A terrarium with a mini Christmas tree and warm lights can be the centrepiece of your Christmas dinner table. Here is how to set the table around it.
The easiest way to give a Christmas dinner table atmosphere is to build it around one centrepiece with a soft glow. A terrarium with a mini Christmas tree and warm LED lights does that without open flames, needles on the tablecloth or a tree that eats half the table. The light is purely for ambience, and it works best when you plan the rest of the table around it: a calm base, a few warm accents, and enough room for plates and glasses. This guide shows how to set that up, from placement to colours to what to do on the day.
A dinner table is a small stage. Everyone sits around it for hours, so the centrepiece has to look good from every side and stay out of the way of conversation. A bottle-shaped terrarium is slim and upright, which gives height without width. Our Milky Christmas terrarium with Christmas tree and lighting is a good example: it is a 30 cm high glass bottle with a cork, shaped like a milk bottle, with a mini Christmas tree inside and warm white LED lights. It measures Ø 21 cm at the base.
It also solves a few classic Christmas problems. The bottle closes completely, so the water stays inside through evaporation and there is no watering routine. Any needles that fall off remain in the bottle. And because the lights are LED, you get a glow without a candle flame next to the paper napkins.
Before you place anything, decide how much space you actually have. A good rule of thumb is to keep a clear strip down the middle of the table and let the centrepiece live inside it. Guests need room for plates, glasses, serving dishes and elbows. If the table is small, one terrarium in the middle is plenty. On a longer table, you can place a second, smaller accent further along.
Choose a calm base first. A linen runner or a plain cloth in cream, stone or a deep colour lets the lights stand out. Busy patterns compete with the small tree. Keep plates simple, and let the terrarium be the one thing that draws the eye.
The warm white light of the tree pairs well with a restrained palette. Three combinations that work particularly well:
Whichever you choose, repeat each colour at least twice on the table so it looks planned rather than random.
The terrarium gives a soft glow from inside the glass. Add a pair of slim taper candles in holders on either side, at a safe distance, and you get layers of light at different heights. Keep candles away from the cork and from anything that can catch fire, and never leave them unattended.
Dim the main lights a little. Warm lights look best in softer surroundings, and the glow from the bottle becomes the focal point rather than something that has to compete with a bright ceiling lamp.
Keep supporting decoration low, so that people can see each other across the table. A few baubles scattered at the base, a folded napkin with a small sprig of green, or a handwritten place card are enough. If you use sprigs, keep them dry and away from the cork.
Resist the urge to add more. A bottle with a tree and lights is already a full statement, and the table looks better with a few well-chosen pieces than with a crowd of them.
Check the batteries a day before. The lighting runs on 2 AA batteries, which are not included, so keep a spare set in a drawer. Switch the light on when guests arrive rather than hours earlier, and switch it off before you go to bed.
Place the terrarium on a heat-proof, stable surface, away from hot dishes and the edge of the table. Because the bottle is tall and slim, keep it away from people who reach across the table, and make sure the cork is seated firmly before you lift it.
The terrarium also works away from the table. Before and after dinner, it looks just as good on a windowsill next to a Christmas star, or on a sideboard in the hallway where guests arrive.
A terrarium with a mini tree does not have to end up in a cupboard in January. The manufacturer's tip is to order a plant terrarium refill package after the holidays and plant the table Christmas tree outside in the garden, without the bottle. Do this gradually: the change from a closed bottle to cold weather is too big in one step, so first give it a few days in a garage or shed and then move it outside.
No. The LED lighting is purely decorative. It gives a warm glow and has no growth function, so it does not replace daylight.
No. The bottle closes completely, so the water stays inside through evaporation. Watering is not necessary.
The bottle has a base of Ø 21 cm and stands 30 cm high. That makes it a good fit for the middle of a standard dinner table, with room left for plates and serving dishes on both sides.
The lighting uses 20 warm white LED lights and runs on 2 AA batteries, which are not included.
Want to see more ways to bring a festive feel to your home? Browse our holiday collection, or get more ideas for colours in our article Christmas decor in glass: 5 colour combinations for your terrarium.
Be the first to get news + enjoy 10% off your first purchase.
Product Title
