Christmas is almost here! If you are like me, you are aching for simplicity this Christmas season. I want simple, meaningful, festive and cozy and don’t want to break the bank or spend a ton of time prepping for guests! However, I want them to feel loved and special.

I recently had some friends over and was able to create a super warm and welcoming holiday feel.

I didn’t spend much money or time, but by being purposeful and thoughtful with just a few simple details, (like napkins folded into Christmas trees!) I was able to reach my goal of making my guest feel welcomed & my home feel festive.

In this post I will share with you how to make these cute folded napkin Christmas trees, and also share tips on how to keep holiday gatherings simple so you can greet your guests feeling refreshed and ready to connect!

How To Fold Napkins Into Christmas Trees

These folded napkins take just minutes and add a wonderful touch to the holiday table. It is amazing how one festive element (like these folded festive Christmas Tree shaped napkins) can make a very simple table feel super festive!

The technique is super simple, but the process is shown best in a video. I used the one below and found it to be informative and very easy to follow.

Like I said above, I like to keep my holiday table basic but festive. I use the same everyday dishes we use during the week, add some special touches like these napkins which created a super festive, special table for my guests! A fun detail like this takes just minutes, and the napkins can be reused, unlike holiday paper napkins, which I love.

I’ve been wanting some nice cloth napkins for a while now. I purchased these napkins from HomeGoods right before Thanksgiving. They were 6 napkins for $9.99. I was careful to choose a print that would be appropriate for all occasions and holidays. I was tired of paying money for paper napkins but didn’t want several sets of cloth napkins sitting around for different seasons or holidays. One set is perfect and all that I need.  A simple, minimal mindset is so important when shopping, and I was very happy to find these pretty cloth napkins.

TIPS TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE

Use What You Already Have On Hand

I did this by using our everyday white dishes, glasses & mugs. I buy very plain dishes & mugs so they will look great in my kitchen, and on my table no matter what the season.

With minimal being my goal, I do not want to store different sets of dishes for different seasons. I want to be FREE of having to store anything extra! This is a personal mission of mine and the closer I get to my goal of “minimal everything,” the more time and freedom I have. I just love pursuing simplicity, but I want to go even further in this area. A minimal 2018 is my goal!

The majority of food and drink that I served at my holiday gathering also came from the food I already have on hand in my pantry and refrigerator. The key was setting them out on my table in a way that is attractive, allowing guests to help themselves. Again, white dishes serve me well. The food pops from the white and looks beautiful.

Food I Already Had On Hand:

Hot Tea

Coffee

Nuts

Popcorn

Clementines

Berries

Crackers & Cheese Slices

Tip: Have a variety of healthy and not so healthy foods.

Have Key Festive Touches

I found some spiced star-shaped cookies at Aldi for a couple of bucks. I knew they would look adorable an a little white platter. Well worth the money and they were delicious!

Another key festive touch for food were my Andes Mint Cookies. These 4 ingredient cookies whip up in minutes. I made them just a few minutes before my guests arrived. They are a shortcut cookie that uses a Devils cake mix, and a quick swirl of the melted Andes mint on top of the cookies make them extra beautiful! Click through to this post to see how festive they are!

The folded napkins in Christmas Tree Shapes were the star of the table and a key festive touch.

Bring in Nature

Cut some twigs from your evergreen bushes and put them in a mason jar. Add a cinnamon stick from the pantry. Even a wooden cutting board adds a natural wood touch and makes a great base for a cheese board, and also adds a touch of warmth when placed under a white platter or to gather smaller dishes.

Create Atmosphere

Light candles & plug in the twinkly lights! I might go a little overboard in this area, especially during the winter holidays, but I just can’t help myself! I love strings of battery-operated lights and have them all over my house!

Music is a great way to create atmosphere. It is fun to know your audience and play music that suits their tastes. I love Spotify. I used the below playlist from Beverly of Bev Cooks (take a peek at her blog! Love her!!) at my holiday gathering.

Crank the heat for a cozy atmosphere. Make sure your guests are comfortable. Being cold makes your guests tense up, and that is the opposite of relaxed and cozy. Have soft blankets around for guests to grab for even more comfort.

Have a fireplace? Light a fire! No fireplace? Search Netflix for “virtual fireplace” and turn your tv into virtual warmth! My sister-in-law came over for a cup of tea last night and I had the virtual fireplace going. She just sent me a message telling me she enjoyed our “fireside” chat last night. Ha!

Keep Things Inexpensive

I bought German mulled wine from Aldi for around $5. It was yummy! The cookies I made used very few ingredients. I used a lot of what I had on hand and I didn’t buy disposables but used our everyday dishes.

It kept our gathering very affordable and it made room in our budget to have more people over another time!

Let Guest Self Serve

Have things sitting out for guests to help themselves– blankets to grab for themselves, buffet-style food & drink–this frees you up to be present instead of constantly busy serving your guest. Make sure they know they have the freedom to help themselves to more food and offer more to drink if you see glasses low, but also remind them to help themselves.

No Perfection Allowed

Don’t worry about the house being perfect. It doesn’t have to be white glove clean. Shut doors to messy rooms and keep the lights low to hide dust bunnies if you have them! Having people into your less-than-perfect home gives them permission to do the same for you.

Care about your guests. Hear them…listen well! Be present. Sit & don’t worry too much about everything being perfect. Slow down, sit down, breathe and enjoy them!

{for your pinning pleasure!}

I hope this post gives you the inspiration to have simple holiday gatherings, reminds you that it only takes a few touches to make things feel festive, and gives you permission to let go of perfect and just be.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone!

What are your biggest hurdles in having holiday gatherings?

Do you have any tips for keeping things simple?

What do you think of these adorable Christmas Tree Shaped Folded Napkins?