When guests walk in during a festival, the first thing they notice, apart from the delicious smell of food, is how welcoming the table looks. You don’t need a designer or an expensive set of crockery for this. With a few pieces from your own cupboards, such as brass bowls, old sarees, flowers and diyas, you can put together a table that feels warm, festive and unmistakably Indian. The trick is to keep it simple and personal. Here are seven easy ideas to try this festive season.
Because gleaming metal catches the light from the diyas beautifully and makes even simple food look special, give them a good polish before the big day,. That stack of brass katoris, copper bowls and silver thalis sitting in your cupboard is your best decoration. Use them to serve snacks, chutneys, dry fruits and sweets, and the table instantly feels richer. A mix of metals looks lovely together, so don’t worry about matching sets.
It’s the little things that make guests feel truly welcome. Write each person’s name on a small card or a leaf, or tuck a tiny box of mithai or dry fruits at each plate as a take-home favour. Add a family heirloom, like your grandmother’s brass lamp or an old silver bowl, and tell the story behind it. These small gestures show that you’ve put thought into the evening, and that is what people remember long after the festival has ended.