How to set a table on a birthday: 6 main rules

Maintain a unified holiday style Think about the compatibility and presentation of dishes Select suitable textiles Use different napkins and towels Select matching dishes Don’t neglect the themed table decoration

Every housewife who prepares a table for the birthday boy wants him to remember it for a long time. Beautiful table setting, delicious dishes - all this should create a festive atmosphere in the company and give it joyful emotions. Anastasia Alborova, an interior designer and table setting specialist, spoke about the main rules for setting a table for a birthday.

When preparing for holidays such as New Year or Easter, we roughly understand how to set the table. However, birthdays often confuse housewives, because none of them knows the generally known standards for decorating such an event.

Anastasia Alborova, serving specialist

In fact, everything is simple - this holiday is unique in that each time it is dedicated to a specific person. And if other festive events are usually designed around the theme of a specific event or phenomenon, then in our case everything revolves around the birthday boy. Everyone is different, which means it’s impossible to come up with a standard concept for their “personal parties.” Nevertheless, there are still some generally accepted rules. I'll tell you about them.

Basic Rules

Auxiliary devices must be present on the table, because they serve directly, so that you can comfortably take food. Individual tools are the familiar forks and spoons, as well as small tongs and many other common tools. It is important to remember that the spoon is invariably placed in the right hand, but the fork is in the other. Sauces should be applied with ladles, but this should be done as carefully as possible, since one awkward movement and the tablecloth can be ruined. Of course, these cutlery should also be present on the table.

The order in which the cutlery is laid out on the table

It wouldn’t hurt to place a set of napkins near each guest, as they can quickly remove dirt from the tablecloth without drawing special attention to your person. If we are talking about the traditional design of a table, then it will imply performing work in a certain order.

Example of festive table setting

Serving cutlery

Classic arrangement of devices:

1. The lower plate (stand) is placed exactly along the edge of the table and is not removed until the end of the reception. Plates for dishes are placed on top in the following sequence: a plate for the main course, for appetizers, for soup.
2. On the left are the forks with the concave side facing up. They are usually used sequentially, starting with the outermost one. Placement order from left to right: appetizer fork, fish (if needed), then meat.
3. On the right there should be spoons and knives with the sharp edge towards the dish. The order from edge to center is: soup spoon, appetizer utensils, appetizer knife, fish knife (if necessary) and meat cleaver.
4. Dessert cutlery is placed above the plate parallel to the edge. The handle of the fork should point to the left, and the handle of the spoon to the right.
5. Wine glasses and glasses are placed in the upper right corner, in the order of use. Closer to the guest is a glass for an aperitif, diagonally a glass for another wine. A glass of water is placed on the right and not removed until the end of the reception.
6. A bread plate is placed on the left side of each guest, above the napkins and cutlery. Place the butter knife on the edge of the bread plate with the blade facing left.

How to arrange dishes

The first step is to place all the porcelain items on the table, then arrange the necessary cutlery in the correct sequence, and only then arrange the glasses, festive glasses and other glass or crystal items. You can decorate all this in many ways, but most often this is done using fabric and paper designer napkins. Their first type can be safely used in any situation, as they will look sophisticated and elegant. If guests are accustomed to following the rules of etiquette, then they should be seated on their knees before eating. This will prevent food from staining your clothes. As for paper napkins, it is customary to wipe your lips or hands with them while eating.

Options for decorating napkins for a birthday table

Name day is a holiday that is the most anticipated for people of different ages, so special attention should be paid to serving. It should be unusual and at the same time bright with festive notes. The tablecloth will also be important. You can choose a bright white option or resort to multi-colored counterparts. Using tablecloths with lace trim will make the table as formal as possible.

A lace tablecloth will add solemnity to the holiday

During the celebration, guests can smear a beautiful tablecloth, so to prevent this unpleasant event, you should put a transparent oilcloth on top. It is recommended to place several wicker baskets on the table in which all kinds of fruits will lie. You can safely use vases, glass and porcelain glasses, as well as beautiful plates.

Decorate your holiday table with porcelain vases

Serving at home step by step

Having started directly to the serving process, you can get confused with so many nuances. But if you follow the correct sequence, you can't go wrong.

Serving steps:

1. First of all, you need to lay a base to protect the table from stains and damage. This could be an old white tablecloth or white felt. The base will perform an additional function - muffle the clinking of dishes.
2. Lay out a linen tablecloth, choosing the color depending on the decor. The tablecloth should hang equally on all sides, approximately 25 cm, and be without folds or creases. It should be noted that a classic white tablecloth is always a win-win option.
3. In the seats in front of the guests we place rugs and stands for forks, spoons and knives. If the tablecloth is plain, then the rugs can be bright or even patterned, and vice versa.
4. We put jugs of water.
5. Place the plates on the mats in the required sequence. There should be as many plates as the number of dishes planned to be served.
6. We lay out the cutlery: we put our own cutlery for each dish.
7. Napkins are placed on the plates. They can be decorated beautifully and topped with a small sweet treat.
8. Napkins are usually placed in a special ring. But it can be replaced with ribbon or a piece of fabric. You don’t have to use anything at all by folding the napkin beautifully and placing it under the plate.
9. We arrange glasses, wine glasses and goblets.
10. We decorate with flowers, candles, and special compositions. But you need to make sure that the decor does not disturb guests, does not block the view and matches the overall color scheme. It is better to choose neutral, unscented jewelry.

What you should pay attention to?

At the initial stage, it is worth knowing exactly how many people will come to you, since you need to calculate exactly how much cutlery you will need to use. Each person who comes should be given a separate seat, otherwise awkward situations will arise. It is important to immediately reserve a place for the birthday person. It should be perfectly visible, despite the vase of flowers placed near this place.

Name cards will help guests find their seat

As for fruit baskets, it is advisable to place them on different sides, since each guest should have free access to them. Next, you need to place a couple of stands with bread and sandwiches on the table, but they should be at the same distance from each other. It is customary to place drinks between them.

The distance between the plates should be at least 50 cm.

The only thing you need to know about the placement of plates is that they should be placed strictly half a meter apart from each other, but only a centimeter of free space should remain from the edge. It is not recommended to place multi-colored plates and coffee cups. It is advisable to use one or more identical services. The advantage of this solution is that all products will not only be bright and attractive, but also identical.

For harmonious serving, use plates from the same set

The first step is to place shallow plates on which the second dish will then be placed. It is customary to place deep plates on them for serving first courses. On top of them should be placed the smallest ones, which are intended exclusively for snacks prepared in advance. As for cutlery, there are special subtleties in their placement. The existing paper napkins should be placed next on the left side of the plate. Glasses and glasses should be arranged in descending order, but the largest vessel should be first.

Proper serving of plates for the holiday table

The celebration most often begins with the serving of cold dishes, that is, salads, various appetizers and other similar foods, and only then hot delicacies and dessert are brought. As for the hot, it should always consist of the first and second. At the stage of setting the festive table, you need to make sure that each salad bowl has a spoon, since otherwise it will be inconvenient for those who come to your holiday to put them on.

Cold appetizers are served first on the table.

If we talk about serving tol for children and adults, there are practically no differences. Most often, plastic disposable tableware is placed on the table for children to prevent the possibility of injury. Safety should also be given considerable attention, since children tend to spend their time actively and most likely they will fool around. It can be decorated in different ways, so that the style can fully fit into the interior of the table.

Table setting for a children's birthday

We all know that most children have a weakness for sweets and we need to take this fact into account. It makes sense to focus on cookies, candies and ice cream. All this should be in beautiful dishes within reach of every child. As for fruits, you shouldn’t forget about them. Cut them beautifully and place them on display. Drinks should also be taken care of. Most often, it is customary to delight children with juices, fruit drinks or coffee. The main decoration of such a table will be the cake, which must be ordered in advance.

Decorating a sweet table for a children's birthday

Serving for dinner

When setting dinner, you should use the general rules for setting the table.

The main dish is placed in the center, but served immediately before consumption so that it does not have time to cool down. Bottles with drinks are placed around the edges, after opening them.

If the dinner menu includes several main courses, then you need to change plates for each of them. But at the beginning they put a plate for the main course, and on top for appetizers. Cutlery is placed under each dish that will be served.

Forks are placed on the left in the following order: for the main course, for fish (if necessary) and for appetizers.

The basis of dinner decor is an ironed tablecloth. It is better to choose soft and deep colors. Lighted candles are the perfect complement to the evening. But it is better to place the table directly under the lighting so that the food is clearly visible and shadows do not fall on the faces of the guests. But if this is a romantic dinner, then the lights can be dimmed.

About self-service table setting

The main task of every housewife at the stage of preparation for the celebration is to ensure that the festive table is decorated as much as possible. It makes sense to think about what style it should be decorated in, because there are actually a lot of options. The first thing you need to take into account is the dishes and tablecloth you have. The latter is much easier to choose for a service, since the cost of this item is minimal compared to tableware. If you have a lot of crystal glassware, it makes sense to use a white tablecloth and the same napkins. This combination will look solemn and conducive to a meal.

A white tablecloth is ideal for table setting with crystal.

You can also place several beautiful bouquets on the table, but they must be in crystal vases to fit into the overall design of the festive table. As for porcelain dishes, choosing a suitable canvas for it is extremely simple, since almost any accessories will look harmonious on it.

Beautiful bouquets in crystal vases will decorate the table

If you want to make your holiday table as elegant and aesthetically attractive as possible, then it makes sense to use colored napkins. They can be folded into different figures, which will look very unusual.

Beautifully folded napkins will decorate the festive table

It is important to pay attention that all applied attributes are in harmony. The most suitable option would be a single-color large tablecloth, since it can harmoniously match almost any of your stylistic decisions. When you need to achieve the most formal look, you need to use silk ribbons.

If you have a beautiful set, it also makes sense to resort to using a lace tablecloth and napkins. They will harmoniously complement all the dishes that will be placed on the festive table. Paper napkins can always be arranged in a special way and it makes sense to use this, since in the end it is this solution that will help complete the look of the holiday table.

Method of folding napkins

Today, the range of such products is simply huge, so at the stage of preparing the festive table for any celebration, you can choose a thematic option. It is recommended to use special napkin holders, which are available in a wide range.

Original napkin holders

It makes sense to install a number of beautiful candles, which will decorate the overall design, creating a festive atmosphere. Such accessories are always appropriate, but it is unacceptable to use them as the main source of light, because in the end the table must be illuminated as much as possible. The color of the candles should be in harmony with the dishes installed on the table and everything else. You can use classic white candles and be sure that they will not stand out from the overall interior. Most often they are placed near bouquets or form a separate composition.

Candles will create a festive atmosphere

Currently, it is customary to set a festive table using various additional items. For example, all kinds of silk ribbons will look great. They should be in harmony with the dishes and tablecloth, but otherwise there are no strict rules. You can use them to form rings and other figures going from bouquets of flowers to the bottom of the table. As a result, a feeling of smoothness of all lines and unusual solemnity will be created.

Ribbon decor for the festive table

It makes sense to use silver items, as they will also fit perfectly into the overall interior, regardless of its style. Flowers are almost always present and have essentially become an indispensable attribute of the holiday table. It is important that the bouquets are properly decorated and present on the table in a certain sequence.

Bouquets should fit harmoniously into the birthday table setting

Most often, serving is done on weekends, because you will need to gather the whole family and invite guests. It is unpleasant when one of your loved ones will not be able to come to the celebration and you need to take this circumstance into account. You need to prepare all the dishes that each family member likes more than others.

You can prepare the table for a birthday with your children

If the table is set well in compliance with all the basic rules, then it will allow children from a young age to learn how to use all cutlery correctly. It will also be conducive to a pleasant meal and will bring pleasure to every family member. You need to set the table correctly, regardless of the occasion. If you do everything right in the morning, a comfortable meal is guaranteed to lift your spirits for the rest of the day. The first step is to place the plates where the appetizer will be placed, and only after that the glasses on the saucers.

Baked goods are placed on special dishes

It is noteworthy that the handle of the cup and spoon must certainly be on the right side. There are special dishes for individual dishes that should be used. For example, boiled eggs should be served in a bowl with a long handle. Porridge should be placed exclusively in special plates, and those are placed on top of the previous ones. But all hot drinks are always served in special vessels installed in the center. Baked goods should be placed in spacious, wide containers and also placed in the central part if there is free space. If there is none, then you can put them on the side, where the mugs are.

Layout of cutlery on the festive table

All about napkins

For birthdays, cloth napkins are more suitable. They should be square, then it is much easier to fold them interestingly and beautifully.

Figures can be very different - flat, three-dimensional, complex and simple. It all depends on the imagination of the holiday organizer. The most popular napkins are with a side of 35, 40 and 50 centimeters. You can also buy some larger ones, for example 60 by 60 cm, as they can make very beautiful figures. Such napkins are considered auxiliary; they can even be perceived as decor. An ideal napkin must be starched and carefully ironed, so that there is not a single wrinkle on it . It is better to carry out the starching process right before the holiday, a day or two before. Then the napkins will not have time to dry out and will be exactly as needed. It is best to choose napkins from fabrics that contain not only natural fibers, but also synthetic ones . They do not shrink, which is important for maintaining the correct shape, and are much easier to iron. If you choose natural dense fabric, then it is better not to try to make any complex shapes. You can simply roll them into a flattened tube shape and tie them with a matching ribbon. It is better not to use napkins that are made entirely of polyester:

• Firstly, they are too hard and will not become softer even after they are washed.
• Secondly, they do not absorb any moisture at all, but simply pass it through their fibers, so they will not be able to save guests from accidentally getting drinks, grease, etc. on their clothes.

Where is the best place to celebrate a child's birthday? Let's look at the possible options and their advantages. We would like to advise you on ways to beautifully decorate dishes for the holiday table. Here: https://banquettes.ru/prazdniki/den-rozhdeniya/konkursy-dr/podborka-provodimyih-za-stolom.html - you will find a selection of interesting table competitions for birthdays.

How can you style your holiday table?

This can be done through the use of unusual dishes and accessories. You can start with the same napkins, the range of which is simply huge. If you are preparing a table for a birthday celebration, then it makes sense to buy themed napkins. Their cost will be low, but the arriving guests will immediately understand what the reason for the celebration is, even though it has long been announced.

Decorative elements for stylizing the festive table

It may seem that doing this makes no sense, but it is precisely such nuances that form a holistic perception of the situation. Special attention should be paid to the birthday cake. Although it comes to it at the very end of the feast, it should be not only tasty, but also beautiful. You can order a birthday cake that will also highlight the theme of the celebration.

The cake must correspond to the chosen birthday theme

Bottled drinks can be decorated with ribbons and thereby give them an unusual look. You should not avoid using table decorations, which are also available in almost every store. The more different stands and other accessories there are, the more solemn the table will look. The tablecloth must be chosen with full responsibility, and the use of nameplates and menus should also be resorted to. All this is guaranteed to surprise and please every guest, and you won’t need to spend a lot of time and money organizing a festive table.

Use ready-made decorative elements to decorate your holiday table

DIY decorations

You can make wonderful decorations that will delight the eye yourself. The advantage of this decor is that you can imagine limitlessly, and the decor will turn out unique.

The most common option is decorating with napkins. There are many patterns by which you can make animals (for example, a swan) from napkins, or flowers from which you can make entire bouquets. Fabric napkins can be laid out in the form of bows by simply folding them into a rectangle and tying them in the middle with a ribbon. Or in the form of tulips, folding a napkin into a diamond shape and bending the corners.

You can easily make your own napkin rings. To do this, you need to take a cardboard base from the foil, cut it into rings and decorate them. This can be done using lace, ribbon or the foil itself. You can glue rhinestones or beads. A bouquet of flowers can be made from corrugated paper. Even the glasses themselves can be made elegant by carefully gluing a strip of beads or making a small bow on the stem.

Let's sum it up

As you understand, table setting is always carried out subject to certain rules, but you should not avoid showing your own initiative. As for the arrangement of dishes, there are certain limits, but with table decoration there are no restrictions and you can realize even your wildest ideas. The more unusual things there are on the table, the better. The main thing is to first make sure that its size is sufficient to use all these elements.

If we are talking about decorating a small table, then there is no point in cluttering it with useless accessories. Dishes should be arranged so that there is still free space between them. If this rule is ignored, then it will be inconvenient for guests to take them, and visually the table will look cluttered. You need to approach the matter with maximum responsibility and then you will be able to achieve the desired result in a short time.

Features of table decor for the New Year and Christmas

If the serving is timed to coincide with a specific special event, this should be emphasized. Here various thematic decorative elements are used. To celebrate the New Year, pine needles are used in any quantity and form. These can be real or artificial branches, placed either in a vase on the table or on guests' plates. Homemade or industrial compositions with pine cones and Christmas tree decorations are also used. Crystal figurines of hares and deer will look very good. The New Year theme can be represented by textiles with appropriate patterns. Candles on the table, lit closer to midnight, are a typical decoration for New Year's feasts. A Santa Claus figurine is also an easy way to add a themed theme to your celebration.

Christmas is one of the most important holidays of Christianity. According to tradition, on this day they sit down at the table in the evening, after the “first star”. The main symbols of Christmas are a wreath of pine needles or mistletoe and candles. Unfortunately, not all tables are large enough to accommodate a spruce tree. But candles do not require much space, so the Christmas table can be generously decorated with wax products. A wreath of pine needles or mistletoe should be placed above the entrance to the dining room.

Photo gallery – table setting for a birthday

Table space

And if you have decided on this, then there is another important issue that needs to be resolved - a place for the table. And here it would be a wrong decision to install it in the living room or small room. In the first case, this can cause the guests to feel cold, and in the second, it can be stuffy. Therefore, it is most appropriate to install a table in a large room.

If it’s warm outside, and the holiday is being organized in a private house, then you can set and serve the table outside. Then guests will be able to breathe in fresh air and take photos in nature.