Much as I delight in a beautifully laid table, simplicity is the key when it comes to Christmas. Let’s face it, it’s been a difficult year and we’re all ready for a rest. The holiday season should be about spending time relaxing with our loved ones, not hours putting decorations together for the main feasting event.

That said, I do like to go to town a little more that usual at Christmas - I just don’t want to be spending hours at it when I could be sipping an espresso martini while the oven is doing its thing and the kids are happily playing with their presents.

The key to creating a stress-free table that’s big on impact on the big day is to be organised and do as much as possible ahead of time. I have huge bunches of greenery and berries sitting outside the back door in jugs ready for me to plunder when needed (luckily we’ve not had a frost this year yet).

My colour palette this year was based loosely on a box of Christmas matches featuring an old Victorian Christmas Santa in a snowy scene, that’s beautifully faded and full of nostalgia for me.

As ever, the foliage and berries available to me dictated the way things would go (although I had already decided on an oatmeal rather than traditional white tablecloth this year). I picked up a rather more spiky-leaved variety of eucalyptus from my local florist, along with some red and pale tangerine berries.

I toyed with the idea of making arrangements in bowls using my metal Niwaki kenzans (flower frogs), but decided I wanted a more relaxed feel - I certainly didn’t want to be faffing around with ikebana type arrangements on the day, which always take three times as long to put together than I imagine they will.

So I laid the foliage down the centre of the table, added some berries, and some bay and ivy stems from my garden. It looked a little bare for my liking, so in came the pomegranates, and later the apricots, hidden slightly in and around the foliage for little pops of jewel-like colour, and some asparagus fern, sprayed an old faded gold for a subtle nod to Christmas sparkle.

The buff pink of my DIY avocado-dyed linen napkins was echoed in the palest baby pink taper candles in our Hilda candle holders, which pair beautifully with our oatmeal bowls and plates.

This year I decided to make my own crackers using a gorgeous green floral fabric I picked up in the brilliant quilting shop Pincushion on the Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells (well worth a visit if you’re in the area, but they are online, too). I’d had my heart set on dark green velvet ribbon for the ties but it looked too dark once I’d put it on, so in came the ochre version instead, which I think compliments the pinks and the vibrant hues of the fruit really well.

The mini posies tied with string were made from white ruscus and broom, fresh skimmia, palest pink bunny tales and vibrant fresh red berries. I ran out of time but on the shooting day but I will string them with tiny brown card tags with handwritten names for a more personal touch on the big day.

The vase in the background is filled with two or three branches of beech wrapped with copper wire fairy lights and on the table our Clifton mini bowls hold St Eval bay and rosemary tea lights (my favourite of their scents).

Lastly, my gifted LSA wine glasses (they only come out on VERY special occasions!) are the perfect hues of smokey grey, amber, jewel pink and copper to tie everything together.

And that’s it! It’s all been bundled up and put to one side ready to bring out on Christmas morning. Here are some of the things I used if you want to hunt any of them down: Clifton miniature bowls, Harvest bowls, Hilda candle holders, Ola ribbon, LSA Polka metallic wine glasses. Wishing you a magical Christmas - may all your festive dreams come true!

A Simple Christmas Table in 3 Easy Steps