On a long table, run it along the length and keep the ends clear. On a round table, one group in the middle. Height comes from the floor, not from a taller centerpiece. Our dining table styling guide covers the everyday version.
How do you decorate a dining table for Christmas?
One low line down the middle, kept under about 12 in: greenery, a few candles in glass, nothing wider than a hand. The rest of the top is for plates, dishes and glasses.
Which candle holders for the Christmas table?
On the table itself, glass is the safer choice: hands reach across, napkins move, sprigs dry out. The Small Tom at 6.7 in keeps the flame below eye level.
| Where | Holder | Height | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| On the table | Tom, in glass | 6.7, 8 or 9.4 in (6.7, 8 or 9.4 in) | Flame shielded from reaching arms and greenery |
| Beside the table | Vera, open flame | 29.5, 33.5 or 37.4 in (29.5, 33.5 or 37.4 in) | A tall dinner candle without taking table space |
| Corner, hall or window | Thomas, in glass | 37.4, 41.3 or 45.3 in (37.4, 41.3 or 45.3 in) | Lamp-height light where people pass |
Do you make an advent candle holder?
Not a four-candle advent holder. Four Tom in a row do the same job: a set of three and a single, or two sets of two, which give you Large, Small, Large, Small.
Light one more each Sunday of advent. In glass, the four flames can stand on a windowsill or a sideboard as well as on the table. Use pillar candles up to ø3.5 in and 4.3 in tall.
How many people fit around the Christmas table?
Our 63, 94.5 and 110.2 in (63, 94.5 and 110 in) tables seat four, six and eight on the long sides. Christmas is when the ends earn their place: one chair at each end if the table is at least 35.4 in wide, so six, eight or ten. A round Luna seats four at ø43.3 in and six at ø55.1 in.
We do not make an extending table. Buy the length you use most weeks, and let the ends take the extra guests. The dining table size guide has the numbers.
Winter candlelight beyond the table
When the afternoons go dark early, light low and in several places beats one ceiling light. A group of three floor holders in one corner, a pair in the hall, Tom on the windowsill.
Thomas by a window or a door: the glass keeps the flame steady when someone comes in from the cold. Vera in a hall or by a fireplace, where the air is still. Three in stepped heights in one spot read as one piece. The floor candle holder guide has the heights.
Greenery, ribbons and an open flame
Keep open flames away from pine, dried flowers, paper napkins and ribbons. On the table, put the flames in glass and keep the greenery around the holders, not inside them.
Vera's flame is open: give it space, away from the tree, curtains and shelves. Never leave a burning candle unattended, and put everything out before bed. Keep candles out of reach of children and pets, who are both busier than usual at Christmas.
After the holidays: wax and glass
Wax in a glass cylinder comes out cold: freeze the glass for an hour or two and push the wax out. The wax removal guide has the method.
If a glass breaks in the rush, it is sold as a spare part for Thomas and Tom. The holder itself is steel, welded and powder-coated in Sweden, with a 10-year warranty.
Low on the table, tall beside it
- Table flames
- in glass
- Extra seats
- one at each end
- Spare glass
- Thomas and Tom
