Buy a tablecloth about 50cm longer and wider than your table, keep the centre of the table low and light, and leave the heavy candles and thick greenery for a hemisphere that has winter. An Australian Christmas lunch happens in the heat, often outside, often with a breeze, and the table setting that works here is a different thing from the one in the magazines.
Here is how to size it, and what actually survives the day.
Sizing a tablecloth
The rule is simple: measure the table, then add 25 to 30cm for each side of the overhang you want.
| Table | Seats | Tablecloth |
|---|---|---|
| 120 by 80cm | 4 | 170 by 130cm |
| 180 by 90cm | 6 | 230 by 140cm |
| 210 by 100cm | 8 | 260 by 150cm |
| 250 by 100cm | 10 | 300 by 150cm |
A 25cm drop is a casual overhang that clears laps. A 30cm drop is a more formal look. Much more than that and people sit on the cloth and pull it.
The 150 by 225cm cotton Christmas tablecloth is listed as an 8 seater, and the 150 by 300cm evergreen festive cloth is listed for 8 to 10 seaters. Seating figures vary between makers, so check the sizing table above against your own table before you order.
Cotton is the sensible fibre for a hot day. It takes a wash, it does not cling, and it does not hold heat the way a heavy synthetic does.
If you are eating outside
Most of the things that go wrong with an outdoor Christmas table are wind, heat and insects, in that order.
Wind. A tablecloth on a verandah table will lift. Weight the corners — proper cloth weights, or bulldog clips underneath, or simply plates and glasses placed near the corners rather than clustered in the middle. Avoid anything tall and light in the centre: it will go over.
Heat. Butter, chocolate, soft cheese and cream all fail quickly above about 25 degrees. Serve them in small amounts and refill from the fridge rather than putting everything out at once. Chill plates for cold courses. Skip the pillar candles entirely — they bend in the sun, and they add heat and nothing else at lunchtime.
Insects. Cover food between courses, and put the sweet things out last. A jug with a lid beats an open jug.
Shade. Set the table where it will be shaded at the time you eat, not at the time you set it. The sun moves about 15 degrees an hour and a table set at 11am in shade can be in full sun by 1pm.
What to put down the middle
A runner does most of the work and takes up less of the table than a full centrepiece arrangement. A 270 by 28cm reindeer table runner runs the length of a long table and leaves room either side for serving dishes, which matters far more at a family lunch than a floral display does.
Keep whatever sits on the runner below eye level. People should be able to see each other across the table. Anything above about 30cm blocks the conversation, which is the actual point of the day.
Three low things spaced along the runner beat one tall thing in the middle. Small potted plants, low bowls of fruit, a few tea lights in glass holders lit at dusk rather than at lunch.
Napkins, place settings and the practical bits
Cloth napkins are worth it on the day and unfortunate afterwards, so the honest advice is: use cloth if you will actually wash them, and good paper if you will not. A set of 4 jacquard Christmas napkins suits a small formal table — stock on these is limited, so order early if you want them.
A few things that make a hot-weather table easier:
- Fewer glasses per person. One water, one other. A full crystal setting in 32 degrees just means more washing up.
- Serve family style. Plated courses go cold or warm at the wrong rate outdoors. Big dishes in the middle work better and look generous.
- Put the water out first. Jugs on the table before anything else, refilled through the meal.
- Somewhere to put the dish. Trivets or a folded tea towel. An outdoor table in the sun is hot enough that a cold dish sweats onto it.
Bringing Christmas into the rest of the room
The table does not have to carry the whole effort. A few Christmas cushion covers on the chairs and lounge nearby do more for the look of a room than a bigger centrepiece would, and they are useful all December rather than for one afternoon. There are also faux fur jacquard tree pillow covers if you want texture rather than pattern.
If you are eating outdoors at night, low-level light beats overhead light. A 3 by 3m light curtain along a verandah rail or fence gives a whole outdoor room a glow, and it is the same set you will use on a window next year.
Afterwards
Cotton tablecloths take a normal wash, but treat stains the same day — red wine, gravy and beetroot all set hard once they have baked in summer heat. Fold rather than scrunch, and store the cloth flat with the rest of the Christmas things.
The rest of the range is in Christmas decorations.
Ordering in time
Table linen is the classic last-minute realisation, usually on about 22 December when someone counts the chairs.
For the table itself, table and kitchen linen covers the cloths, placemats, napkins and runners, with tea towels and the pans, cutlery and kitchen storage listed separately.
For more, see lace and embroidered tablecloths, plus chafing dishes and serving boards for a buffet.
Frequently asked questions
What size tablecloth do I need for a Christmas table?
Measure the table, then add 25 to 30cm for each side of the overhang you want. A 25cm drop is a casual overhang that clears laps and a 30cm drop is a more formal look. A 120 by 80cm table that seats 4 suits a 170 by 130cm cloth, and a 180 by 90cm table that seats 6 suits 230 by 140cm.
What fabric suits a hot Christmas lunch?
Cotton is the sensible fibre for a hot day. It takes a wash, it does not cling, and it does not hold heat the way a heavy synthetic does.
How do I set a table outside for Christmas lunch?
Most things that go wrong with an outdoor table are wind, heat and insects. Weight the corners of the cloth, serve butter, chocolate, soft cheese and cream in small amounts because they fail quickly above about 25 degrees, and cover food between courses. Set the table where it will be shaded at the time you eat, not at the time you set it.
What should go down the middle of the table?
A runner does most of the work and takes up less of the table than a full centrepiece. Keep whatever sits on it below eye level, because anything above about 30cm blocks the conversation. Three low things spaced along the runner beat one tall thing in the middle.
How do I make a hot-weather table easier?
Use fewer glasses per person, serve family style with big dishes in the middle, and put the water out first, with jugs on the table before anything else. Keep trivets or a folded tea towel handy, because an outdoor table in the sun is hot enough that a cold dish sweats onto it.
Delivered Australia-wide in 3 to 5 business days. Orders with a total value of $100 or more qualify for free shipping.
For Christmas: On our normal timings, an order placed by Tuesday 15 December 2026 should arrive before Christmas Day: orders are packed within 48 hours and delivery takes 3 to 5 business days. Later orders are still packed and sent, but we cannot promise they will arrive before Christmas Day. Orders placed from 1 November can be returned until 31 January, rather than the usual 30 days. See our Christmas delivery dates for the last day to order.