Simple Christmas Table Decor

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We live in a hectic, busy world full of things to do and places to go. What I love about Christmas is it's one day to stop for a minute and take some time to relax at home with your loved ones. For me, the highlight of Christmas day is always sitting around the table with my family to have one gigantic feast together.

This past Christmas, we hosted our first Christmas since we moved into our house. I had the menu perfectly planned, the house thoroughly decorated, and even a "schedule" for the day so I knew what to cook and move and serve when (yes, I am insane.)

Something was missing though. My dining room table was terribly depressing. I had a grey table runner and with some red and green candles, and it just felt so blah. I would have loved to head to my local pottery barn and spend all my money on some gorgeous Christmas table decor, but that just wasn't in the budget. So, I improvised! I set myself a very small budget ($60) and got to work to create this simple, cozy, holiday table:

First, I made a trip to my local TJ Maxx and found this gorgeous table runner. It was thick and luxurious feeling, plus it has a tiny bit of sparkle woven into the pattern for some extra holiday magic. Also, it was only $16.99. Beat that Pottery Barn!

Next, I went on amazon.com to get myself some nice white linen napkins. I figured they'd be great for any holiday, not just Christmas, and I knew I could find some way to dress them up. They were $30, and had great reviews, so there you go. You can get them here

Every year we go to Yard Works in Warwick to buy our Christmas Tree. While we were there, I happened to spy some bunches of holly for sale, so I made a mental note because I thought they'd be great to add to my table. I went back to Yard Works a few days before Christmas and bought a bundle of holly for about $10.

I kept the holly refrigerated until Christmas morning. It hurt like heck, but I was able to trim it all up and place the holly on a marble tray I already owned. I added some white candles I already owned, and voila! A simple, festive centerpiece. I would definitely recommend wearing gloves if you are going to be trimming holly. I was dumb and lazy, and my hands really paid for it :) (If you are wondering, I got the marble tray from Target a while ago for $24.99. I'm obsessed with it. You can get it here)

For the final touch, I raided my spice cabinet and found some nice long cinnamon sticks. Next, I snipped a sprig of rosemary from a plant I have in my sunroom. I tied the rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick up with each napkin using some red string I had leftover from wrapping presents.

So there you have it! I was very pleased with my table, and came in under budget at $56.99. Surely there are more beautiful and elaborate tablescapes in the world made up with stunning chargers, fancy glassware, intricate centerpieces, etc. However, I thought my table came out pretty great for such a small budget. I loved how simple it was, and I'll probably recreate it the next time I host.

What do you do to decorate your dining room table for the holidays? Share in the comments below!