Spruce up your Holiday entertaining

Instead of flowers, fill clear vases with cranberries, lemons or greenery in water.

(ARA) - Looking for a little glitz to spruce up your holiday entertaining? You may already have all the trimmings you need right in your own home. This is one of the first places Annie Williamson looks when developing new decorating ideas to capture the magic of the holidays.

As a designer for Replacements, Ltd., the world's largest supplier of old and new china, crystal, silver and collectibles, it's not only her job to deck the showroom, but also to help customers come up with their own unique twists to add seasonal glow.

"You don't have to spend a lot of money or be extraordinarily creative to give your holiday table that extra sparkle," says Williamson. "You can do so much on a limited budget by starting with china or other items you already have and using them in ways you never imagined."

Here are a few decorating tips to find items in your own home and turn them into dazzling decorating pieces:

Think Outside the Box

Mix old and new china patterns, or even combine pieces of your formal dinnerware with a more casual pattern.

Are your serving pieces in the china cabinet gathering dust? Those could be the start of a perfect centerpiece. "A great idea that's also really easy is to fill a soup tureen or large serving bowl with fresh flowers or even colorful holiday ornaments to complement your napkins or china," says Replacements' Dubravka Vujinovic. "You could do something similar with your sugar bowl, or even fill water goblets or tumblers with flowers to use at each place setting."

Find Festive Flourishes

You don't need to have several sets of china to impress your guests. Replacements experts say small flourishes can easily give your table a whole new look.

Mix old and new china patterns, or even combine pieces of your formal dinnerware with a more casual pattern. For instance, use a colorful earthenware dinner plate such as Homer Laughlin Fiesta as a charger beneath a more delicate china pattern.

Add a burst of pizzazz by using colored glass plates as accent pieces. For autumn entertaining, you could even place a bright fall leaf on a dinner plate, then place a see-through colored glass plate on top to create a layered effect.

Fill a soup tureen or large serving bowl with fresh flowers or even colorful holiday ornaments to complement your napkins or china.

Look outdoors. Use seasonal greenery, including holly, running cedar or magnolia leaves on the table to add color. For Thanksgiving, decorate with fresh fall leaves and walnuts.

Fill silver bowls with water and float candles for evening entertaining.

Add feathers to festive floral arrangements to create a unique look, or use gold and silver bells as accents.

Instead of flowers, fill clear vases with cranberries, lemons or greenery in water.

Decorate with ornaments at each place setting. They not only add sparkle, but guests can take home these keepsakes as a reminder of your special evening.

"Chandelier trees are another way to dazzle your guests," says Williamson. "Take down the chandelier or light fixture over your dining room table then hang a holiday tree upside down from the ceiling and decorate it with lights and ornaments. Not only does this create more space on the table, it's a great conversation starter."

Want to learn more inside advice to dazzle your guests? You can find additional decorating tips at www.replacements.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent