A Wintergreen Christmas Dinner

The Christmas dinner table has lots of natural light from the windows and a large evergreen garland running down the middle of it.

Written by Laura Shimko

Photography & Styling by Monika Hibbs

Christmas is a season of gathering friends and family to celebrate the love and joy in our lives. What better way to indulge in the gift-giving of the holidays than to host an elegant Christmas dinner? Add some farmhouse freshness and simplicity with lovely natural elements for a relaxed yet classic feel. Designer and lifestyle blogger Monika Hibbs shares some of her tips on how to create a beautiful and memorable holiday dining experience.

Stemmed and regular glasses on the right side of a gray and white place setting with an evergreen garland running down the middle of the Christmas dinner table. — Choose a drink that complements the color scheme of your table settings. This drink’s soft orange tones play off the copper wire and gold silverware.

The Centerpiece

Planning your evergreen holiday tablescape must begin with deciding on your centerpiece—in this case, a garland. Monika chose a classic Christmas wintergreen look but also wanted it to feel relaxed and homey. To achieve this, she chose cypress and juniper cuttings, which are greenery staples for garlands, but layered in small branches of eucalyptus silver dollar for a more muted green tone. She finished off the garland with a mix of satin and velvet pink ribbons to soften the look.

Christmas dinner table set with white chairs, tablecloth and dishes, accented by evergreen, candlesticks and mixed metals. — This Christmas dinner table mixes three metallic sheens: copper, silver and gold. Separated by function and in-between colors, they catch the eye without clashing.

Accents

Once the overall theme and centerpiece is in place, it’s time for accent colors, napkins and dishware. Monika used pink ribbon, brass candlesticks and gold silverware as accent colors that continue her theme of classic simplicity. To accomplish a more eclectic farmhouse look, use variety when decorating your holiday table. Monika used varied lengths of ribbon, as well as her brass candlesticks. “There was variation in the candles’ colors and heights too, so it added extra detail to the tablescape,” she says.

The dining room is simple with white walls, making the effect of the evergreen garland striking against the otherwise pale room. — “Come up with a theme first; then add in colors, florals/greenery, linens and complementing flatware and tableware,” Monika says. “Once I have a vision of the direction I want to go, I will hop on Pinterest to see what other elements I can add to elevate it.”

Each place setting has a gold rimmed gray plate beneath a white salad plate with a white linen napkin on top. The napkin is garnished with a spruce tip wrapped in copper wire. — “These napkin garnishes came about organically, as we had leftover greenery from making the garland, and we used copper wire to wind around the napkins and secure it,” Monika says.

Finishing Touches

To wrap up your Christmas dining design, add little pieces to complete the look. Monika used extra clippings from her centerpiece to create sweet and simple bouquets for each place setting, bringing a touch of greenery to the otherwise white dishware. She also added hanging olive branch wreaths to the back of each chair for a fresh farmhouse touch.

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A small green wreath adorned with a white ribbon hangs off the back of each chair. — Simple olive-branch leaves adorn the back of farmhouse-style white dining chairs, adding a natural and festive touch.

As for food and drink, Monika says she enjoys anything from plated dinners to family style, depending on the occasion. “It’s always a fun idea to have a signature cocktail for a party,” she says. Most of all, she recommends prepping as much in advance as possible to allow for most of your time to be spent around the table with family and friends. And you can also enjoy the beautiful simplicity of your evergreen elegance this holiday season.

The evergreen garland droops down the side of the Christmas dinner table and onto the floor, along with muted pink ribbons. — Satin and velvet ribbons in muted pink add a soft touch to the festive evergreen centerpiece.

Now that your Christmas dinner table is decked out with evergreen inspiration, how about moving on to Christmas mantel decorating? Of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get your daily dose of farmhouse inspiration!