twigs, berries, sticks, etc. A decorative nest is one of these ideas that is very easy to implement, you just need to stock up on dry grass, willow vines and wire.

You should weave a ring from willow twigs, securing their ends with wire.
Then you need to start weaving dry grass around the perimeter of the ring, which at the end is secured in a circle with wire. This process is very similar to the sequence of making a Christmas wreath from branches.
This nest can be placed on a wide plate, and decorative boxes with souvenirs or Christmas tree balls can be placed inside the ring.

Vases

Transparent, milky white, red, gold or chrome vases look very beautiful. For example, in vases made of transparent glass you can not only put flowers, but also pour large colored pebbles, which will add piquancy to the resulting composition.

You can also place spruce branches, rowan trees with clusters of flaming berries, candles or Christmas tree balls in vases.

Candies

In the store you can look for candies with red and white wrappers, as well as candy canes and Christmas “staves” bent at one end. These candies can be poured into tall transparent vases and placed symmetrically on the table.

Plates are often decorated with sweets; sweets are simply placed on them in the form of a certain figure or wrapped in a beautiful ribbon. Such a sweet New Year's decoration, having served the allotted hours for the task of decorating the table, can then be mercilessly eaten by children.

Miniature Christmas trees

When thinking about how to beautifully decorate a table for the New Year, one cannot help but think of small decorative Christmas trees that can be made from:

corrugated paper;
cones;
Christmas balls;
dry leaves;
napkins;
paper flowers, etc.

Such a Christmas tree will then be placed in the center of the table or placed several small ones among the plates.

Gift boxes

The basis of any table setting is cutlery and dishes. Usually, initially the plates are empty, and the entire table decor for the New Year with your own hands is placed around them - these are napkins, candles, figurines of New Year's characters. But you can change this tradition and place some New Year's decorations directly on the plates, for example, small but cute gifts for guests.

You can put a box with a gift on a plate for each participant in the feast. It doesn’t have to contain anything expensive; a themed keychain, a refrigerator magnet, or a miniature figurine of the symbol of the coming year is enough.

In this case, the boxes serve only the role of decoration, which is not difficult to make - identical boxes should be wrapped in wrapping paper, and then placed on plates or closer to the center of the table.

Bows

A good idea is to decorate the New Year's table with your own hands in the form of numerous bows present everywhere - tied on cutlery, emblazoned on plates and decorative compositions adorning the table.

You can make such bows yourself from satin ribbons, thin packaging ribbons, or buy them ready-made in a store.

Logs

Craftsmen, using a chainsaw or jigsaw, can cut a dried tree trunk into logs of equal length, which can be placed centrally along the entire length of the table. It remains to place figurines of forest animals, New Year's or fairy-tale characters on these improvised pedestals.

Snowmen

Decorative snowmen are asking to be placed on the New Year's table, especially since they are easy to buy - either ceramic or soft.

Those who wish can make them with their own hands from white socks, into which they should pour some cereal, narrow them with a belt in the center, sew on a nose from orange felt, glue button eyes, draw on a mouth with a marker, and sew a red cap for the head.

Another interesting idea is to make a snowman out of food: it can be part of a salad or a separate dish. As a result, you will decorate the table and delight your guests with your resourcefulness.

Apples

To decorate the New Year's table, it is best to use red fruits, which look the most interesting. Using them, you can build something like a tabletop Christmas tree - to do this, you need to tie them by the stem with a thread to a wooden plank along with spruce branches. The base of such a Christmas tree can be a glass bottle.

Berries

Red berries and fruits (rowan, viburnum, hawthorn, rose hips) look great in New Year's decor. They can be poured onto a dish placed in the middle of the table, and fir cones and twigs can be added there.

You can also fill a transparent vase with them, add water and place a lit floating candle on top.

Felt and paper decorations

Simple silhouettes cut out of cardboard (snowman, reindeer, Father Frost, Snow Maiden) can become noticeable decorations when setting the New Year's table. You can even decorate glasses with them. You can stick a cardboard silhouette of a reindeer into a chocolate bar and place a couple of ice cream sticks underneath - you’ll get a fun craft that you wouldn’t be ashamed to decorate your New Year’s table with.

White marshmallows can play the role of an ice iceberg, so it’s logical to add a penguin figurine there. In general, the limits of imagination with such decorations made of cardboard and sweets are inexhaustible - if only you had the desire to decorate the table for the New Year with your own hands.

You can also cut out small designs of three-dimensional Christmas trees from paper and then fold them. Some of these trees require only a couple of pieces of cardboard, and even a small child can cut and paste two elements perpendicular to each other, which will make a simple three-dimensional Christmas tree.

Even simple shapes cut from multi-layered paper napkins or felt will help make the mood at the New Year's table more uplifting. You can cut out a star or a Christmas tree from these materials, make a small slot in them, into which it will be convenient to insert a napkin or cutlery. You can glue or sew a ring for table napkins from felt - simple, original and functional.

Gingerbread decorations

Baking can also decorate the New Year's table. The hostess can bake shaped cookies, decorate them with icing, and then use them for a pine garland located along the center line of the table. Gingerbread cookies go well with other elements of New Year's decor: Christmas tree toys and balls, candles, figurines, beads, garlands, shiny tinsel.

If you bake one or more gingerbread houses, you can make them the main decoration of the holiday table. A gingerbread house is very easy to make:

The gingerbread dough needs to be rolled out onto cardboard into a single layer.
Then you need to cut out the contours of four walls, as well as two roof slopes.
Then collect these elements on cardboard and transfer them to a baking sheet, which is then put into the oven.
The baked cakes need to be cooled and a house can be glued together. The glue is caramel (caramels melted in a pan) or cream made from powdered sugar and egg whites; they both stick the cakes together perfectly.
The finished gingerbread house can be further decorated with chocolates, marmalades, sugar drops, marshmallow pieces, etc.

From the same gingerbread dough you can also bake less bulky designs, for example, an edible candlestick. The dough must first be rolled out on a baking mat, then a circle the size of a saucer should be cut out of it, and a hole should be punched in the center of it with a glass. Place the figurines of the future cookies next to it, and put everything into the oven together.

Insert a candle-tablet into the hole in the center of the circle, and use a knife to cut holes on the side for inserting gingerbread cookies. It turns out to be a wonderful tasty candlestick that can be used to decorate the New Year's table.

How do you decorate the New Year's table? Do you prefer luxurious decoration or limit yourself to a couple of details? Tell us your examples of table decor for the New Year in the comments - perhaps you will give our readers some interesting thoughts.

Permanent decor: how to choose the right one depending on the type of table

Permanent table decor implies more serious, sometimes irreversible changes affecting its design and construction. There are many types of design, but it is better to start choosing the right one based on the functionality of the piece of furniture.

A sofa or coffee table that does not experience any noticeable loads and is not subject to mechanical or temperature influences is the best field for experimentation. Any patterns or designs on them will be completely visible because the countertop is not covered by dishes or appliances. It is also permissible to use decoration techniques that require careful handling: for example, decoupage, decoration with glass, leather.
A computer, dining or country table must have a durable coating that is resistant to moisture and abrasion. To change the appearance, methods such as repainting, wood paneling, mosaic or tiled decor are suitable. Decorative elements, for example, stickers, paintings, are best placed in a part of the table that remains free from objects. So, for a kitchen table it is the center, and for a computer table it is the edges.

Festive table setting

Table setting in a restaurant for a banquet has some peculiarities. First of all, this concerns the use of decorative elements. The best solution here is flowers. They should have a light pleasant smell. The vase is placed so that the petals do not fall into the dish. Often it acts as the center of the table.

Textiles are also widely used to decorate the table. This applies not only to tablecloths and napkins, but also to covers, skirts and covers for chairs and tables. When choosing products, it is worth considering the location and format of the event. The main thing is that all the elements of serving and decorating the meal are optimally combined with each other and form a coherent concept.

Related article: How to set the table for tea: proper setting and festive decoration |+64 photos

Rules for classic serving (1 video)

Examples of beautiful table settings (54 photos)

How to prepare a table for decoration?

In order for the new decor to truly improve the appearance of the table, and not become a careless disguise of defects, table preparation is necessary. This stage includes:

strengthening fragile connections;
cleaning using household chemicals;
removing labels, stickers;
removal of fittings and elements that do not fit into the new design;
removal of old paint and varnish coatings;
cleaning cracks and chips; if necessary, fill them with special putty;
sanding the table surface with sandpaper or a special tool.

The most labor-intensive process is cleaning paint coatings. To speed it up, special solvents are used, which can be purchased at a hardware store. The composition is applied to the surface for the time specified in the instructions, then removed along with the remaining paint with a metal spatula. After cleaning and eliminating uneven surfaces, it is recommended to additionally impregnate the wooden surfaces with an antiseptic and primer. When the table is completely dry, you can start decorating it.

As for metal tables, after removing the paint layer, rust removal is often required. For these purposes, acetic or citric acid is used, but the most reliable is an industrial rust remover.

Under glass

There are several ways to use glass for table decoration. The simplest one is to place your favorite photographs or pictures under thick transparent glass, the size of which is equal to or slightly smaller than the tabletop. Dried plants, flowers and fabric can also be used as decoration. If the glass is heavy enough, it will lie motionless on the tabletop, securely fixing everything that is located under it.

Glass laid on a tabletop

Decorate the table and glass with photo printing. Pay attention to motifs that do not pretend to be realistic - abstract prints, various ornaments, imitation of marble, wood, stone. Images of fruits, vegetables, animals, etc. are no longer relevant for this type of decor. Glass can be used to replace the tabletop, which will require certain technical skills, or simply placed on the surface. To prevent the glass from moving, secure it with acrylic glue.

Abstract photo print on the tabletop

Table with space motifs

An interesting option is to arrange a thematic “mini-exhibition” of small objects under glass on the tabletop. To do this, bars 7-10 cm high are nailed around the perimeter. If desired, additional crossbars are secured inside the resulting space. For example, a cross will divide the surface of the tabletop into four parts. Each resulting compartment is filled with different objects: pebbles, souvenirs, buttons... The top of the exhibition is covered with glass, attaching it to the bars through the holes. The glass will be drilled in specialized workshops.

Objects under glass

Floral arrangement for tabletop decor

How to properly serve a holiday table

Let's consider the basic rules of design on individual elements of the festive table.

Features of choosing a tablecloth

The tablecloth is the basis of the table, emphasizing the importance and significance of the moment. First of all, you need to pay attention to ensuring that it is perfectly clean, without holes or scuffs.

Decorating a table correctly is an art that is definitely worth mastering.

Important! You cannot cover the table with oilcloth, as this is bad manners. In order to avoid stains on the tablecloth, you can use special napkins under the plates.

Rules for choosing a tablecloth:

For formal receptions, only white cloth is used. It can be linen or cotton with slightly shiny patterns. It is preferable to choose damask fabric as it is more in line with the theme of the event. When using this option, be sure to place a pad under the fabric so that the cutlery does not make an unpleasant knock during the arrangement and the meal itself. Felt can act as such a gasket;
For a celebration in the old noble style, you can use lace or embroidery. It is worth giving preference to muted tones and golden threads;
For an ordinary home feast, soft, lightweight fabric is perfect; you can use bright embroidery;
Colored tablecloths should match the dishes and napkins. Don't go overboard with colors; it's better to stick to two or three shades. You also need to rely on the purpose of the celebration: it will be good if the tablecloth matches;
Children's home parties should be bright, so it would be appropriate to use beautiful fabric with patterns and decorations.

When using bright fabric, you should use only modest and plain-colored dishes; napkins should also be plain, preferably white.

Textiles and dishes should be combined with the overall interior design.

Before laying the tablecloth, you need to iron it thoroughly. Usually it is ironed so that it is divided into four parts, which will look symmetrical on the table. You need to lay it so that the corners of the canvas slightly cover the legs, the edge should go down about forty centimeters.

The tablecloth is the basis of the festive table setting.

What plates are suitable and how to arrange them correctly

The second stage of decorating the festive table is arranging the plates. All dishes must be perfectly clean and dry; to do this, you need to wash them thoroughly and dry them first with a regular towel and then with a paper napkin. This will help avoid streaks and towel pellets.

Plates for a celebration must be from the same set, otherwise you will have to forget about the beauty of the serving.

Rules for arranging plates depending on purpose and size (arrangement from first to last):

Flat. Its diameter is approximately 30-40 centimeters. It is placed first, usually made of silver or high-quality porcelain. It is used for dessert;
For soup. The diameter is approximately 25 centimeters, and the capacity is 0.25 liters. It is used for creamy soups. For regular soup, a plate with two handles on the sides is used;
For pies. Size approximately 20 centimeters. Used for baked goods and butter;
A small plate measuring 30 centimeters. Used for main courses;
Great for snacks. More than 30 centimeters, it serves appetizers, meat and hot desserts;
Small for snacks. Less than 20 centimeters, served with cold appetizers;
Deep for dessert, if sauce is provided;
Small for dessert. They bring fruit on it.

During lunch there may be 3-4 plate changes.
It is not necessary to use all the plates listed, only if it is provided for in the menu. They are placed exactly opposite the guests’ chairs; there should be a distance of at least half a meter between adjacent plates.

It is recommended that all the dishes come from one set, this way the setting will look more harmonious and attractive.

The plates must match the general color scheme, the style of the room, the nature of the event and the chosen cuisine - European, Japanese.

Rules for serving glasses and cutlery

You can’t do without glasses and cups at any holiday, so you need to study their arrangement. The types of cookware will depend on the liquid that will be served in the process.

Before we talk about the correct placement of glasses, it should be noted that drinks are changed several times throughout the dinner.

Selection rules:

A glass is needed for water or beer;
Mugs are used for kvass and fruit drinks;
Long elongated champagne glass;
Round with a large bottom for red wine;
With a wide bottom and a slightly elongated neck for white wine;
Small with a wide bottom for port wine;
Small, as for wine, used for liqueur;
A small glass for vodka.

There is a certain rule - glasses are placed to the right of the guest at an angle of 45 degrees to the edge line of the tabletop.
A glass of water is placed in the center of the plate, and other containers are lined up on the right. The first, after the glass, should be a champagne glass. The distance between them should be approximately two centimeters.

Note! The stronger the drink, the further the container is placed from the glass of water.

Placement of napkins

They can be paper or fabric, the latter are used only for festive feasts. Napkins are used for ordinary or special occasions. Before folding, they need to be starched.

The choice of colors depends on your taste and the nature of the event.

You shouldn’t fold the napkins too intricately, as this takes too much time, and it will be inconvenient for guests to spoil the beauty. They should only be placed to the right of the plate.

Combinations of color paints of related tones look ideal. For example, pink will perfectly support turquoise and dark blue.

New classic: covered in natural or artificial leather

A fairly simple but effective way to decorate a table is to cover it with leather. It is easier to work with artificial material, such as Alcantara, because it is less susceptible to deformation. For upholstery you will need a piece of leather with a margin, the shape corresponding to the tabletop. A thin layer of shoe or contact latex glue is applied to it, then the leather is applied and gently smoothed from the center to the edges. The new upholstery is secured around the perimeter of the tabletop with nails with a flat, wide head, which also serve as additional decor. If the table is square, a piece of leather is cut at the corners for bending; for a round one, it is enough to stretch the cloth well.

Leather covering is a suitable way to decorate many types of furniture

You can use woven leather straps or strips as a tabletop

Another way to get a perfectly flat countertop surface is to secure the new upholstery with slats. From one of the edges, the skin is pressed to the table from the underside with a thin bar or lath, and nails are driven in. Then the skin is stretched, and on the other edge it is also secured with a bar. The operation is repeated until the entire tabletop is covered.

Decorating with rope - easy and unusual

To become the owner of furniture with an expressive tabletop texture, you will need any natural rope (hemp, jute, sisal, linen, cotton) and an adhesive gun. As a rule, ropes are sold in spools of several hundred meters each, which is more than enough for table decoration.

The tabletop can be protected from dirt with glass

The end of the rope is glued in the center of the tabletop. Gradually unwinding the skein, apply glue from a gun to the rope and press it to the table surface. To make the coating stronger, each subsequent turn can be glued to the previous one in several places.

The easiest way to decorate a round table with rope. Before starting work, draw out the surface of a square or rectangular surface: connect the opposite corners with diagonal lines so that they intersect in the center. The corners of each turn should be on these lines. This will make the work easier and the rope will lie flat. When decorating the tabletop is completed, secure the end of the rope: unwind it a little, apply a couple of drops of glue and twist it again.

Complicated version of decor with rope

Decoupage: how to create a picture on the table without knowing how to draw

Basic materials for decorating using the decoupage technique are special napkins with drawings, favorite images on paper, photographs, newspapers, scraps of wallpaper, music paper... Any flat pictures will do; the thinner they are, the more accurate the result will be. You can even use fabric and lace.

Combination of decoupage and coloring

The prepared surface of the table, be it wood or metal, must be coated with acrylic paint. After it has dried, the selected image is applied to the tabletop, and PVA, slightly diluted with water, is generously applied to it. Then the glue is carefully spread over the picture using a soft brush, starting from the center. As a result, the image is glued to the table. Pictures can be used to cover both individual parts of the table and the entire furniture. After the tabletop has completely dried, it is coated with acrylic varnish, or, if more reliable protection is needed, with yacht varnish.

Table decorated with decoupage

Coffee table top with decoupage

Types of serving dishes

For the coffee table

Make sure that the ends of the tablecloth hang at an equal distance from the table surface. For each visitor, place a cake plate 3-4 centimeters from the edge. The coffee cup is placed to the right of the plate, it should be placed on a small saucer. Place a spoon on it to stir the coffee. The cake fork is on the right. Provide guests with access to a sugar bowl with tongs and refined sugar inside. Place linen napkins on the table and make sure it is decorated with a pot of fresh flowers. Since coffee often comes with a variety of sweet snacks, choose a long, thin option and place it in the middle of the coffee table.

Buffet

A buffet is a type of serving in which guests walk freely around the room, taking only those dishes and drinks that they like. Therefore, under no circumstances place tables along the walls, give people space. The buffet table should be covered with a long cloth tablecloth; it should not reach the floor by about 5 centimeters. This length is due to the fact that people do not sit at this table. Think about the menu: there should be dishes on the table that are easy to pick up with a fork.

As for serving rules, place large flat plates, forks and glasses for drinks at both ends of the table. Place vessels with sauces, gravies and seasonings there. Arrange containers with dishes symmetrically from the center (hot dishes first, then salads, desserts and fruit slices closer to the middle of the table).

Try to fit everything so that there is room for your guests' plates: they won't want to carry them in their hands all the time. For used dishes, get 2-3 mobile tables. Don't forget to decorate the buffet. For this purpose, fresh flowers or garlands of inflatable balls, harmonizing in color with the tablecloth, are suitable.

Cold appetizer table

Cold appetizers are traditionally placed on the table before guests arrive. Porcelain dishes of sufficient size are suitable for this. Cold mushrooms or salads are served in glass and ceramic salad bowls. Place your establishment’s signature salads in sophisticated vases with long legs. Herring bowls, which are also displayed in the middle of the table, are designed for serving fish dishes. The oval ones serve fish and meat cuts, and the round ones serve assorted fruits. Don’t forget about serving sauces and dressings for salads (a salad bowl is suitable for this), so that everyone makes a choice depending on their preferences.

Individual dishes on the cold appetizer table are no different from the previous one. Place large salad plates for all guests, place forks on the left, and knives on the right. Carefully fold a cloth napkin on a plate.

Dining table for hot dishes

It is customary to serve hot snacks in the same place where they were prepared. Therefore, get two types of portioned plates in advance: for soups and flat ones for other dishes. Be prepared to provide guests with a wide selection of spoons, forks and knives, as the hot food table menu is very diverse. According to the rules, pie plates and snack bars are displayed. Serve julienne in metal dishes; chillies made from natural materials are suitable for fish and meat. To serve, use crumble frying pans; you can eat from them.

There is no such thing as too much wood

You can decorate an old table made of any material using wood. To do this, you will need beams, lining or saw cuts: almost any wood material. Thin pieces can be cut at home using a jigsaw, but you can also go to a workshop. Sometimes construction supermarkets provide similar services to their customers.

The dimensions of the planks can be arbitrary, as well as the order of laying out. The main thing is the same thickness, which guarantees the evenness of the updated countertop. The planks are glued to its surface using liquid nails. The next stage is coating with stain or varnish of the chosen color.

Wooden cuts under glass

If saw cuts are used for decoration, then the free space between them will have to be filled with epoxy resin. In this case, you need to build temporary sides around the perimeter of the tabletop so that the drying resin does not leak out. For example, from strips of plywood covered with several layers of tape.

It is better to choose the thinnest possible cuts, then filling with resin can be done in one stage. The fact is that most types of solutions can only be poured in a small layer at a time, and the next one can be started only after the previous one has dried.

Table decor with wooden slats

Add some color

The prepared table can be painted in one color, or you can apply a design or use a stencil. An original solution is to use patterned textiles, such as lace or tulle, instead of a stencil.

It is better to cover tables in an apartment with acrylic paints: they are non-toxic, odorless, and dry quickly. Alkyd compounds are suitable for outdoor furniture.

Table decor: updating varnish and painting

Decoration begins by applying background paint. The prepared table is turned over, the legs and the reverse side of the tabletop are painted. After drying, the table is placed in its normal position, and markings are made on the surface with a pencil in accordance with the selected location of the future image. The drawing is applied with other paints, independently - if you have artistic skills or through a stencil. A universal solution that anyone can implement is painting the table in stripes or fragments, sectors. To differentiate zones of different colors during the painting process, use paper tape. You need to remove it before the paint has dried, otherwise the color boundaries will lose clarity.

Painting a table through tulle

To achieve a dense and rich color, apply the coating in several layers. After the paint has completely dried, coat the table with varnish, which will hide stains and unevenness from the brush bristles and protect the surface of the tabletop.

Geometric countertop painting

Coloring with laconic painting

To decorate a child's room, you can use slate paint: then the child can use the tabletop as a board for drawing with crayons. A layer of magnetic primer will additionally expand the functionality of the table.

Table decor with ceramic tiles: maximum practicality

To update the table with tiles, it is better to use decorative panels, ceramic tiles in the majolica style or imitating natural textures: wood, stone. Consumable materials include tile adhesive or liquid nails, grout, spacer crosses, sponge, spatulas.

Table with ceramic top in Moroccan style

The tiles are glued to the surface of the table, gradually applying a thin layer of glue to its surface using a spatula. Adjacent tiles are separated by “crosses”. The tiles should be pressed firmly against the countertop, wiping off excess rising adhesive if necessary. The fixed tile is left to dry for a day, and the dividing crosses are removed. Then, according to the instructions, prepare the grout and fill the seams with it using a rubber spatula. Excess composition is removed with a damp sponge.

Bright ceramics as tabletop decor

As a rule, only the countertop is decorated with ceramic tiles, and the remaining parts are updated in other ways, for example, by painting. The same principle applies to other labor-intensive furniture renovation techniques. The combination of several decoration methods opens up the widest possible possibilities for creativity.

Mosaic decor: assemble the whole from parts

A truly unique table is obtained if you use mosaic techniques to decorate it. The traditional option is glass, wood or stone mosaics, sold in hardware stores. The technology for gluing it and ceramic tiles is almost the same, with the exception of the need to lay seams in crosses.

A more difficult, but exciting way is to make a mosaic canvas for the tabletop yourself. So, mirror fragments can be used as its constituent elements. Place the mirror between two wet wipes and crush it by gently tapping it with a hammer. Glue the resulting pieces onto the tabletop, leaving a small space between them. It is necessary to use special glue for mirrors that does not damage the amalgam. Then fill the seams between adjacent elements with grout.

Mosaic table decor

In accordance with the principles of mosaic technique, you can decorate the tabletop with any small objects of the same thickness, for example, coins, stones, glass cabochons. The grout is replaced with epoxy resin.

If you don't want to limit yourself to updating your furniture on your way to interior changes, we recommend reading about 20 steps on the path to bold decor.

Options for holiday table decoration styles

There are many options for decorating a holiday table with your own hands. Let's consider design options depending on the style decision.

Do you prefer rustic simplicity? Country style is characterized by natural rural flavor instead of stylization.

Seasonal style. The table is decorated in accordance with any season of the year: autumn, winter, spring or summer. The main characterizing features are used. For example, autumn leaves, snowflakes and so on;
Country. Rustic style will add some zest: the presence of flowers and natural materials. Usually these are neutral colors, slightly rough fabric;
Minimalism. There is virtually no decoration, muted tones and no patterns;
Art Deco. Availability of gold and silver colors;
Focus on environmental friendliness. Only environmentally friendly materials are used;
Provence. Small bouquets of wildflowers, candles in exquisite shabby candlesticks, tablecloths with patterns embroidered with colored threads will look great;
Vintage. Bright colors, preferably red, pink. Bouquets of peonies or roses, exquisite porcelain.

In addition, the design depends on the purpose of the event and the number of people. Thus, the New Year celebration should be accompanied by appropriate decoration.