Dinner Party Ideas: Setting The Table To Entertain At Home

With the economy the way it is these days, more and more people are starting to jump on board with the idea of entertaining at home.

If you weigh the cost of going out to eat against the investment in items for setting a table, you'll quickly see that no matter how often you entertain at home, you will save money.

Dinner party table setting doesn't have to be elaborate though if you want to go that route, the sky's the limit. Most people favor a less formal or casual dining style when they entertain at home.

If you organize your table setting purchases and keep several factors in mind, you can always be at the ready for entertaining at home and hosting a dinner party.

Whether it's a birthday celebration or a holiday dinner, there are some tricks and tips that can save you money over the long run. These tips and tricks can also grace you with a style all your own when it comes to hosting that special dinner.

Let's take a look at some of the ways you can be a tremendous success at home entertaining with table setting ideas.

Most people have color schemes that they love and when it comes to decorating, the possibilities are endless.

Part of that decorating magic is having coordinating accents that blend well with such things as your furniture, your wall colors, even your curtains or drapes.

Everyone I know has several underlying colors that they blend in their home. It might be different from room to room but the dining room is no different.

I recommend coordinating your dishes and your accessories to complement your decor. By selecting 2 or 3 basic colors and then adding to your supply from time to time, you can achieve a simple or simply elegant table setting that will be both attractive and affordable.

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I am not so much interested in setting my table according to which fork goes where. I am much more interested in setting my table to reflect my own personal style of entertaining.

When I entertain at home, I strive to make the colors blend and complement each other.

For instance, starting out with a plain table, I add in round placemats. Since it's April, for Easter dinner, I went with my yellow/gold placemats and alternated with green. The table is set with 4 green and 2 yellow.

I then alternate my plates according to the placemats. As you can see in the top picture, I use a sage green plate on a yellow placemat. I use a yellow plate on a green placemat.

I further carry the color contrast through by adding the complementary colored napkin, folded in a simple design. So the yellow plate has a green napkin whereas the green plate has a yellow napkin.

Check out my easy-to-make napkin hub here.

I tie all of it together by using a diminutive centerpiece that blends the same colors and then add a simple silverware setting and wine glasses.

I use green serving platters and golden serving bowls to further bring out the color scheme I'm working with or perhaps I even add in a deep red serving bowl for more "pop".

Voila - a super simple but lovely dinner party table setting.

With the dishes and colors that I have, I can change up my dinner table settings many ways.

It helps to have different colored dishes and placemats which takes the style from formal to informal, a kind of easy lifestyle look.

I choose colors that go with my house decor. I blend a lot of reds, greens and golden colors as they seem to be what works for me. However, any combination of colors will do. Even black and white makes a wonderful table setting.

Many people buy clear or white dishes and serving pieces because they will go with anything. The same goes for any neutral colors like a soft brown.

Gone are the days where we have to have fine bone china gracing our table. The key to setting a table for at-home entertaining is to keep it simple and keep it warm and appealing. You want people to come in and sit at the table. You want them to enjoy using your things and savoring your meal together.

Try some of these combinations for table settings:

• Round plates with a simple folded napkin
• Round plates contrasted against a round or square placemat
• Round plates with a square salad or dessert place turned on an angle
• Round plates with a soup or salad bowl in the same or contrasting color
• Square plates with a simple folded napkin
  
• Square plates contrasted against a round placemat
• Square plates turned on an angle with a round plate dessert plate atop
• Round or square plate with a soup bowl
  
• "Stacked" look - round plate with square salad plate with wine glass with napkin inside
  

As in all things, I am frugal to say the least. Even though I seem to have an overabundance of dishes and serving pieces, I really don't think what I have is extravagant.

I should also point out here that I only buy dishes and serving pieces on sale.

By knowing the colors that I use all the time, I always know what will go with my table setting pieces before I go anywhere. If I happen to see something that fits my color scheme (and my budget), then I pick it up on sale.

I have also grown my collection of table setting pieces over time. Since I don't have fine china anymore, I have made it a commitment to buy good quality dishes but ones that are always on sale.

Fabric napkins are another way of personalizing any table setting. I have made all the napkins that I have for mere pennies. I keep them pressed and ready so that I can use them for every day meals as well as at-home entertaining.

Great Places to Save on Table Setting Pieces

I've gotten great deals at all these places:

• Macy's kitchen department
• Ross
• TJ Maxx
• Safeway
• Bed, Bath & Beyond
  
• World Market
• Kitchen outlet stores
• Birthday or gift cards
• Gift registry
• Fabric stores for napkins and placemats
  
• Trading pieces with friends and family
• Garage sales
• Antique stores
• Swap meets
• Anywhere you find the colors you use!

A lot of the "magic" of table setting is making the colors work together. If you take a look at the color wheel opposite, you'll see that there are colors directly across the circle from each other. Those colors are guaranteed to match or complement each other.

If you're looking for new colors, sometimes it's a lot of fun to grab a color wheel say at a paint store and just experiment to see which colors "should" go well together and which ones you want to go together.

By using the color wheel, you can also draw a wedge or a triangle in the center, and the colors at the ends of the points should also blend well together.

Another easy way to blend colors is to stay with a same color "family". That way you know that your things will match.

I've been mixing and matching colors for so long that I generally just have a feel for the look that I want but I'm always looking for new ideas.

Remember that neutral colors will generally go with anything so those white or clear serving pieces will be great matches for everything.

I like staying with solid color plates and then changing up napkins or placemats for added color. However, you can do the reverse and stick with solid color placemats and napkins and buy patterned plates to achieve the same effect.

In today's world, your stylistic possibilities are endless. More modern brilliant colors make for exciting dinner table settings as well.

In short, there is no "right way" to set your table when it comes to at-home entertaining or hosting a dinner party.

Your dinner party table setting can be as formal or as casual as you wish.

Check out the You Tube videos for more ideas on great table setting ideas. While some of her settings are a little "too formal" for me, she has some great ideas. I especially like her idea of putting a living plant in a vase for the centerpiece.

Your table setting won't make or break your dinner party but with just a little thought about colors and shapes, you can turn a "blah" table setting into an "ah ha" table setting. It really takes no time at all to make your table setting unique and lend a warm and friendly touch to your dinner party.

If you have your own personal dinner party table setting ideas that you use, please share them with us all in the comments section below.

In the meantime, wishing you every success with at-home entertaining!

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