Mad for Plaid: A Very Tartan Tabletop

Every year I look for new ways to decorate for the holidays. In the recent past, my style choices have been driven by the ages of my children—think reindeer-patterned paper napkins and vinyl tablecloths. This year, I have a little more flexibility and am planning to dress things up with some holiday plaid.

While I tend to favor nontraditional shades of red and green for my holiday decor, it’s actually the rich, classic reds and deep greens of these plaids that have captured my interest (see my favorites pinned here).

And there’s no better place to start decorating than with your dining room furniture.

A tartan tablecloth or runner provides a lovely foundation for holiday dinnerware. You can also layer a plaid tablecloth over a solid one, or use a plain red or green cloth and accent it with plaid napkins.

If you have a fabulous natural wood table like the Sorella dining table, you can create a more rustic look and go without a tablecloth and get right to the decorating.

In the case of a rustic table like Sorella with a wood grain that you don’t want to cover with a tablecloth, you can bring in a tartan pattern on the back of a chair for a breathtaking and delightful touch.

Dressing the guest chairs takes the holiday theme even further.

Or, you can take tartan in a more rustic direction by skipping the tablecloth and using a colorful throw for color, as seen in this setting.

I love the combination of red plaids with natural elements like cranberries, burlap, twigs, branches and natural cuttings.

And why stop at the table? Take the plaid to the gifts and mantle as well.

And don’t forget the flowers—plaid is an easy accent that adds elegance to inexpensive arrangements.

Try wrapping your vase or container in tartan ribbon and accenting with a bow to bring more tartan to your holiday décor.