At Christmas, the table becomes the heart of the home. We spend hours there, gather with the people we love and share dishes prepared with care. The tablecloth is its backdrop: it sets the tone of the evening, well before the tableware or the candles. Here is how to choose your Christmas tablecloth for an elegant festive table, without overdoing it.
Beyond red and green
A Christmas tablecloth does not need to be red, or covered in fir trees. A tablecloth in a colour you love takes on a festive air as soon as you add greenery, candles and a little seasonal fruit. And it will serve you all year round, well beyond 25 December.
A few pairings that always work:
- Ecru and mustard yellow: warm and bright, it goes beautifully with brass, clementines and fir branches. The spirit of a golden Christmas, without the glitter.
- Royal blue: deep and elegant, it loves white tableware, silver and candlelight. A holiday table with character.
- Slate grey: understated and modern, it shows off greenery, wood and white candles.
- Pink: for a softer Christmas, with sage green, eucalyptus and cream tableware.
Allow for a generous drop
For a festive meal, you can choose a tablecloth a little longer than for everyday use: a drop of 30 to 40 cm on each side gives a generous fall. Simply measure your table and add twice the drop.
For a round table of about 140 cm, a 200 cm round tablecloth gives a 30 cm drop all the way round. For a 90 × 190 cm rectangular table, choose a 150 × 250 cm tablecloth, and for a square table of about 90 cm, a 150 × 150 cm square tablecloth. All the calculations are in our guide “Which tablecloth size should you choose?”.
Choose a fabric that can handle the celebration
A holiday dinner means hours at the table, wine, sauces and candle wax. Better to have a tablecloth you are not afraid to use. A sturdy fabric that is machine washable and barely creases lets you enjoy the evening with peace of mind. That is the case with Fez cloth, on which our Attarine tablecloths are embroidered.
Think of matching napkins
Cloth napkins that match the tablecloth instantly make the table feel harmonious. Fold them simply on the plate and tuck in a sprig of rosemary, a small fir branch or a handwritten place card.
Set the rest of the table
Once the tablecloth is laid, very little is needed: a low centrepiece (fir or olive branches, clementines, a few walnuts), candles at different heights and a palette limited to three colours. Find all our tips in “How to set a beautiful festive table”.
After the meal: the right care
- Red wine: blot without rubbing using a clean cloth, rinse with cold water as soon as possible, then wash the tablecloth. Avoid hot water, which sets the stain.
- Candle wax: let it harden, remove as much as you can with the back of a spoon, then place a paper towel over it and press with a warm iron.
- Ironing: iron the embroidery on the reverse side, to preserve its relief.
An embroidered tablecloth, a gift to keep
If you are invited for the holidays, a hand-embroidered tablecloth is also a lasting gift: it comes out at every celebration, and often ends up being passed down. In Fez, embroidered linen was among the treasured pieces kept for a lifetime.
Our Attarine tablecloths are hand-embroidered in Fez, as a 150 × 150 cm square, a 150 × 250 cm rectangle or a 200 cm round, with 4 or 6 matching napkins.
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