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- Setting the table sets the mood for your meal, whether it's a casual supper for two or a special dinner with family and friends.
- While there are lots of ways to set a table, the basic setting is all you'll need for most occasions.
- We've put together a list of all the items you need to set a simple table and show you how to do it.
- Plus, we explain how to add extra pieces to the table setting for a more sophisticated look.
Hosting your first dinner party? Are friends and family coming in for the holidays? Maybe your in-laws are coming to your new place for dinner for the first time? There are lots of different situations where you need to know how to set a table, from everyday casual meals to larger dinner parties.
Setting the table can seem like an intimidating task, especially if you never learned how to do it, but don't worry, it's not hard. There are really only a few must-have items you need to set the table.
The etiquette experts at Emily Post - an etiquette site named after Emily Post, who wrote a famous book on etiquette rules in 1922 - helpfully reminds us of the main rule, which is to set the table only with utensils you will use. In other words, if you're not having a first course or salad, you only need one fork.
Post's guide goes on to explain that "utensils are placed in the order of use; from the outside in … Forks go to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons go to the right." Always remember that utensils should be placed in a way that makes them the most useful. This is why you place the fork and knife on opposite sides so you can easily pick them up.
Once you have all of the items below, it's your choice if you want to add a table cloth or runner and any extra plates, bowls, glasses, or flatware on the table. We'll go over these extras later, but first, let's get the basic table setting down.
Here's everything you'll need to set the table:
- Placemats: Cultiver Linen Placemats
- Affordable dinnerware: AmazonBasics Dinnerware Set
- Porcelain dinnerware: Brasserie Dinnerware Set
- Napkins: Williams Sonoma Hotel Dinner Napkins
- Cutlery: Villeroy & Boch, Oneida, CB2
- Water glasses: Libby Polaris Drinking Glasses
Keep scrolling to read our step-by-step guide on how to set a table:
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