Christmas Banquet Decorating Ideas

When you're putting together your display of seasonal delicacies for your Christmas table, don't forget to add a few banquet decorations to keep the holiday theme alive. Let the colors of Christmas guide you through a red, green, white and sparkly silver banquet display as ideal accompaniment to the dishes served. Does this Spark an idea?

Pretty Potters

Turn old green plastic or brown terracotta planters into Christmas banquet decorations with some paints, tape and a brush. Go from clay to candy when you paint the pots the familiar peppermint red and white stripes. Another option is to use spray paint (choose one suited to the type of material, such as specialty plastic adherent spray paint). With either material, decorate the pots white first and let dry. Apply thick masking tape all around the pots and spray or paint the entire pot again with red. Once dry, peel off the masking tape to reveal the white stripes underneath. Use tiny pots as place markers for the banquet (with guests' names stenciled on the outer rims in black marker) and larger pots to hold serving ware, napkins and bunches of candy canes.

Dual-Use Desserts

Combine Christmas decorations with a sweet way to end a banquet by decking the halls, and the trees, with edible ornaments. While some Christmas decorations such as gingerbread cookie men and candy canes have always been associated with tree ornamentation, branch out and design other food items to hang on the tree. Ideas include popcorn balls (dyed red and green with food coloring to look like ornament balls), strings of candy necklaces and cookies in the shape of reindeer and Santa. Decking a tree with dessert saves on cleanup too -- no plates or bowls required, as banquet guests will help themselves to treats directly off the tree.

Stocking Seaters

Give guests a quick way to find their places at the banquet table and a take-home memento of the evening by decorating chairs with Christmas stockings. Make Christmas stockings out of anything from a few sheets of red and white felt to yards of fleece and faux-fur fabric. For guests' names, use a glitter pen, embroidery thread and needle or a thick, dark marker. Add a small loop of thread or cord to the top of the stocking and hook it over the back of a chair for a festive alternative to place cards.