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If you find yourself wondering how to make your spaces more festive this Christmas, consider using centrepieces to enliven your dining table. Here are a few simple ways to whip up a good-looking decor piece for your tables.

Fabrics A decorative tapestry such as oriental table runners or a simple cloth serves to underscore centrepiece arrangements with a layer of texture and to protect dining surfaces from scratches. Anything as overt as plain fabrics dyed in red or green to tartan and plaid textiles in subtle colours will evoke the Christmas spirit in varying degrees.

Thematic Decorations As with fabrics, decorative objects can be as obvious as cut branches of red European holly (Ilex aquifolium), snowflakes in crystal, and figurines depicting the requisite characters of the season - or as understated as pine cones and a variety of edible berries.

Silverware Associated with prosperous clan gatherings during the holiday season, the reflective sheen of silverware conjures impressions of snow-covered landscapes. As food will inevitably be found scattered over dining surfaces - often before the whole family even sits down for dinner, consider integrating silver-gilded containers of edibles or beverages into centrepiece arrangements.

Glassware Glassware and other crystalline decorations can be used as an alternative to silver containers to add some shine to centrepieces. Glassware such as snack bowls and beverage pitchers, or thematic crystalline decorative objects are best appreciated in direct light to add a measure of intricate elegance to the centrepiece.

Lighting Candles and accent lighting can applied adequate lighting for diners as well as be part of your centrepiece arrangements while maintaining an intimate mood. Turn up narrow downlights directly over centrepieces to heighten metallic and crystalline decorations and improve task lighting with a scattering of tea candles or paraffin lamps.