Holiday Entertaining – Buffet Tips and Tricks

Written by myfavorite on November 6, 2012 in Buffets, Christmas, Holidays, Table Decor with 0 Comments

I love parties! Holiday entertaining is the best and a buffet is the easiest way to set up your meal, desserts or appetizers. Buffets or dessert tables are also perfect as a centerpiece for your party -- an opportunity to display your food offerings in unique and different ways and incorporate some of your favorite holiday decor and colors.

5 Tips for Your Holiday Buffets or Dessert Tables

1. Choose a color scheme that complements the colors of your holiday decor. Do you decorate your home in traditional red? green? retro aqua? brick red? lime green? Whatever colors your holiday decor is in, use those same colors for your buffet or dessert table.

2. Modern or Traditional? A modern buffet is more streamlined, less fluff. They can be just as gorgeous as a traditional buffet but do need a focal point, centerpiece that is eye catching. Modern style buffets and dessert tables usually stick with 2 or 3 colors in their scheme.

A traditional buffet is more about layering colors, textures and fabrics. While you still have a centerpiece on a traditional buffet there will be many other smaller decor items that add to the overall beauty. Its color scheme can have 2 or more colors and patterns -- all coordinating or complementary, of course.

3. It will be a cohesive look if you choose dishes or serving ware that are all the same color -- white, black, red, clear, etc...

4. After you have decided on your main colors and your style (modern or traditional), start with a base table cloth. For a traditional style buffet or dessert table, the base cloth doesn't have to be one of the colors in your scheme as long as it is neutral or complementary, you're good to go. Black or white are great because they coordinate with almost any color scheme. And, you're most likely going to build layers of fabric and accents on top of your base table cloth anyway. Not that much of it may actually be seen.

For a modern style buffet or dessert table, choose the neutral as the base table cloth color to make the other colors pop -- or -- use a popping color for the base table cloth and a neutral color for the dishes.

5. Use some of your favorite holiday decor on your buffet table -- a Santa, sleigh, Menorah, glass ball ornaments, figurines, etc... Accent with tree garland beads, ribbon or icicles. Have fun with it! And don't forget to vary the heights of your foods. Use cake stands, tiered stands, platters and pedestal bowls. You can also make risers out of most anything (like books) and cover them in fabric to add some height.

Here are a few vintage or retro decor items I like to use on a Christmas dessert table!