Christmas centerpieces – 16 stylish additions for your festive table

These festive Christmas centerpieces will deck your dining table with serious style

amber Christmas table centerpiece with decorative mantel
(Image credit: John Lewis & Partners)

On the search for the perfect Christmas centerpieces? Well, you've come to the right place.

We love finding more ways to add some festive feels to your home so when it comes to Christmas decorations of all kinds, there's something for every table. We've sourced the best Christmas centerpieces for your table on the market, from Scandi-simplicity to festive frills with all the trimmings (bows and baubles and the like)

So, bag yourself an affordable bit of tabletop decor and deck your dining table with some flair. Let's make sure 2021 ends with a bang and make this Christmas one to remember. Whatever's on your festive menu, your dining table is going to look fabulous.

Christmas centerpieces for your festive table

Use our 16 fabulous festive Christmas centerpiece ideas to inspire your this season, and you'll find plenty more in our Christmas table decoration ideas.

1. If it’s warm enough, consider sitting outside

Christmas table scene outside, baubles, gold candle holders gold star, linen tablecloth

(Image credit: Wayfair)

‘Who said you had to be bundled indoors to enjoy the festivities? Weather permitting, a Christmas in the garden will create a wonderfully unique atmosphere,’ says Nadia McCowan Hill, resident style advisor at Wayfair.

A Christmas centerpiece can be subtle and you can create a simple table display with gold metal candlesticks like these from Wayfair and oversized baubles, add color with bold candlesticks to match. 

‘For a statement look, suspend a spray-painted branch above your table using a simple table clamp. You can then go wild with dangling festive décor, baubles, battery powered fairy lights and more,’ continues Nadia.

2. Create a loose style garland along the middle of the table

rustic Christmas table setting with grey tableware, foliage and candles

(Image credit: Cotswold Company)

If you have a long table you can intersperse foliage along the middle, picking evergreen stems from your garden like fir, pine and holly, as Paul Deckland, buying director at Cotswold Company explains:

‘Table centerpieces come in all shapes and formats; from floral bouquets or foliage to statement candles. A centerpiece adds charm and also a rustic feel to a table, transforming your dining table into a focal point in its own right.’ 

Find out how to make a Christmas garland of dreams in our easy peasy guide or alternatively we've rounded up our favorite Christmas garlands.

3. Use a willow wreath to create a candle centerpiece

Christmas table wreath with marble cheese board in the shape of a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Garden Trading)

Willow wreaths like this Rayher willow wreath from Amazon are a really useful product to have at this time of year, you can use them for Christmas wreath making or for creating a centerpiece for our festivities.

Wrap some battery operated fairy lights around the base first, then pop in some pillar candles, finish off by tucking in some sprigs of fir and pine cones.

4. Add dazzle with a pre-lit garland 

faux branch with fairy lights on a wooden table, gold wrapped presents

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

This charming Gypsophila lit garland from Cox & Cox can work on a table or mantel. We love the pre-lit aspect as it automatically creates an ambient atmosphere and it will certainly be an eye catching addition to your table setting and will zhuzh up a simple Christmas table runner.

5. For a classic look try a traditional candelabra

Christmas table setting with gingham tablecloth, gold candelabra, red candlesticks, garland on mantle

(Image credit: Wayfair)

This charming Christmas table decoration idea features the classic colors of red, green and gold. The 5-arm metal candelabra from Wayfair is the centerpiece with its bright red candlesticks and is supported by the red glass candlesticks.

6. Have a forest of trees as a table centerpiece

tow of white faux Christmas trees in the middle of a festive table

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

These super cute light up brush trees from Cox & Cox each come with LED fairy lights and an almost clear plastic flex that measures 30cm long. There are 60 warm white battery operated micro lights which come on a 6hr time function, you can use them as a Christmas mantel decor idea too.

7. Got a frosted tree? Match up with this charming centerpiece

Christmas table centerpiece with frosted white leaves, pine cones and three pillar candles

(Image credit: Graham & Green)

Create a wintery farmhouse theme with a frosted centerpiece like this candleholder. It takes three candles and the design features ‘snowy’ branches and pinecones, perfect to go with farmhouse Christmas tree decor. You could use one in the middle of a small table, or have a row of them along a larger one.

8. Alternate vases of fresh flowers with candlesticks

Christmas table setting with vases and candlesticks down the middle of the table

(Image credit: Talking Tables)

This on-trend idea of using fresh flowers with candles makes for a great Christmas centerpiece idea. Use winter flowers in low vases like cream and red roses, berries, holly and foliage. Then, alternate green and red candles with the vases to create a cohesive look.

Team this Boho red glass candle holder with fabulous Botanical Holly Christmasware that’s also from Talking Tables. 

9. Make your own Christmas table centerpiece with a tall candlestick

Christmas table setting with glass candlestick with pillar candle and foliage around it, glassware, tealights, white plates, grey linen tablecloth

(Image credit: Chalk Pink Linen Company)

A tall pillar candle holder like this one shown is ideal for using as a centerpiece. The top is wide enough to allow for some mini pinecones to be placed around the candle and you can create a loose wreath around the candle holder using foraged stems like ivy, fir and pine. Find out how to make a Christmas wreath in our easy guide.

10. Not keen on making your own? Buy this beauty ready made

Christmas table wreath with four Truglow candlesticks

(Image credit: Lights4Fun)

If time is of the essence and you’re not one for crafting – it’s not for everyone – then invest in a wreath with integrated candles like this eye-catching faux design. Full of scarlet red berries and lots of foliage, this red berry advent wreath & Truglow taper candle table decoration from Lights4Fun is lush and full of festive cheer.

11. Go for this striking tea light holder if foliage centerpieces aren’t your thing

Christmas gold tealight holder centerpiece on table with festive ornaments

(Image credit: Graham & Green)

This generously sized gold multi tealight holder from Graham & Green has multiple heights that make it unusual and stunning when lit. There are nine holders for tea lights in  addition to decorative cups which vary in size too. When not in use during the festive season you could use it on a console table when entertaining. 

For our lovely readers in the US, they will happily deliver to a UK based shipping company of your choice.

12. Anthropologie's ornate candlestick holder for magical simplicity

anthropologie Scarlet candelabras

(Image credit: Anthropologie)

We're kind of obsessed with these Scarlet candelabras from Anthropologie that'll fit in really nicely with rustic Christmas decor. They have that magical feel with whimsical woodland creatures and a hammered cast iron design. Top them with some tapered candles to set the scene for a festive feast.

13. A set of two frosted tabletop beauties

Notonthehighstreet christmas table centerpiece

(Image credit: Notonthehighstreet)

These adorable little Merry and Bright White Christmas table centerpiece nests by Dibor on Notonthehighstreet are the perfect choice for a table whatever the style, vintage or contemporary. Coming in a set of two, each one is dressed with sprigs of forest green leaves and plump red berries, then lightly frosted for an on-trend Scandi Christmas look.

What should I put on my Christmas table?

‘A wreath is the perfect addition to any festive décor, and can be used in more ways than one! Create an eye-catching centerpiece on your dining table by placing your wreath in the middle of the table,’ advises Becky Tasker, PR manager at Lights4Fun.

What can be used for a table centerpiece? 

We asked Wayfair's Resident Style Advisor, Nadia McCowan Hill:

‘You don’t need an overwhelming amount of wine glasses, knives and forks to set the scene of celebration, just a well-appointed mix of glassware, cutlery, crockery and table linen to suit the dining experience to come. 

A cotton or linen napkin rolled into a napkin ring and styled with a stem of thistle, mistletoe or eucalyptus makes for an elegant finish. There's something oh so comforting about a classic red and green colour palette and traditional Christmas styling. For a modern take on a vintage favourite, try mixing in contrasting prints such as polka dots, stripes, and gingham.

To keep your festive table from looking too chaotic, style with a staggered variation of pieces in different heights and proportions, from cake stands and vases, and single candle holders to candelabras. This will help the look to feel layered and easy on the eye.’

Niamh is a freelance journalist and the Head of Content at Raft Furniture. She is obsessed with all things interior design, with a particular focus on sustainability and city-dweller style. The wooden floorboards and built-in bookcase in Niamh’s rented North London home occupy her daydreams between writing, and after work, she has a knack for finding cheap plane tickets. 

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