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Holiday Dinner Centerpiece Ideas

Hello from holiday party planning land! Penelope here, with another idea for those of you looking for a simple, tasteful Christmas or holiday table centerpiece idea. If you're sick of overly fancy or way-too-sweet smelling Christmas or holiday table decorations, this one will be right up your alley.

To start, you'll need (as always for Penelope ideas) a simple white or off-white tablecloth. Pick your favorite holiday wrapping paper (or make your own, as I like to do), cut a strip of it that's about a foot wide and as long as your dinner table. Lay it flat in the center of your table and pin it to the edges of your tablecloth so that it lies flat and smooth.

The wrapping paper that I'm using is red, so I've found some beautiful napkin holders that are decorated with red glass berries. I'm placing small white pillar candles in the center of each napkin holder, staggered about a half a foot from one another all the way down the center of my strip of wrapping paper on the table.

When lit, these candles send a warm light that bounces off both the glass in my napkin holders and the sheen of the wrapping paper. The end effect is a warm, decadent and inviting setup that evokes everyone's favorite part of the hoildays--the presents!

Have fun with this table decoration...if your wrapping paper is covered with nutcrackers, for example, find some old nutcrackers and drill small holes in the top of each, then fill the holes with candles to mimic the same effect as described above. Your friends and family will be sure to enjoy the warmth you've created, and you'll get everyone in the...giving mindset.

Penelope