Harvesting materials from outdoors is another easy and inexpensive way to add a festive seasonal touch to your table. Jepsen likes pine cones, which she calls “nature’s sculptures.” Crawford suggests using them to create reindeer with hot-glued googly eyes and black (or red for Rudolph) pompom noses. Or, she says, just “kiss the edges of the pine cones with glitter” for a simple, yet elegant display. Scatter the decorated pine cones in the center of your table or put one with each place setting.
Evergreen branches are another way to dress up your table. Alders suggests wrapping three or four sprigs in thick velvet ribbon, leaving the ends of the ribbon long and dramatic.