Holiday Placemat Ideas

A few holiday placemat ideas can transform your dining area into a veritable winter wonderland. With a plethora of patterns and colors available, there are innumerable ways to make placemats a part of your holiday décor.

Best of all, holiday-themed products can be pulled out year after year and used again and again. From playful to elegant, there are placemats available to suit all decorating preferences. This setting showcases a neutral placemat, which is the perfect backdrop for a decorative, brightly colored plate and complementary napkins and silverware.

If you're a fiend for green, consider building your table theme around it. Begin with a selection of simple, solid placemats in an evergreen or dark leaf hue. Place festive greenery and matching wine glasses at each setting to complete the theme, but be sure to break the palette with a splash of red for a truly holiday-worthy look.

Thanksgiving is a great time to get creative and not just in the kitchen! Take advantage of the occasion and decorate the table to the hilt. A plaid red and green placemat is festive and playful, yet offers a strong contrast to a neutral colored plate. Add decorative touches, like candles, faux leaves and meaningful messages at each place setting for an elegant finish.

If you prefer to keep things simple or want to start the day with a colorful, yet understated breakfast, consider adding a placemat in the center of the table. It serves as a wonderful foundation for holiday décor, like a glass candle holder or wreath.

For a more rustic appearance, try a wooden placemat in a festive color of your choice. A solid hue is ideal since it allows the distinctive wood grain to stand out. It's also a great blank slate for a festive accent piece, like a small bough or bow!

If your table centerpiece is especially bold, opt for minimal placemats so they don't steal the spotlight. A solid-colored placemat is also a great complement to a centerpiece, as seen here. The berries and candles coordinate well with brilliant red placemats, and the gold flatware shines beautifully against it, too.

Another holiday placemat idea for keeping things simple yet colorful and interesting is to alternate placemats. A red-green-red-green layout works best, since the two colors are complementary to each other with little risk of the colors clashing. As seen here, silverware with color coordinated handles also add a touch of fun to the look.

Here's a treat for Santa Claus and the kids! Bound to put a smile on little ones' faces, a plate of cookies set atop a pretty lace placemat is great for a couple of reasons. It sends the kids to bed with a smile on their faces and the promise that Santa is on his way and it happens to look festive and elegant, too. Don't forget the glass of milk!

For more holiday inspiration, see these unique towel gift basket ideas.