Christmas is a time for gathering with family and friends — and the perfect opportunity for entertaining.

But from preparing festive feasts to decking our homes in holiday décor, it may leave a dent in your budget.

Now, if you’re looking for ways to stretch your hard-earned dollars, then we may have the perfect solution.


With a few simple tips, you can turn your ordinary tablescape into something extraordinary.

And the best part? No matter what your theme is, it won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Rachel Carr, known for her recent stint on the renovation reality TV show The Block, shared some tips for coming up with the visual masterpieces that are her two tablescape settings: Christmas Luxe and Family Fun.

The first theme, Christmas Luxe, evokes a sense of elegant urban living with its white, gold, and blue motif complemented by glassware.

‘I chose my Christmas Luxe theme because I found the most gorgeous Christmas tree with blue baubles on it that I used for a centrepiece, and I knew I already had the majority of tableware and glasses to match!’ she said.


‘All I purchased for this was the tree (which I got in a 40 per cent off sale), the bon bons and the table twinkle lights…. this beautiful table cost me a grand total of $91.90!’

Family Fun, as the name suggests, is a more hearty and rustic setup with more playful and bright colours such as red and green present along with a living room-esque look. Seriously, this second one feels like there’s a pint-sized family about to pop up on the table!

‘This gorgeous table cost me $48.00. A statement table like this still makes an impact and achieves everything I want it to, yet is so budget-friendly it allows more money to be spent on the important things this Christmas... like a nice bottle of bubbles for me!’

It’s an understatement to say that the two themes are stunners and are bound to get you a compliment or two.


But how did Rachel come up with them? The key is to start with a theme and a plan.

‘Having a theme and a pretty specific vision is my biggest design rule for everything I do,’ Rachel says.

‘This helps you stay on track and end up with a more cohesive design.’

And without further ado, here are Rachel’s four simple styling tips for show-stopping tablescapes!

Be thrifty, hit the budget shops


Rachel says she assembled her Family Fun table with items from stores like Kmart, IKEA, and BIG W.

‘I picked up my gorgeous little side plates, which give my tableware just the right amount of Christmas cheer, for $2 each! I likely won't use these throughout the year but for $18 for a table of eight, I'm OK with that.’ she said.

For example, she said she got her mini Christmas trees for $1.50 each from IKEA.

‘The only thing you must remember with this hack is to get in early, because the Christmas items in these places go quick!’ she added.


Use what you already have


This tip is sure to resonate with our members who don’t see the need to spend in the first place.

Despite earlier saying she’d be fine with buying tablescape items to be used only once, she admits that at the end of the day, Christmas is ‘just one day out of a whole year’.

‘I much prefer to use things I already have in the house and tie them into something Christmassy, or if I am going to purchase something new, I do my best to make sure it's something that is decoratively flexible,’ she said.

True to her point, all but the glass Christmas tree in the Christmas Luxe theme were reused items.

‘I actually saw the tree in Wheel & Barrow and loved it so much that I built the theme around it using my existing tableware and glassware, and the blue just gives it a bit more of a luxe feel,’ she explained.


Lacking decorations for your table? Look no further than your tree


This third tip from Rachel is pretty much self-explanatory — and amazing!

‘I mean, what is a better decoration for your Christmas table than a Christmas decoration? Not only is it visually effective, it's cost-effective too,’ she pointed out.

For this year, Rachel revealed she pulled off a few items from her ‘Cheeky Elf’-themed Christmas tree and placed them on her tablescape.

‘I also love scattering baubles over the table or filling up glass jars with them for a more constructed effect. Throw in a couple of wired string lights and you have such a beautiful centrepiece.’


Bon bon to your heart’s content


Rachel says bon bons are a holiday must-have. You might know these as ‘Christmas crackers’.

‘They can be the piece de resistance of your whole table! Whether you use them as a plate topper or as a centrepiece decoration, there is nothing that screams 'CHRISTMAS TABLE' more than a bon bon.

In her experience, Rachel says she uses as much of them as possible as it makes the whole setup more ‘visually effective’.

We don’t blame her, those things are nice to look at!


So, what do you think of Rachel’s holiday setups and tips? Do you agree with her pointers on coming up with a stunning holiday dining room display?

Are you still up for budget-friendly Christmas decor hacks? Check out this one from our member Arlene sure to make you and the grandkids impressed, or this one using an unlikely summer item!

Tell us your thoughts and opinions below!