What’s the difference between turning an everyday dinner into a special occasion? If you guessed a tablescape, you’re right! Although it may be daunting to add one more thing to your dinner (especially during the holidays), you can easily create a beautiful tablescape.

Just like the dinner you’re preparing–or preparing to order, it only takes a simple recipe to create a beautiful tablescape in minutes.

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Here’s what you need:

• • Bud vases or any small jars you have will work
  • Bonus: Recycle your favorite jars/containers. We used one of our candle containers to hold the largest bud vase on the table.
  • Candles
  • Loose eucalyptus/greens. In the winter, harvesting some cedar, juniper, or pine from around your yard or neighborhood is a great way to save time and keep it sustainable.
  • Table runner (optional)

Plan out your space

Before we get into the design, let’s weed out any doubts and plant the seeds of design success by considering the following elements:

• • The shape of your table
  • The length/size of the table
  • Will you have a tablecloth?

A simple approach is to start with a blank canvas, so a neutral tablecloth (or table runner, in this instance) or a beautiful natural wood table is a perfect. If you’re feeling a bit more festive and want to go with a print, let the print shine and choose your blooms based on what colors compliment it. Remember: Everything should work together.

Ask yourself, do you want your flowers to be the star, or do you want the tablecloth to be the star? Either is fine, but it will impact the way you design.

Gather your supplies

Designing is all about enjoying what you’re doing, and part of that is making sure you have all of your supplies in one space. But how many flowers should you have? How many candles should you have?

Here’s a quick table guide:

• • 48” Round Table: 2 Bud Vases + 2 Candles
  • 60” Round Table: 4 Bud Vases + 2-3 Candles
  • 6’ Long Table: 2-4 Bud Vases + 2-4 Candles
  • 8’ Long Table: 4-5 Bud Vases + 4-6 Candles
  • 10’ Long Table: 6-7 Bud Vases + 4-6 Candles

Bonus tip: If you’ve got a circular table, feature the vases in the center of the table with a couple of candles. If you’ve got a long table (as pictured here), start with one main large vase and then sporadically place bud vases and candles on the table, making sure not to make it too rigid.

If you’re struggling with the layout, create little motifs. For example, two bud vases and one candle can be a motif, and then replicate it with spaces between.

Pick your flowers

While this still counts as planning, let’s get to the good stuff: The flowers. This is also a stage where many people get stuck, but remember, it’s just a recipe.

When picking your flowers you’ll want a mix of main flowers. For this tablescape, we used dahlias of varying sizes and shapes. You’ll want to also add textural flowers. For this tablescape, we used cosmos and snapdragons. And never forget the greens. In this tablescape, we used several types of eucalyptus. Using different flowers that work together will allow you to create a cohesive tablescape that has dimension. The dimension is what levels up the look.

The amount of flowers per vase will depend on the vase itself. For simplicity, use an antique bottle with a narrow neck or any apothecary-style bottles (like the ones pictured here). These will take anywhere between 1-3 flowers.

• For a more minimalist and whimsical look, use a single large flower per vase (dahlias, roses, hydrangeas, and large zinnias will work). Mix that up with a single sprig of greens in a vase and play with height by setting a bloom at the base and a sprig of greens at a higher height.
• For a more formal/traditional look, pack 2-3 stems per bud vase, making sure that they are all a similar height.

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Set the mood with candles

One of the most underrated elements of any tablescape are candles. It’s a foolproof way to add elegance and make your entire tablescape come together.

Candles are so essential that you can forgo the flowers and opt for a candle-only tablescape. If you’re short on time, candles are a great way to set the mood.

Click here to explore our candle scents →

Bonus points: Use scented candles. Scents are liquid memories, so why not create a new memory? For the holidays, we love the spice of fig.

If you want to make the table all your own, create a scent continuum. Burn different scents and add them to two separate sides of the table. Moving from one end of the table to the other will allow you to enjoy different scents based on where you are. If you want to embrace the full combo, place the candles closer together.

Repeat after us: Stress-free holiday hosting. That’s right, friends! Stress-free holiday hosting! You can and will do it with these simple steps!