Effortless festive entertaining involves creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that reflects the holiday spirit without overwhelming yourself.
The first step is to come up with a theme to simplify your preparations. Having a theme can inform everything from your florals to your food, ambience, and music.
SHOP THE FESTIVE ENTERTAINING COLLECTION
For example last year we showcased 6 different themes, that informed the colour palette, dinnerware, accessories, table linen, living energy, and more.
These Festive themes were:
1. Thelma's Garden
2. Contemporary Luxe
3. Cape Cod Charm
4. Monochromatic White
5. Traditional
6. Nordic Rustic
For more ideas, you can explore our step-by-step Festive styling series here for more ideas.
Stay tuned as we will be sharing this year's Festive themes in the coming weeks!
Photo Source: Architectural Digest
Festive Entertaining Tip #1
Lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood. Layer different types of lighting, such as ambient, task, and accent lighting. Use string lights, candles, and lanterns to create a cosy and magical ambience.
The use of light, both natural and artificial, enhances the aesthetic appeal and creates the mood and ambience of your festive display.
Here are some creative and festive mood lighting ideas to consider:
1. String lights.
2. Festoon lights.
3. Pre-lit garlands.
4. Paper lanterns.
5. Flameless LED candles.
6. Hurricane candleholders.
7. Christmas-scented candles
8. Floor Lanterns with LED candles.
9. Layers of pillar, floating and votive tea-light candles.
10. Colourful unscented no-drip French dinner and taper candles
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Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Festive Entertaining Tip #2
Layering
Layering starts from the ground up and includes flooring, windows, doors, walls, surfaces, textures, lighting, furniture, and decor.
Starting with the flooring, for texture and softness underfoot, consider zoning different areas of the home with faux fur rugs, sheepskins, jute and sisal runners, vintage wool Persian, Aubusson, or Turkish rugs, or a lightweight patterned vinyl mat.
Next, arrange seating to encourage conversation and connection among your guests. Add soft, plush pillows, blankets, floor cushions, and upholstered ottomans to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere.
Lastly, incorporate different textures, such as velvet, faux fur, flax linen, wool knits, or cotton into your table settings and conversation areas. These textures not only add warmth but also create visual interest.
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Festive Entertaining Tip #3
Something Loved
As mentioned previously, decorating with something loved is what will create that 'lived-in' feel that is an essential component of creating a home you love. Include items that tell a story, reflect your personality and evoke your most treasured memories and festive traditions.
This may include homemade ornaments, heirloom decorations, or artwork created by your loved ones to make the space feel more personal and meaningful.
Alternatively, in addition to purchasing or sourcing festive decor that fits your theme, shop your home to find creative ways to use what you already have.
This mentality will encourage you to see items you already love in new ways and repurpose them as part of your effortless festive entertainment displays.
Ideas include:
- Edible items such as colourful peppers, bunches of grapes, pineapples, heirloom tomatoes, kale flowers, or bunches of dried herbs.
- Existing decor such as old paperback or leather books, chopping boards, wicker baskets, vintage candlesticks or votives, sculptural figurines, decorative trays or bowls, and ginger jars, vases or vessels.
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Festive Entertaining Tip #4
Something with Lustre
Lustre is the state or quality of shining by reflecting light.
You can cultivate this luminous effect by incorporating items featuring reflective surfaces, such as crystal, glassware, mirrors, shimmering glitter, surfaces adorned with glossy paint finishes, or accents gleaming with metallic brilliance.
The inclusion of these elements will elevate your festive presentation, infusing it with depth and preventing it from appearing visually one-dimensional. These light-reflective items and materials will not only enhance the overall aesthetic appeal but also create a captivating interplay of light and sparkle, enhancing the festive ambience.
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Some ideas for decorating with lustre include:
- Crystal ice buckets.
- Tinted glass tea-light votives.
- Vintage glassware and decanters.
- Sculptural glass or metallic candleholders.
- Mirrored squares underneath your centrepiece.
- A French chandelier or candelabra with crystal glass drops.
- Beautiful silverware with etched or glossy ceramic handles.
- Pewter wine or champagne coolers, coasters, and barware.
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Festive Entertaining Tip #5
Something Living
Living energy will enliven your colour palette whilst adding movement, structure, and seasonality to your entertaining displays, for an effortless and fresh feel.
This includes branches, grasses, seasonal flowers, foliage, fresh & freeze-dried Buxus & hydrangeas, large statement plants, or fossicked elements.
You can start by making a great first impression by decorating your entryway. For example, a festive wreath on the front door, and a small entry table with a holiday-themed garland can offer a feeling of welcome.
Creating an eye-catching centrepiece for your dining table and conversational areas is another way to delight your guests. Consider using natural elements like pinecones, holly branches, or fresh flowers mixed with candles or fairy lights for a festive touch.
Lastly, bring the outdoors inside by using natural elements like lichen-covered branches, hand-made fossicked displays, pinecones, or stacked logs. These elements not only evoke a festive atmosphere but also add texture and depth to your decor.
Photo Source: Suzie Anderson Home
Bonus Tip:
Plan Ahead!
Remember that the beauty is in the detail and it is the small touches you add that can make all the difference. This includes having a plan and stocking up on essentials in advance, including fresh hand towels in the bathroom, hand soap, tissues, flowers, mints, music playlists, and more.
As a sample of our Festive Styling E-book, you can access our festive planning checklist below.
Festive_Planning_Checklist.pdf
Want to dive even deeper?
“The Festive Styling E-Book: 6 Christmas Themes to Inspire your Holiday Decorating” is our comprehensive 111-page guide to planning, styling, and creating everything you need to bring your Christmas vision to life.
The Festive Styling Guide: 6 Christmas Themes to Inspire your Holiday Decorating | Suzie Anderson
$29.99
“The Festive Styling Guide: 6 Christmas Themes to Inspire your Holiday Decorating” is the first e-book by Suzie Anderson that can be downloaded or printed as you wish. The book is a comprehensive 111-page guide to planning, styling, and creating everything you… read more
From decorating your tree to prepping your home for holiday entertaining, this digital guide will take you through intention setting, planning checklists, Suzie's signature 5 L's of styling, and the what, why, and how behind 6 different Christmas themes.
Features:
- 111 pages.
- 131 coloured and original images.
- Introducing Suzie's 5 L's of styling (something loved, something living, something with lustre, layering, and lighting), and how to apply them to your Christmas theme and entertaining.
- An in-depth look at 6 different festive themes.
- A planning checklist that you can revisit across different occasions.
- Bonus tips on keeping both your artificial and real tree looking their best, a list of tools and accessories to keep on hand, and more!
