There are plenty of examples of beautiful, elaborate table settings for Christmas dinner available online. But if simplicity, both in aesthetics and workload, are more your style, you might be interested in thefollowing table setting ideas for your holiday gathering.

Comprised of a few very basic elements, each setting reflects a modern sensibility during this timeless season. We hope you are able to truly enjoy the warmth and joy of this Christmas season with these simple, stylish table setting ideas.

11 Christmas table decorations to take in consideration this Season:

1. Modern Natural Christmas Table Decor

This simple table setting invites the flavor of an old-fashioned Christmas. A natural linen napkin rests centered on a plain white dinner plate. Greenery picks (in this example, 6” boxwood stems wrapped around a round of floral wire) in the shape of a classic wreath provide the only adornment and color.

Notable elements to create a Modern Natural Christmas centerpiece:

Gold flatwareWhite dinner plateNatural linen napkinStemless wine glassBoxwood wreath

2. All Wrapped Up Christmas Table Setting

Removing the expected napkin placement from the left of the place setting to wrapped around the dinner plate horizontally adds an element of gentle surprise to this moody, simple setting. In addition, placing all flatware to the right of the dinner plate in one grouping, instead of splitting it in the traditional way, gives the setting a modern twist.

Notable elements for All Wrapped Up Christmas setting:

Natural linen napkin wrapped around white plate, horizontallySprig of greenery and red berriesFlatware grouped to the right of plateWoven placemat in natural color tonesStemless wine glass

3. Greenery & Twine Christmas Table Centerpiece

A contemporary method of decorating is to keep most pieces neutral, which allows any small bit of color to really pop. That is the underlying strategy to creating a sophisticated table setting using a single bit of color in a greenery sprig. Evergreen, eucalyptus, boxwood, or any other sort of green stem will work well in this setting, tied gently with a natural jute twine to create a neat little festive bundle.

Notable elements for Greenery & Twine Christmas Centerpiece:

White dinner plateWhite dinner napkin, folded into eighths and centered vertically on plateGreenery stem on napkin, tied with natural jute twineSymmetric flatwareStemless wine glass

4. The Simple Gift Table Decor

This season, focus on giving meaningful gifts of experiences. Dinner together is a gift; treat it that way! Tie a string or ribbon around the napkin so that dinner guests can unwrap their gift at the start of your shared meal. This creates a lovely nuance at the onset, and it will create a special memory that will last forever.

Notable elements for The Simple Gift Table decor:

White dinner plateWhite dinner napkin, folded into eighths (square) and centered on plateGreenery stem on napkin, tied with a festive red or red-and-white string or ribbon, like a gift boxSymmetric gold flatwareStemless wine glass

5. The Simple Gift, version 2

Set your table in a simple yet slightly off-center way to bring a smile to guests. This is an easy way to bring a bit of informality and warmth to your Christmas dining without sacrificing taste and elegance. This type of setting would work well for a dessert setting, as dessert is often easier to eat with a single utensil. (Fork can, of course, be substituted for a spoon or whatever here.)

6. White Christmas Table Decor

Care for a stroll down Classic Christmas Lane? Pull out your white(ish) dinnerware, and embrace the simplicity that is inherent in monochromatic table settings. White is particularly apropos for Christmas dining, although a festive flair comes through with at least one thing shiny, one thing red, and one thing green. A white placement expands the setting’s visual real estate, which contrasts dramatically and beautifully against a moody tablecloth or other surface.

Notable elements for White Christmas Table setting:

White placemat in same shape as dinnerwareWhite dinner & salad platesWhite/light linen dinner napkinGold fork & spoonStemless wineglassSmall greenery (e.g., boxwood wreath) with red berries pick

7. Peppermint Pinecone Table Setting

Don’t be afraid to glance outside your front door for your Christmas table setting inspiration. Pinecones are a gorgeously textural, organic, and shapely addition to many décor situations. Wrapped in a simple red-and-white ribbon or string, the pinecone looks dressed for the occasion, set off dramatically by the framing of a matte black salad plate.

Notable elements for Peppermint Pinecone Table:

Off-white/natural dinner plate & bowlMatte black salad plate sandwiched between themNatural linen napkinGold flatware, grouped all to the leftPinecone, cleaned and wrapped with red-and-white bakers’ string or ribbonClear glass cup

8. Rustic Chic Christmas Table Decorations

For those of you lucky enough to have a rustic dining table, consider leaving it exposed this Christmas during your holiday dining. Playoff the perfect imperfection that a worn wooden tabletop provides with simple white dinnerware. Add a stem of green and a few berries for color, but otherwise let the tabletop be your decorator. Sometimes we look past the mark in our decorating efforts, when less really would be more.

Notable elements for Rustic Chic Table decor:

Off-white/natural dinner plate and bowl, stacked and centeredNeutral/white napkinGold flatware, heavier on the left side of the place settingGreen stem on the right side of the place setting to provide a little balanceRed berries sprinkled near the top of the plateClear glass drinking cup

9. Season of Love Christmas table theme

It doesn’t take much, during this time of year, to remind us what Christmas should be about. Love. Pure and simple. Create that reminder in its poignant simplicity and straightforwardness with a bit of string in a heart shape on your Christmas dinner plate. A stem of blue spruce (or similar) keeps us well grounded in the present holiday.

Notable elements for Season of Love Table theme:

White dinner plateWhite napkinGold flatware, positioned traditionallyEvergreen sprigs (shown: blue spruce), loosely tied together with a length of red-and-white bakers’ twine, the ends of which form a heart on the plateClear glass drinking cup

10. Roaming Wreath Decor for table

There’s nothing that says each place setting needs to look exactly the same. If you have a small Christmas item, such as a greenery wreath wrapped in festive ribbon or string, consider placing it uniquely at each place setting on the table. Children especially will enjoy this subtle shift and will feel special with their own individual positioning. It’s sort of like Elf on the Shelf, but easier. And more sophisticated.

Notable elements for Roaming Wreath Table:

A wreath (or other small festive item), enough for each place settingWoven placematStacked dinner plate, salad plate, and bowl in neutral colorsGold flatware, arranged traditionallyStemless wineglass

Move the wreath with each place setting, and arrange it in a slightly different way. Placement options include: above the fork, outside the spoon, inside the bowl, around the flatware, next to the drinking glass, etc. Get creative!

11. Modern Mixup Styles for Christmas Table

Bring out your inner Picasso this Christmas by really mixing things up at the Christmas dinner table. Think in the abstract and, without using any extra items, create an artistic masterpiece at each place setting. Flatware can (should!) be moved, separated, angled, flipped. Napkins should break tradition in placement and layout. Drinking glasses work well in unexpected positions. It’s a great ice breaker and conversational piece, if nothing else.

Notable elements for Modern Mixup Table decor for Holiday:

Natural dinner plateFlatware, separated and placed in non-traditional format (e.g., upside-down spook, fork already on plate, knife perpendicular to top of plate, etc.)White napkin, positioned partially on/off plate at an unexpected angleClear drinking glassSingle greenery stem

However you choose to set your Christmas table this year, we hope you ultimately find joy in the process and in the opportunity to gather with loved ones and celebrate.