The ABC's of Setting a Table?

Unless you live like a hermit and eat take-out every day, you are going to want to have people over to your house and entertain once in a while. One of the most important aspects of having people over is food, and having a good meal means not only having a nice dinner set, but the proper dinner setting in which to dine. In this article we will be exploring the world of the "table setting", and how to set a table for almost every occasion.

The Basics

These basics will help you to get started to setting a great dinner table. You can just leave it there, or build on the basics depending on how formal a gathering you are planning to have.

a) Determine how many people you are going to be having over. You will need one place setting for each person, so make sure that they have their own space around the dinner table.

b) Place the dinner plate in the center of the place setting. Everything else will go around the focal point of this dinner plate.

c) The flatware (i.e.: fork, knife and spoon) will be arranged around the dinner plate in the order in which it will be used. The fork is placed to the left of the plate, while the knife and spoon are placed to the right. The knife is placed right next to the plate with the cutting edge pointed inwards. To the immediate right of the knife is the spoon.

d) Next comes the glass for water. Place this directly above the knife.

e) If you have napkins available, place them under the forks.

Setting for an Informal Dinner

An informal dinner party means that you just need to go with the basics, and add a few things to them. Here are a few things that you need to keep in mind:

a) Are you planning on having a salad? If so, you will need a place for the salad fork. It goes to the left of the dinner fork. You already laid the dinner fork down during the basics.

b) Soup makes a great addition to a meal. If you are planning on having soup, the soup bowl goes directly on top of the dinner plate. The soup spoon goes to the right of the spoon that you positioned during the basics.

c) If you have salad or bread and butter knives, they go directly to the left of the forks. If available, a butter plate is placed above the dinner plate with the butter knife placed on top of the butter plate.

d) The cup and saucer come next. Put them directly above the spoons. The handle of the cup should point towards the right. Wine or water glasses go to the left of the coffee cup.

If You Plan on a Formal Dinner

You have now graduated to the formal dinner setting. This dinner setting is the most elaborate of all, but don't worry, we have you covered. All you need to do is follow the steps for an informal dinner setting, and add a few more steps. Here's what you need to know:

a) You will need separate wine glasses if you are serving both white and red wines. Wine glasses should be placed next to the water glass (which is in turn placed to the left of the coffee cup).

b) Immediately to the right of the knife go the beverage, soup, or dessert spoons. If you like, they can be brought to the table when the soup or dessert is being served.

c) A centerpiece is always nice. Look around for an appropriate one, or if you are artistic you could craft your own. It goes directly in the center of the table.

That's it. You've done it! Sit back and admire your dinner set and all your great work. Looks nice, don't you think? Now all you will need is to cook up some great dishes, and open the front door. Let the party begin!

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Looking to find the best deal on a Great Vintage Dinner Set, then visit www.Dinner-Set.com to find the best advice on that misaka dinner set that's right for you.

by: Debbie Saunders

Total views: 5 Word Count: 712 Date: Sun, 14 Feb 2010 Time: 7:18 AM - 0 comments

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