A unique and festive holiday tablescape can easily be created with some planning, simple materials and your imagination. Just like dressing up for special occasions, little touches can make a big impact on how your table looks to your guests.
One design trick to add height and visual interest to your tablescape is to use a pretty cake stand as a focal point, or several of varying heights if you have a large table. Cake stands are now readily available in many different styles, shapes and price points. A cake stand will make whatever is placed on them seem more important — and this need not be a cake! Hostesses now use cake stands to hold all types of foods — hors d’oeurves, vegetables, cookies, pies or tarts. Besides presenting edibles, cake stands can also serve as a base for other centerpiece designs. Put out a selection of candles of the same color but differing shapes and heights, or fill a tiered stand with matching votive candles instead of cookies to create an eye-catching centerpiece.
Another favorite way to relieve the monotony of a flat tablescape is to cover your table with one tablecloth. Then place plastic or cardboard boxes (like...