OK. You’ve cleared the dining room table and have ticked off “clean silverware” and “organize the kitchen” on your holiday prep checklist. Good on you for being prepared and all set to tackle the large gatherings and meals that take place during this festive, but busy, time of year.
Ready for the next step? It’s time to learn to how to set your table for special occasions like holiday meals or dinner parties. Even knowing how to set a simple table for your daily family dinner can add a special touch to mealtimes.
The following instructions can teach you how to set a table for dinner.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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1Step 1Dinner Plate
Place a dinner plate down. If you’re starting with a salad, place the salad plate on top of your dinner plate.
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2Step 2Silverware Arrangement
Arrange the silverware. Start with the dinner fork on the left of the plate and the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork. Not having salad for dinner? Skip that fork.
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3Step 3Knife Arrangement
Next, place the dinner knife to the immediate right of the plate with the blade facing inward, followed by the spoon.
Tip: Here’s a handy trick for figuring out how to lay silverware out: Work in alphabetical order from left to right! Fork. Knife. Spoon.
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4Step 4Drinking Glass
Set the drinking glass above the dinner knife, at about 1 o’clock.
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5Step 5Bread Plate
Place the bread plate above your fork at 11 o’clock. If you’d like, you can place a butter spreader on top of the bread plate, but this is optional. Arrange the spreader with the handle on the right and the blade facing down toward the plate, either horizontally or diagonally.
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6Step 6Napkin
Fold your napkin and place it to the left of the forks, under the forks or in the center of the plate itself.
