How to Set a Pretty Table

It's so fun to set a pretty table for a special family celebration or when guests come over. 

Some moms set a pretty table every night. I'm more of a "special occasion or guest kind of gal." 

Let's talk about the basics of setting a pretty table. 

A pretty table starts with a tablecloth or place mats with place settings laid out attractively. A centerpiece adds the perfect festive touch. 

Before you set the table, stop and think about the general feel you want to create. Is this casual or fancy? Are you serving a special food? Spaghetti can lend itself to an Italian them with lots of red and green. Are you celebrating a holiday, birthday or special occasion. The birthday girl's favorite colors and flowers or the birthday boy's favorite sports team can lend it self to to choosing style and colors. 

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Tablecloths & Place Settings

If a tabletop is made of beautiful wood, placemats look nice surrounding the perimeter of a table with silverware and a plate on each placemat in front of every chair. 

I love tablecloths because they cover up stains or rings on an old table. I often will put a plain colored tablecloth on a table and put a lace tablecloth on top of it for a fancy effect. Christmas tablecloths make the table look so festive before you even put a centerpiece on top. One of my favorite finds in the early days of my marriage is a tablecloth with "Happy Birthday" written all over it in bright colors. I use that every birthday or birthday party. 

With a big family, I have a long, long, long table, so I have had to make my tablecloths. It's easier than you think. Just go to the fabric store and buy a piece of fabric that you love big enough for the table and to drape over the sides and end attractively. Then hem the edges all around! That's it! Super-easy! 

I have included diagrams to show how to set out the silverware, plates, and glasses. The most simple place setting has a plate in the center, a napkin with a fork on top to the left, and a knife and spoon on the right. A simple plate for a roll can be added above the napkin and a glass can be added above the knife and spoon.

When adding extra silverware, place them in order of use from the outside in. A salad fork goes outside the regular fork and a dessert fork goes inside, closer to the plate. 

For a lovely table, using colors that go well together for the tablecloth (or placemats), napkins, and plates. At Christmas, red napkins look festive on top of a green tablecloth. For Easter, you might have a pastel flowered tablecloth with pale yellow napkins and white plates. 

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Casual Place Setting

Semi-Formal Place Setting

Formal Place Setting

Centerpieces

Centerpieces provide a pretty focal point on your table. 

You can use a tall centerpiece for decoration when no one is sitting at the table, but should be removed so that it doesn't block each other from view when you are eating together. 

Low centerpieces are great for mealtime because you can see over them. 

Flowers are beautiful to use. A single candle is elegant, as well as a grouping of candles. But, don't stop there! Shells in a glass bowl, fruit in wooden bowl, bird cage, lantern, or even a stuffed animal. Don't stop there! You can use all kinds of things as a centerpiece.

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A Great Deal on Homemaking Resources

If you like setting a pretty table and other girly things, you are in for a treat. There is a special bundle in the 2018 Build Your Bundle Sale that is just for girls who love to be girls and boys who love to be boys. 

You can get 90% off by purchasing the Brother/Sister Bundle from the 2018 Build Your Bundle Sale. The Brother/Sister Bundle includes God's Girls 105: Homemaking where you can learn much more than how to set a pretty table. Read more about God's Girls 105: Homemaking below. 

The Brother/Sister Bundle contains some amazing products: 
Let's All Get Along: Bible Study for Siblings
Skill Trek: The Big, Bold, and Beautiful Bumper Bundle Just for Boys
Skill Trek: The Big, Bold, and Beautiful Bumper Bundle Just for Girls
Mommy and Me Cookbook
Real Men 103: Leadership
Soccer Complete Unit Study
Proverbs to Live By Paper Dolls
American Girls Curriculum History Unit: 1854 Pioneer Times Kirsten
American Girls Curriculum History Unit: 1944 World War II Molly
Student Planner Pink Butterflies
God's Girls 105: Homemaking

That's $155.00 worth of Curriculum for just $10.00. What a great deal. 

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Resources

If you would like to grow as a homemaker, I have some resources for you.
 
Jesus, Fill My Heart & Home is a Bible study that explores God's heart for homemaking, but it is so much more. This Bible study is packed with recipes, tips, and information on decorating, managing your home, nurturing your family, controlling clutter, and celebrating special days. Learn more here. 

Welcome Inn: Practising the Art of Hospitality in Jesus Name is another Bible study. This one explores God's heart for hospitality in His people. Again, this study is packed with helpful tips, planning worksheets, recipes, and information on hosting parties, welcoming guests as a family, manners, guest room, planning hospitality times, and making people feel welcome. You can read more about Welcome Inn here. 

Celebrate Thanksgiving will help you and your family celebrate Thanksgiving with joy and delight. From the story behind the holiday to prayers, crafts, recipes, and celebrations, this book makes Thanksgiving come alive for you and your family. Learn more here.  

We don't just want to be godly homemakers, we want to train our daughters to excel at the art of homemaking, too. Here is one of my favorite God's Girls courses: God's Girls 105: Homemaking. Young women will read living books, complete the Jesus, Fill My Heart & Home Bible Study, and complete a wide variety of assignments from sewing, crafts, make-up, fashion, cooking, baking, home decorating, wrapping presents, gardening, canning, and so much more. This course is a blast at home with Mom or in a co-op setting! Learn more here. 

From setting a pretty table to organizing your kitchen cabinets, I hope that your homemaking adventure will be a blessing to you and your sweet family. 

For His Glory!
​Meredith Curtis

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