Holiday decorating doesn’t have to be stressful! You can easily create a modern holiday table setting with mason jars, fresh evergreen boughs, and cinnamon sticks to give your holiday table a seasonal touch!
I don’t really love decorating for the holiday season. It seems like a lot of fuss for just a few weeks but this year, <3M really wanted to decorate…so we did! And this year, for once, I’m quite happy with how it turned out. So much so, I was inspired to create a modern holiday table setting for a ladies night at the house.
Wanting to make the table setting special for all the girls but not wanting to drop a bunch of cash, I was inspired to create a festive yet affordable modern holiday scene.
To keep the decorations simple and natural, I utilized a few items from around the house while incorporating fresh, seasonal decorations like cinnamon sticks and cranberries. I also picked up a few candles and fillers from Michaels to help pull the look together.
Lastly, I wanted to incorporate a bit of pine into the modern holiday table setting to add a bit of height to the table and draw even more on the holiday spirit.
Unfortunately, living in Texas means I can no longer traipse into my backyard and cut the greens from the pine trees. This is seriously the one time I wish I were in New York, for the convenience of pine tree limbs.
On my quest to find greens, I went to Home Depot and debated spending $15 on a wreath that I would simply tear apart.
As I walked aimlessly around Home Depot debating the cost, I found a pile of evergreen branches that were obviously going to be discarded. I dug through the pile and chose a large branch with enough fresh greens to decorate my table.
Apprehensively, I asked a salesperson if I could take this large limb home for free and although I was hesitant, the Home Depot salesperson told me it was common for customers to take the discarded boughs! Elated, I almost skipped to the car knowing my vision was finally coming together with this last piece.
Assembling my modern holiday table setting took about 20 minutes. Once set with the plates, it looked simple, modern and festive! If you’re looking for a quick yet affordable table setting, I highly recommend this DIY look. And the best part, the mason jar setting will last for weeks so you can utilize it throughout the course of the holiday season.
3 quart mason jars, tops removed2 pint mason jars, tops removed- 3 jars of white stone granules
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 2 white votive candles
- 12-15 evergreen boughs, cut into 6-8 inch pieces
- Fill the 5 mason jars one-third full with the white stone granules
- Top the white granules with the fresh cranberries, filling the second third of each mason jar
- Snuggle the two votive candles into the pint mason jars
- Place 4-5 evergreen boughs into the top of each of the quart size mason jars
- Arrange the mason jars in a line in the center of your dining table
- Right before dinner, light the votives and enjoy
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary, 6-7 inches in length
- 6 cinnamon sticks, 4-5 inches long
- 6 pieces of twine, each 18-inches in length
- 6 small silver bells
- 6 white cloth napkins
- Roll the cloth napkins into a long tube and set aside
- String the silver bells onto each of the pieces of twine, centering each bell on the twine
- Place the bell & twine into the center of one of the cloth napkins and wrap the ends around
- Gently tie the ends of the twine into a simple, loose knot
- Tuck the spring of rosemary & cinnamon under the twine, with the cinnamon stick slightly offset
- Repeat five more times for each of the napkins
Serena says
Everything is so simple but looks so elegant. Great tips
Denisse Salinas says
Your decorations are so pretty! I love the napkins especially, all the colors looks so wintery. I am inspired!
Denisse Salinas says
Such a simple, rustic, and elegant decor! I love it! Beautiful. Great that you were able to get a free branch of evergreen. I love scores like that
Patty @ Spoonabilities says
Absolutely gorgeous settings. I am so loving this.
Teri Stephens says
Love this so much. My favorite Christmas decor is simple, natural and repurposed from seasonal and existing items you have. My favorite is how you used the cinnamon sticks. Perfect.
Jane says
Those napkins are just adorable! I’ve been making our Christmas wreath this week, it always gets me as excited as a 5 year old 😀
Amy Drohen says
This is such a great idea!