How to dress a table for a party

Day to day, you may not bother much with table linens and freshly ironed napkins, but when it comes to hosting a party, it’s worth putting the effort in to really wow your guests.

No matter what time of year or occasion, knowing how to dress and lay your table will create a lasting impression and keep your guests coming back for more.

Keep reading for easy ideas of how to dress your table, including laying out your crockery and serveware!

We even have ideas for decorations you can use for other occasions and a step-by-step setup guide for true novices!

Before diving into dinner party decorations and colour schemes, let’s get a handle on the basics! Don’t worry, laying a table is pretty straightforward, but there are a few steps to remember so nothing gets forgotten on the big day.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for dressing your table, regardless of the occasion:

Your first step should always be to start with a clean base – so grab a clean cloth and surface cleaner and get scrubbing your dining table!

Many of us have that tablecloth that only gets used once a year. If this is you, grab a nice new cotton one or iron your current tablecloth perfectly flat. Place it on the table, ensuring the edges hang off equally. You could also take the opportunity to cover the rest of your dining furniture, including the chairs.

Next, get your placemats on – and don’t forget coasters for drinks!

Then you’ll lay the dining set.

Even if you prefer to serve up in the kitchen, having the whole look together when your guests arrive creates a real wow factor.

Dinner plates should sit in the centre of the place setting and side plates always go to the left of the dinner plate. You’ll then place your drinks glasses to the right of the dinner plate.

When it comes to cutlery, you don’t need to hit silver-service standards, but you can follow these basic rules to ensure it looks presentable:

1. Place your cutlery on the table in order of use, starting from the outside and working inwards with each course.
2. Forks should be set to the left of the plate, with knives placed to the right, blade edges facing inwards.
3. Soup spoons should be placed to the right of the knives.
4. Place the dessert fork and dessert spoon above the plate, with the fork prongs facing right and the spoon facing left.

Next, put a folded napkin to the left of the plate underneath the forks, or place a folded napkin in the middle of the dinner plate.

Napkin rings can add a festive feel to the meal if you’re hosting a dinner party during the holidays. For formal dinners, choose linen or cotton napkins; paper napkins are perfect for casual parties.

Now that you have the essentials on the table, you can focus on what space you have left for decorations.

If you have a much smaller table, you may need to opt for simpler decorations – however, a large table doesn’t necessarily mean you should go overboard with the decorations!

Your décor will make more of a statement if you let it stand on its own. You can opt for several different types of decorations for different events, but we’d always recommend candles for ambient lighting.

Finally, light your candles and wait for your guests to arrive!

Whether birthday, Christmas, or even Come Dine with Me, you’ll want to make sure your table is set to impress.

Alongside your usual table linen, serveware and crockery, you might want to include some extra table decorations boost the theme or occasion:

Of course, you aren’t limited to the decorations we’ve suggested above – get creative, and even more important, get personal!

If you know your guest of honour has a favourite flower or colour, incorporate it into your décor. And if you’re wrapped up making a showstopping cake, try to match your napkins and tablemats to your scrumptious centrepiece.

Now you’re definitely ready to start getting excited about what colour scheme will match perfectly with your event, and picking out decorations and food to dress your table – for more inspiration on fun décor pieces, check out our collection of entertaining products. For more lifestyle advice, hacks, and recipes, read our blog.