FESTIVE SETTING: Wish you a merry meal

It may be the first time in ages that the entire family gathers, so the festive season is the perfect time to put creative energy into your table settings.

Whether your style is traditional, glamorous, colourful, natural or minimalist, preparing a beautiful Christmas table is bound to add some festive cheer to your holiday.

TRADITIONAL

Pop in to a mall this holiday season and you'll find that although it's bright and warm outside, South Africans like to copy the northern Christmas styles.

Plastic pine trees with red and gold baubles bedeck the halls.

If, for you, the festive season is about snow, pine cone wreaths and red berries, choose red, green and gold as the basic colours for your table and use a white cloth as your base.

A vase or bowl of red flowers (carnations or anthuriums work well) surrounded by ivy, holly or mistletoe, creates a traditionally festive centrepiece.

An alternative is the poinsettia, considered by most people to be the Christmas flower.

To add some cheer, tie red, green and gold ribbons around cutlery and the stems of wine glasses.

Pine cones sprayed with gold, or sprinkled with silver glitter to resemble snow, and placed in small groups on the table are an inexpensive adornment to add a touch of cool, northern Christmas style .

Small, customised place cards in the shape of Christmas trees, baubles or angels are easy to make out of cardboard and give your table a personalised touch.

FUN AND FESTIVE

For a bright, bubbly festive table, start with a collage of coloured cloths.

Overlap three or four printed or plain table cloths in the brightest summer colours you can find.

Then lay each person's place with a mix-and-match collection of plates and cutlery (borrow some, if needs be).

Create a centrepiece by placing single blooms in bottles of all sizes and colours along the middle of the table in a haphazard arrangement.

Intersperse small plastic toys like toy soldiers, farm animals, sea creatures and mini-dolls between the bottles and finish by placing a different colour cracker on each plate.

The table will be a fantastic burst of hues. Make sure each chair has a bright cushion to make your long lunch super- comfortable.

TIPS:

• Knives and spoons go on the right of each plate setting.
• Forks go on the left of the plate.
• Cutlery must be arranged in the order in which it will be used, starting from the outside.
• Fork prongs should face upwards and knife blades should face inwards.
• Pudding spoons and forks should be put above each place setting with the fork pointing to the left and the spoon above the fork, with its handle to the right.
• Side plates go on the left of the setting and a napkin should be laid on the side plate.
• The water glass is placed to the right of the plate, just above the knife.
• Wineglasses should be set to the right of the water glasses in the order in which they will be used.