Setting the style

It’s easy to make these elegant place settings for festive meals. Choose twigs with different textures and gather together with a piece of ribbon, then arrange on napkins to welcome your guests to the table.

Here, the downy pussy willow contrasts well with the spiky conifer, while the veined ivy leaves make lovely sculptural shapes. But if you don’t have these plants, then be creative with whatever appeals to you, either in your garden or bought in local shops.

YOU WILL NEED Festive ribbon Stems of pussy willow, spruce and ivy – or similar

To create these festive candle-holders, take a small terracotta flowerpot and cover the hole in the base with a coin. Hold a candle upright in the middle, then fill the pot with rice until the candle feels stable and stands straight. Arrange sprigs of greenery and berries on the top to hide the rice. To create a natural look, stand some of your small greenery twigs upright in the rice base.

YOU WILL NEED Terracotta pots Candles Coins

Rice Sprigs of berries and evergreens