15 Last-Minute Entertaining Must-Haves For Christmas Day, From Candles To Carving Sets

When it’s time to go all out for a home-cooked meal, the table decorations are just as important.

You’ve bought your last-minute gifts and decided on your Christmas Day menu. But what about the culinary trinkets and dinner-party fixings? The candles, the carving sets? In many ways, it’s an opportunity to showcase the appetites in your life, a chance to serve voluptuous food in a way that’s big and loud and celebratory, or one to display your fondness for something whimsical — an ice bucket shaped like a polished, intergalactic cloud, perhaps, or a platter that looks just like a kiwi fruit. Below, fashion assistant Annabel Dickson has compiled these and many more things to decorate your table.

Chefanie cocktail napkins (set of four), $119, from Maman.

Have your meal be self-referential with these shrimp cocktail napkins for your shrimp cocktails.

Nel Lusso serving tongs, $45, from A&C Homestore.

You will inevitably need tongs. Consider these brassy-gold ones by Nel Lusso.

Yes, it looks a little bit like it came off a spaceship. But that’s the brilliance of this bowl, a water-tight vessel made from hammered aluminum that could work just as well as an ice bucket as it could for a salad.

Meri Meri taper candles (set of two), $59, from Allium Interiors.

These festive candles feature a trio of tiny, sweet handpainted bows.

In The Roundhouse plate, $45, from Superette.

For your seafood, look to this lobster plate crafted from bone china. It has a thin rim to keep sauces and juices from spilling.

Wallace Cotton tablecloth $80.

Citta placemats (set of four) $60.

There’s a dazzling array of placemats out there, but these ones made woven from palm leaves are rendered in an especially holiday-season green.

Pols Potten coupe glasses (set of six), $350, from Bob & Friends.

Keep things interesting in the coupe department with this set of six playful glasses.

David Mellor Design carving set, $295, from Tessuti.

When lots of things need cutting, this David Mellor carving set, first designed in 1956 and comprising stainless steel, is a dependable choice. Bonus: it comes in a solid ash case.

Rosenthal salt dish, $115, from The Studio of Tableware.

Because you should absolutely serve your salt out of a faux oyster.

Gorman napkins $59.

Channel the sheer summer energy of papayas and peaches with these cotton-linen napkins.

Bonnie & Neil oven mitts, $69, from Father Rabbit.

Alternatively, turn to these one-size-fits-all hibiscus mitts.

Bordallo Pinheiro platter, $180, from Smith & Caughey’s.

Dine with the exuberance of this kiwi fruit platter, produced in Portugal.

Mary Schollum pinch bowls, $40ea, from The Poi Room.

These little ceramics by Dunedin artist Mary Schollum have been pressed with native flora, including pōhutukawa flowers.

Wilkie Brothers 20cm trifle bowl, $60, from Milly’s Kitchen.

Show off the clearly demarcated layers of your trifle with this towering bowl.

More On Christmas

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A Highly Subjective Guide To Auckland’s Best Christmas Mince Pies. Some of these festive treats have convinced the staunchest of sceptics.

17 Gorgeous Dresses To Wear On Christmas Day. Because you want something special for party season.

Viva’s Best Christmas Recipes: 56 Dishes That’ll Bring The Holiday Cheer. Centrepiece-worthy roasts, commendable sides and the desserts on our wish list.

So This Is Christmas: Four Food-Lovers Share Their Holiday Traditions. From very serious biscuits to rice cake soup and Ethiopian coffee.

Have Yourself A Tasty, Smooth-Sailing Little Christmas, Thanks To These Chef-Approved Tips. From prep to leftovers, leading chefs and food-lovers divulge their secrets.