Source: Christmas dinner table at the Eisenhower National Historic Site, USA by NPS Photo, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped.
To set a Christmas dinner table, put the dinner plate in the centre of each place, forks on the left and knives and spoons on the right, in the order they will be used, working from the outside in.
Add a side plate on the left, glasses above the knives and a napkin on the side plate. Then give everyone room to sit and make sure there is enough light to see the food.
That is the short version, based on advice from Debrett's, the British etiquette authority. The steps below go through it place by place.
Key Takeaways
- Lay cutlery in the order it will be used, from the outside in: forks on the left, knives and spoons on the right.
- Debrett's says pudding spoons and forks go innermost for a formal dinner, not above the plate. Short of space? Bring them out with the pudding.
- Put glasses above the knives on the right. A water tumbler and two wine glasses, the larger for red, is usually enough (Debrett's).
- Aim for at least 20 inches (about 50 cm) per place, and lay side plates even if there is no bread, because they keep elbows apart (Debrett's).
- Use plenty of light, but keep real candles away from decorations and crackers, or use cordless lamps and LED candles instead.
What do you need for each place setting?
The menu decides the cutlery. A Christmas dinner of starter, roast and pudding needs this at each place:
| Item | How many | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner plate | 1 | Centre of the place; a mat or charger sits about an inch (2.5 cm) from the edge |
| Side plate | 1 | Left of the forks |
| Forks | Starter fork, dinner fork | Left of the plate |
| Knives | Starter knife, dinner knife | Right of the plate |
| Pudding spoon and fork | 1 each | Innermost, next to the plate, or brought out later |
| Butter knife | 1 | On the side plate |
| Glasses | Water tumbler plus one or two wine glasses | Above the knives, on the right |
| Napkin | 1 | Folded or rolled on the side plate |
Count the pieces before the day. A typical 30-piece set for six, such as our polished stainless steel cutlery set, gives five pieces per place: a knife, fork and spoon plus a pudding (dessert) fork and spoon.
That covers the roast and the pudding. A starter needs one more knife and fork per guest, and side plates need a butter knife each, so borrow or mix in extra pieces for those.
Mixed plates look deliberate if you keep to one or two colours.
How to lay a Christmas place setting, step by step
1. Lay the cloth and space the chairs
Start with the cloth and chairs. Iron the tablecloth before you lay it, and hang it so the drop is even on every side; on a polished wooden table, a runner and heat-resistant mats work instead.
Then set out the chairs. Debrett's advises giving each person "as much elbow room as the table permits" and leaving "an even amount of space between places, ideally no less than 20 inches" (Debrett's, The Christmas Table, retrieved 1 November 2026).
That is about 50 cm. Reading that as the distance from the centre of one place to the centre of the next gives a rough check on how many people fit along each side:
| Table length | Places along each side, at Debrett's 20-inch (about 50 cm) minimum |
|---|---|
| 120 cm | 2 |
| 150 cm | 3 |
| 180 cm | 3 |
| 200 cm | 4 |
| 240 cm | 4 |
Source: Debrett's, The Christmas Table, 20-inch minimum per place; places per side worked out by Murbick.
Divide the length in centimetres by 50 and round down. Treat the result as a maximum, and allow more room for wide chairs or table legs.
2. Put the dinner plate in the centre
Place the dinner plate, or a charger or table mat, in the middle of each place.
Debrett's puts a table mat "about an inch from the table's edge, at the centre of each place setting" (about 2.5 cm). If you are serving a starter, its plate sits on top of the dinner plate.
3. Lay the cutlery from the outside in
"Knives and spoons go on the right, forks on the left," says Debrett's.
Lay them in the order they will be used, so guests work in towards the plate course by course. A soup spoon goes on the far right.
Pudding cutlery is where guides disagree. Many families lay it across the top of the plate, but Debrett's says that "for formal dinners, pudding spoons and forks should be laid innermost and not above the place setting."
If there isn't room, bring it out with the pudding. Either way, give each guest a pudding spoon and fork: puddings should always be eaten with both (Debrett's, The Curse of Cutlery).
Forks on the left, knife and spoons on the right, side plate top left, glass top right. Debrett's would put the napkin on the side plate. Source: NPS, Eisenhower National Historic Site, Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
4. Add the side plate and butter knife
The side plate, or bread plate, goes on the left, beyond the forks, because bread rolls "are eaten from a side plate to the left of a place setting" (Debrett's, Breaking Bread).
Debrett's adds that, formally, side plates should always be laid, even if they won't be used. On a crowded table, side plates mark out each person's space.
Rest a butter knife across the plate; guests take butter from the dish and put it on the edge of their own side plate.
5. Set the glasses above the knives
Glasses go on the right, above the knives, either grouped or in a line.
For most Christmas dinners Debrett's says "a tumbler for water and two wine glasses, with the larger one for red wine, is usually enough." Bigger, rounder glasses are for red and taller, thinner ones for white (Debrett's, A Practical Guide to Table Manners).
Our tip: add a third, smaller glass only if you are serving champagne or a pudding wine.
6. Fold the napkin
Keep it simple. Debrett's says napkins "should be simply folded or rolled and placed on the side plates." Folding a napkin onto the dinner plate is a common and tidy alternative, but it has to move when the starter arrives.
7. Add the crackers and place cards
Finish each place with a cracker, laid across the side plate or above the dinner plate.
Most guests will expect one: YouGov found that pulling crackers, watching Christmas films and listening to Christmas music are each done by 62-65% of Britons at this time of year (YouGov Big Survey on Christmas, 4,243 adults, November 2025).
With a big group, place cards save a scramble for seats.
How do you fit more people around the table?
If 20 inches per place isn't possible, try these:
- Take the serving dishes off the table. Carve on a walnut chopping board on a sideboard or worktop and pass plates down.
- Keep the centrepiece narrow and low, so it takes little table width and guests can still see each other.
- Add a second table at the same height under one long cloth.
How should you light a Christmas table safely?
Use more light than you think you need. Debrett's recommends plenty of candles "to ensure that everyone can see their food" and suggests a wreath with candles in the centre of the table.
Several small lights spaced along a long table light it more evenly than one tall candelabra.
Real flames need care among paper hats, crackers and greenery.
After a spate of candle fires over Christmas 2025, the London Fire Brigade advised people to "keep candles well away from any Christmas decorations" and to use heat-resistant holders on a stable surface.
They also said "consider using battery-powered, flameless LED candles instead" (London Fire Brigade, 28 December 2025).
Cordless lamps do the same job without a flame, and a cordless table lamp with a touch dimmer can be turned down low once the food is served.
Our home lighting guide has more on choosing them.
How do you clear the table for pudding and cheese?
Clear plates, side plates, serving dishes and salt and pepper before pudding, but leave the glasses. Brush away crumbs and top up water glasses while the pudding is brought in.
Afterwards, a swivel cheese board set with its own knives saves laying yet more cutlery. For more on tableware worth choosing well, see our kitchen essentials guide.
About this guide
This guide is published by Murbick, the UK homeware and clothing shop behind murbick.com, and its advice is checked against the sources listed below.
Links to products go to our own shop. Questions or corrections are welcome through our contact page; you can read more about us.
Sources
- Debrett's, The Christmas Table, last visited 1 November 2026.
- Debrett's, Breaking Bread, last visited 1 November 2026.
- Debrett's, The Curse of Cutlery, last visited 1 November 2026.
- Debrett's, A Practical Guide to Table Manners, last visited 1 November 2026.
- YouGov, The YouGov Big Survey on Christmas, 28 November 2025, last visited 1 November 2026.
- London Fire Brigade, Warning after spate of candle fires over festive period, 28 December 2025, last visited 1 November 2026.
