Event organiser Maria Reidy shares her top tips for festive finishing touches

Making your Christmas table look pretty is easy; it just takes a little bit of planning.

I always advise dressing your table on 23 December so that you can enjoy Christmas Eve. It is also a task that can easily be done by younger family members with perhaps a little bit of direction!

With a Christmas table, I always recommend using what you currently have, especially as it can be a nice way to remember a loved one. I use my grandmother’s candlesticks, for example, and her vases – it has become a tradition at this point. And it means we all remember her, even though she is no longer with us.

Here are my tips for

creating a Christmas table:

1. Embellish white linen by using different coloured napkins and a Christmas tree decoration. I sourced these butterfly and wreath decorations in BT (€5 each) (pic one).

2. Personalise place settings with guest names on luggage swing tags. I picked up this alphabet stamp from Tiger Stores for just €2 (pic two).

3. Be sure to place your candles in the freezer for a few hours before burning and always trim the wicks. The candles will last longer and burn better. Always buy high-quality candles – Broste are a brand that I use for all my events and weddings.

4. Rather than serve a bowl of soup, I often use vintage china teacups to serve soup in. It is a novel approach and it means your guests will have room for the remainder of the meal (pic three).

5. Buy gold or silver vases for fresh flower arrangements. They add a nice reflection to the table, particularly with the addition of candlelight (pic four).

finishing touches for the home:

1. Use three to five vases across your mantelpiece with Christmas floral arrangements. By using gold or silver vessels, you are lending a touch of luxury to your mantelpiece (pic five).

2. Lanterns can be purchased in many lifestyle or homeware stores and create a gorgeous welcome at Christmas time at your front door. Add decorative embellishments such as baubles, pine cones and cinnamon sticks to make them a little different. A layer of moss from your garden placed around the pillar candles also works very well. Lanterns can be used both internally and externally (pic six).

3. A reindeer (I sourced mine in Meadows and Byrne) placed on a staircase with white cyclamen adds a decorative touch (pic seven).

4. Dress your hall table with a simple lantern and scatter red berries and cones beside it. Loop red ribbon through drawer handles to add a festive touch.

MEET MARIA

Event organiser Maria Reidy, who was raised on a dairy farm in west Clare, offers a full event management service for corporate clients, private house parties and weddings, including those on family farms. For further info, visit www.mariareidyevents.com CL

LOCATION CREDIT

Nestled on 1,000 acres of undulating Irish countryside, Castle Leslie Estate in Glaslough, Co Monaghan, is one of the last great Irish castle estates still in the hands of its founding family. So, this Christmas, why not indulge your loved ones with one of Castle Leslie’s 12 Gifts of Christmas? There’s something for everyone, from The Ultimate Indulgent Day at the Victorian Treatment Rooms, Castle Leslie Estate books and horse riding to Uncle Jack’s afternoon tea for two, fishing on Glaslough Lake, dinner in Snaffles Restaurant and a host of fabulous breaks. Winter overnight escape packages start from €125 pps, which includes one night’s bed and full Irish breakfast and dinner in the 2 AA Rosette award-winning Snaffles Restaurant. For a full list of Christmas gift ideas, please visit www.castleleslie.com,call 047-88100 or email info@castleleslie.com