Some of our fondest memories are made gathered around a table, with cultures all over the world - whether religious or not - seeing Christmas as the day to create the most cherished. Beyond the presents under the tree and the hope that we haven’t made the naughty list, the Christmas table is where we celebrate what truly matters–family.

Another important part of the Christmas celebration is food. No matter what you choose to serve - Christmas ham to Christmas prawns - there’s likely to be a smorgasbord of food available for all your guests. And organisation is crucial to fitting everything onto the table.

Taking insight from our How To Set A Dinner Table guide with a Dash(er) of Australian home Christmas decoration ideas, we’ll teach you how to decorate a Christmas table to wow your guests if they didn’t get a chance to see Santa and his reindeers! It’s a style guide dedicated entirely to teaching Australia how to set a Christmas table from start to finish. Here’s hoping someone helps with the dishes.

First on the agenda is some Christmas cleaning. If you’re having folks over on Christmas Day, start by clearing away the pile of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes from all the presents before transforming your dinner table into a Christmas table.

1. Clear everything from the table - start with a clean slate.

2. Spray with a multi-purpose cleaner and wipe dry.

3. You might as well give the kitchen a good clean while you’re at it.

Dressing your table is a pretty simple decision - tablecloth or no tablecloth? Whether you prefer a bare tabletop or not, Christmas is the time to get a bit fancy with your napery. Remember to iron your tablecloth before dressing. 

Check out these two tablecloth suggestions below from Madras Link.

• Festive Berry Tablecloth
• Jetty White Tablecloth

Like a formal table setting uses a charger (decorative plate) instead of a placemat, Christmas tables often feature a centrepiece. There are a variety of decorative homewares one can adorn their table with for Christmas, from simple table runners to an abundance of celebration crackers. Whatever you decide to decorate your table, ensure you leave enough room for the food. Or make it easy to remove when it’s time to eat.

If you’re having trouble putting together your Christmas centrepiece, we have a few suggestions below.

You can’t go wrong with a classic Christmas wreath as a table centrepiece. Although they’re traditionally hung on the front door, their shape creates a focal point for the table, giving you space to decorate inside the wreath with candles and other Christmas home decor.

• Eucalyptus Berry Wreath
• Gala Berry Candle Wreath
• RAZ Bead Berry Candle Ring
  

If you can’t get your Christmas wreath in time, nature is your best friend for decorating your table with greenery. Head out into the backyard or a local park to find flowers, branches and all manner of natural decorations to spice up your Christmas table. Of course, the Australian go-to for any table decoration is obviously Eucalyptus leaves. 

Other classic favourites include gum leaves, bottlebrush flowers, tetra nuts, king protea, white waratah, Woolly bush, and Geraldton wax, alongside all the different banksia varieties.

Candles and fragrances are must-have Christmas decorations. Decorate with a set of dinner candles for added ambience, and position a few Glasshouse fragrances, like their Christmas Candle Trio or a Christmas-themed incense burner. Below are a few more suggestions for Christmas candles and fragrances for your table.

• Palm Beach Collection Chocolate Candy Cane Tealight Pack
• Glasshouse Fragrances Night Before Christmas Room Spray
• Ecoya Madison Candle Fresh Pine

Glasshouse also has a 24 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar containing 24 scented surprises in a dazzling glitter-foiled gift box. Bring joy to the luckiest on your list with this indulgent countdown to Christmas!

While any placemat will do the job; there’s something special about Christmas-themed placemats that bring everything together. Here are two options to consider.

• Wrendale Christmas Placemats Set of 6
• Madras Link Festive Berry Round Placemat Set of 4

The Christmas tree isn’t the only thing to decorate with ornaments and baubles. Fill in the gaps in your Christmas table centrepiece with an assortment of decorations from Gala.

• Bauble Pearl White
• Bauble Red and White
• Tree/Deer Head Hanger Red and Green

We’ve already covered basic, casual, formal, and party table settings in our how to set your dinner table guide. So which one will it be for Christmas? There’s no right or wrong answer when setting your Christmas table. Are you keeping things basic with just plates, cutlery and glasses, or will you go all out with a formal table setting with chargers, bread knives and dessert cutlery?

Whatever you decide you’ll need some dinnerware, the choices available online with Minimax are endless and feature some delightful Christmas-themed options that are sure to delight your guests.

• Ecology Dwell Dinner Set Eggshell 12 Pieces
• Denby Kiln Dinnerware (Set of 12)
• Salt and Pepper Relic Dinner Set Blue 12 Pieces

For a collection of the best cutlery sets available in Australia, read our buying guide for premium cutlery sets to help prepare, serve, and, of course, eat food. 

And if you need more Minimax advice for your celebrations, check out our Style Guide for plenty of resources, recipes and lifestyle guides.