Holiday and Christmas Centerpiece Ideas

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Let’s decorate you table with these holiday and Christmas centerpieces! Welcome to Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas!

After sharing my Holiday Home Tour with you last week, I thought it’d be fun to take a closer look at the centerpieces on my tables and then share a couple more ideas for simple, “use-what-you-have” holiday and Christmascenterpieces.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

The reality is that sometimes decorating is tough. It took me weeks to decorate my home for the holidays, and there are still some things I’m kind of “ehhh” about. We are our toughest critics, aren’t we?

Christmas Centerpieces

So, today I thought I’d lend a helping hand by offering several ideas for decorating a dining room table. Now, I know you probably don’t have a prop closet at your house, but hopefully you’ll have most of things things on hand to pull something together. The goal behind all of these holiday centerpieces is three-fold: Keep it low budget. Use the things you already have. And make it as festive as Santa’s Workshop.

First, I’m going to give you a closer look at my existing holiday centerpieces (the ones I shared in my Holiday Home Tour), then I’m going to offer additional ideas. Here we go!

Green Tree Christmas Centerpiece:

For the centerpiece in my dining room, I followed a few of my basic rules.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

I started by creating most of the centerpiece on a tray. As I’ve said in the past, I like doing this because the whole thing can be quickly moved when the table is needed for dining.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

I didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a new centerpiece so I used a lot of what I already had. Sticking to my color palette of green and gold, I filled the tray with a mix of decorative trees – mostly bottle brush trees (Be sure to check out HomeGoods for these. They always have a great selection.), but also some of the colorful wooden trees I created a few years ago.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

While this already felt festive, I tossed in a few small glass ornaments to fill in the base of the tray.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

And, since I loved them so much, I did pick up a pair of these brass moose to flank each side of the tray. What I really like about these moose is that they are timeless. Brass animal figures have been around forever and continue to work in modern decor. (Well, in my world, anyway.)

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

With that, my centerpiece was complete. I opted to also use a table runner because I think it grounds everything and adds softness to the table.

Now, if you don’t have a collection of green trees, don’t worry. Any sort of collection would work here. As long as there is a constant color palette and some varying heights and textures, you’re good. Maybe you have a collection of nutcrackers or brass candlesticks? Those would work great.

Modern and Colorful Christmas Centerpiece:

Moving on. In my office area, I went a bit more colorful.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

I had this marble tiered server that was sitting in my closet so I decided to put it to use. As you know, I love glass ornaments (thanks in part to the selection at HomeGoods), so I filled the server with the detailed / ornate ones. Again, you don’t need this particular server or intricate glass ornaments. Something like a cake stand would work perfectly to get this look.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

To continue the theme around the table, I added a couple plates topped with wreaths and an ornament.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Because my color palette is a bit more varied in this space, I was able to have more fun with color. This look is happy, energetic, and festive.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Plus, that tiered stand with ornaments set against the lit Christmas tree is just gorgeous!

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Okay, now that we’ve covered the existing centerpieces, I want to share two more variations. This time, however, I want to put these centerpieces to work. Let me show you what I mean.

Candy Inspired Christmas Centerpiece:

In my dining room, I decided to create a little candy station.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

If you know you’re not going to be hosting a big meal at your table, this is a fun way to dress up the table with something that functions as a treat for your visitors.

Again, sticking with my holiday dining room color scheme of gold and green, I started off with three cake stands. Then, I just filled them with some matching decor and candy. I love hitting up the grocery section at HomeGoods for unique candies and treats. The have great cakes stands too!

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Now, if this was an actual centerpiece, I might have purchased a couple more varieties of candy. However, things can still be beautiful and full just using what you have.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Different heights and textures add a lot of interest, so be sure to mix things up. I also recommend adding a bit of bling to any centerpiece, especially during the holidays. Here, glittered crowns, a brass bowl, and ornaments provide plenty of sparkle.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Finally, I used a green felted ball garland to bring everything together. This made all of the individual pieces seem more unified. Plus it added some interesting texture and movement.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

As you can see, this centerpiece serves its purpose as decorative and functional.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Now, on to the final centerpiece idea. This is the work horse of the group. This is mostly functional, but still decorative.

Entertaining Ready Christmas Centerpiece:

Let me paint a picture. Have you ever had unexpected guests show up around the holidays and you’re scrambling to find glassware, plates, flatware, salt and pepper, etc? Yeah, we’ve all been there.

This holiday centerpiece is for you!

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Because this consists of glassware and plates and might collect dust over time, this might be one of those ideas you reserve for those days when you have an inkling people will be stopping by.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Here, a few knickknacks help things look festive, while the bulk of the items will keep you prepared.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

I started this off with ceramic white trees for purely decorative purposes. Since I knew this centerpiece would be busy, I kept the decorations simple. Then I tucked in a tray. As I mentioned previously, trays are great because they allow you to easily move a bunch of items at once.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Sidebar. Can I tell you how much I adore this tray? I just found it up at a local thrift shop for a steal. While it’s not “holiday” per se, the color works perfectly in my room and it brings a unique touch to my space.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

Anyway, once I had the trees and tray, I filled the rest of the centerpiece with practical items like plates, flatware, salt and pepper shakers, and glassware. These are things I know I’ll need when guests arrive.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

With those items in place, I tucked in a few more decorative items such as the bottle brush trees and these adorable, edible peppermint stir spoons. Festive and useful!

Again, I used a table runner for a pop of color and softness. Plus, it also acts as a border for where I should keep my decor and entertaining supplies. This keeps things looking clean and organized.

Holiday Centerpiece Ideas | inspiredbycharm.com #IBCholiday

And that’s it! Four unique, creative, inexpensive, and festive Christmas centerpieces  to keep your holiday tables looking on fleek!

What do you think? Did you pick up any little tips? What idea did you like best?

I really hope you’re enjoying the 12 Days of Christmas on IBC. If you missed anything, be sure to click through the slides below to see all the ideas that I’ve been sharing throughout this series. Happy Holidays!

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16 Comments

  1. Everything looks so beautiful! Makes me what to spice up my existing Xmas decor! Where are those bottle brush trees with the colorful ornaments in your office from??

  2. Your centerpieces are wonderful! I really like the way you use trays to keep things together. I noticed them throughout your home. I also think it’s great the way you use food – is it a buffet or a centerpiece?! More great ideas!