Easy 5 Minute Vignette for a Christmas Centerpiece

DIY a quick and easy display for Christmas using a charger plate, candles, and garland, perfect for a non-stress holiday centerpiece.

CHRISTMAS | Updated December 10, 2023

Create a beautiful Christmas vignette in less than 5 minutes with a charger plate, candles, and garland. | www.andersonandgrant.com

Christmas is not about getting the big to-do list done.

With all the home tours that pop up at Christmas time filled with room after room of beautiful decorating, it is easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to making your own home special. I think we sometimes forget that the holiday is not really about how pretty your home is or the cookies you bake, the gifts you buy, or how everyone else is celebrating.

But those things are what we often stress about.

While you probably have already finished up your decorating this year, I wanted to share a quick and easy-to-copy vignette that you can place in the center of your dining table, coffee table, or kitchen island....anywhere that you may need a little something extra just in time for the big day.

And if you do it right, the style is one that you can leave up well after the Christmas season when other decorations have to come down. Things like greenery, pinecones, and snowmen are great for keeping the house from looking too bare during the month of January.

I love feeling like I can create something that looks like I put a lot of thought and effort into it, without actually having to spend much time doing it (much like this simple Christmas wreath I put together).

I hear so many people say that they don't know how to decorate or group things together, but I really believe that there are ways to feel confident and capable. All you need is a few behind-the-scenes tips and tricks to get you going!

The basic idea for this vignette can be adapted for whatever your style is and what you already have around the house. There is no need to go out and buy anything new. What you create will be unique and entirely you.

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What You'll Need

The decor items I used to create this simple vignette were:

A RUSTIC WOOD CHARGER PLATE

Even though a charger is meant to be used on the dining table under a dinner plate, it can be repurposed as a tray. Anytime you display multiple objects on a single surface, it brings the entire display together. Plus, as I've mentioned many times before, the "tray" makes the vignette easy to remove from where you have it displayed if more space is needed, like on the dinner table.

Earlier in the year, I bought a set of four chargers from Pier 1 Imports on clearance to use on my Thanksgiving table. They have a rustic bark wood edge on them that also fits in nicely for the Christmas and winter seasons. I love the look of the dark wood peaking out from underneath the greens and reds.

You could use any style charger, a vintage serving platter, rustic board, or any type of tray to build your vignette on. What you choose will really determine the style of what you create.

THREE BATTERY OPERATED CANDLES + ONE CANDLEHOLDER

Things look best when they appear in odd numbers and three candles fit best onto the round charger. If you are using something larger or rectangular, you may want to include five candles.

When using candles in my decor, especially around something flammable like artificial greenery, I like to use realistic battery operated flameless candles for safety reasons. Then there is no fear of knocking the candle over and catching something in your vignette on fire. They come in a variety of different heigts, shapes, and colors and can be used in different ways throughout the year.

Since I only had four and five inch high candles, I placed one five inch candle on a glass candleholder to create three different heights. It isn't noticeable once the greenery and berries are placed around the trio, so it looks like I have three different sized candles.

Feel free to use real candles if you feel comfortable or a grouping of candlesticks holding tapers.

A SINGLE SPRAY OF GREENERY WITH PINECONES AND BERRIES

Stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels sell a variety of fancy bushes during the holiday. They may have pine cones, berries, decorative objects, and different types of greenery all on one single stem.

Using something like this in your vignette gives the look that you put a lot of effort into creating an interesting display with a variety of individual elements.....without any actual work of arranging and gathering. You can simply fold the long stem of the spray under the greenery and bend the entire piece into a U-shape around the candles.

You could also cut off a section of a decorative garland in an appropriate size to use in the same way. Or if you already have a variety of different picks and pieces of greenery, you can construct your own bundle to tuck around the candles.

Use what you have and create a look you can love.

So with only a few minutes of time invested, a cohesive vignette is created that looks like you've been blessed with the professional decorator's touch this holiday.

Other Christmas Posts You Might Love

DIY Antique Inspired Bead Garland - Transform your dated Christmas beads into a stunning string to hang on your mantel or tree.

Farmhouse Christmas Mantel Display

Holiday Housewalk with Balsam Hill

Rustic Christmas Tree and Mantel

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL BLOG HOP

My friend Kendra from Joy in Our Home has put together a fantastic group of bloggers this week in her Christmas Festival Blog Tour. All this week different bloggers will be sharing decorating ideas and recipes that I know you'll want to check out. Links to everyone's blogs appear below.

CHRISTMAS MANTELS