Setting the table is a small, seemingly ordinary everyday task that can make a big difference in your home. I find so much joy in setting my table for various occasions. I’ve shared some beautiful holiday tablescape ideas and lovely Halloween tablescapes, but today I want to focus on everyday table settings.
Taking a few extra minutes to thoughtfully set the table makes mealtime more inviting. But you don’t need a fancy party, large gathering, or special occasion as an excuse to create a stunning tablescape. So, today I’m sharing some practical yet beautiful table setting ideas you can recreate for everyday meals.
Daily Dining Inspiration: 7 Table Setting Ideas For Everyday
Understated Elegance
There’s something incredibly chic about an understated table setting with classic gold or silver accents. Start with clean white table linens and white dinnerware, then use gold silverware and a metallic gold table runner. This table setting is easy to put together and instantly adds a touch of elegance to your dining room.
Rustic Farmhouse
Farmhouse decor is very on-trend, and you can easily incorporate it into a lovely everyday table setting. This idea would be the perfect way to dress up a wooden dining table! All you need is farmhouse or rustic-style dinnerware, like this lovely distressed white dinnerware, and a few simple accents. This burlap table runner would be perfect for a farmhouse table setting.
Coastal
Bring the joy of the coast to your dining room with a coastal table setting. There are so many ways to incorporate beach- and ocean-themed table decor into your tablescape. You can add a touch of color with blue braided placemats, or, if you gravitate toward neutrals like I do, you can use decorative napkin holders, like these starfish napkin rings.
Boho
Boho decor is also really popular right now. This relaxed, neutral-toned aesthetic translates seamlessly into a soft and comforting everyday table setting. Some items you could use include burlap and straw combination placemats, white ceramic vases with pampas grass, and earth-toned dinnerware.
Modern Minimalist
These days, modernity and minimalism go hand in hand. You can put together a sleek and contemporary tablescape using a white tablecloth, black matte dinnerware, and geometric table accents, such as these metal candle holders.
Soft Pastels
I don’t usually use a lot of color in my home decor, but soft pastels are an effortless way to add vibrance and energy to your dining room. I could totally get on board with this pastel gauze cheesecloth table runner or these pastel napkins when I need some more color in my home.
Nature-Inspired
Whenever I can bring the great outdoors inside (without the bugs and allergies, of course), I’m one happy woman. Natural elements, like flowers, leaves, and wood make great table accents and they won’t cost you a thing. Or, you can leave the real thing outside and opt for faux pieces like this eucalyptus garland table runner.
How To Teach Kids To Set The Table
Whether you’re on the lookout for age-appropriate chores for your child or you’re trying to appease your little one’s desire to help you prepare for dinner, teaching them how to set the table is a useful skill that will stick with them. While practice is key to a child remembering where everything goes when setting the table, a bit of creativity can make the learning process a lot more fun for both of you.
If you’re teaching a younger child how to set the table, first make sure they can identify each item used in a table setting. A basic table setting includes a dinner plate, bread plate, drinking cup or glass, napkin, fork, spoon, and table knife.
The first couple of times your child sets the table, instruct them to place each item in the correct spot, one at a time, for their own table setting. Then, walk them through the following five steps:
- Start by putting the big plate in front of you, in the middle.
- For the next step, I love this idea from Megan with Education Possible:
Ask your child to put both of their hands in front of them and then join the tips of their index fingers and thumbs together on each hand to make circles. Put their remaining fingers together and point them straight up.
Ask your child – “Which lowercase letters do your fingers make?”
The left hand looks like a lowercase b. Bread plate starts with a “b” so it will be placed to the top left of the dinner plate.
The right hand looks like a lowercase d. Drinking cup starts with a “d” s it will be placed to the top right of the dinner plate.
- Next, place the napkin, either on top of the dinner plate or to the right of it.
- Place the fork to the left of the dinner plate, on the dining table or tablecloth.
- The knife and spoon are then placed to the right of the dinner plate. If they need a little help remembering which one goes where, you can explain that because the letter ‘K’ in ‘knife’ comes before ‘S’ in ‘spoon’ in the alphabet, the knife is placed next to the dinner plate, followed by the spoon to the right of the knife.
You don’t need a special occasion to put together a beautiful table setting.
Which everyday table setting would you use in your home? If it’s one I didn’t include, be sure to let me know in the comments.
For more ways to transform your dining table, check out these brunch table setting ideas.
