She Gave It a Go

3 Tips For A Festive (And Personalized) Holiday Dining Party

Decor | November 19, 2018


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[This post contains sponsored links. The items featured and linked in this post were all provided by JOANN; all opinions and reviews are my own.]


Christmas is a wonderful time to have friends and family members over for a holiday dinner party.  Even better? Christmas is the perfect excuse to go all out with a formal (or at least semi-formal) setting. I love a casual meal with family and friends, but there’s just something about a well-set table; it speaks to the importance of the values associated with Christmas.

So let’s spend a few moments looking at some tips on making your Christmas dinner party as festive as possible.


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At times, tablescapes can be a challenge to me. It’s not always easy. But the more practice you get in creating them, the more comfortable you will become. My goal in creating the tablescape I’m sharing with you was for our guests to have a feeling of Christmas cheer and intimacy as they dined at our table. 

To create my personal and festive dining table look, I utilized décor I had on hand plus Christmas home décor and florals from JOANN. They had a large breadth of selection to consider that allowed me to really achieve the look I wanted.


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 So, grab you some hot cocoa and let’s get started!

1.  Layered And Personal Table Settings

Farmhouse style lends itself to the use of mixing various textures and layers.  I love the look of woods next to glass with a healthy dose of both galvanized metal and cozy blankets.  I went for that same feeling when setting our table.  I utilized two very simple DIYs that added a personal element as well. 


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The base of my table setting utilized this wood slice from JOANN that I spray painted white (similar spray paint found here) to coordinate with my holiday look.  I then took a linen napkin I already had on hand, and added a “B” to the bottom third of the tri-folded napkin with crafting supplies from JOANN (paint here, sponge stipplers here, and stencils here).  From there, I simply layered a white plate under a glass embossed plate and placed a red berry pick (found here) to the side to finish the look.  Each setting also had a crystal goblet and passed down silverware that feature wooden handles.

2.  Ambiance Through Unique Lighting

We know that lighting is an essential element in crafting a creative and aesthetically pleasing environment.  Often this is done with candles.  I love candles and used these glass candles from JOANN in my tablescape. They were the perfect size to last through a dinner party and added a glass texture to the centerpiece. 


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But my favorite part of the lighting has to be the DIY light wall we created as a backdrop to the whole space.  This light wall can be found on the JOANN app, which includes full instruction and pictures for you.  The light wall consisted of this hardware, similar to the wire in this kit that hold 30lbs (though you won’t near this), and these battery lights from JOANN.


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 It won’t take more than 30 minutes to create a wonderful, twinkling look that lets family and friends know you truly thought about them by having something special for your party.


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3.  Festive Holiday Pieces

The centerpiece also included three of these pre-crafted rustic trees.  I absolutely loved these from JOANN because I feel like they captured my overall look in one décor piece. They light up and add a festive feel to the table.  Also, their height is not too tall to prevent guests from being able to see each other from across the table.  As guests walk to their chairs, they are first greeted with these beautiful wreaths from JOANN found here.  I simply cut pieces of this ribbon and looped them through our chairs and wreath to hang them from the backs of each chair.  I love how it turned out.


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I hope that you enjoyed learning these three pleasant ways to create a personal and festive holiday party.  It doesn’t have to be costly or too complicated to make your guests feel special and joyful when dining at your home this Christmas season.  By implementing these three ways they are sure to walk away with Christmas cheer.  


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