Make Holiday Tasks Fun With a Dining Table Takeover

Lots of holiday tasks — gift wrapping, card making, cookie decorating — can feel like a chore, or they can feel like a party. It all depends on your mind-set. Part of what makes them feel like a chore is the prep and put-away time. So instead of decorating your dining table with a boring ol’ centerpiece, embrace the chaos of the season and deck it out with a holiday workstation that inspires creativity, encourages family time and reduces your stress. By turning your dining table into a holiday workstation, you’ll have all your supplies out and organized, making it easier to enjoy the task at hand.

Here you’ll learn how you can combine holiday home decor with efficiency and fun this holiday season, whether your dining table becomes a wrapping station or an entire Christmas command center.

First things first: You need to completely embrace that this is happening. Don’t try to make it something it’s not — there are going to be supplies all over your dining table. It’s wrapping season, after all. Just remind yourself that by having your supplies out in the open, you’re going to make your life easier.

That doesn’t mean it has to look terrible — you can control the chaos by setting out pretty baskets for your wrapping supplies. Galvanized tubs make great containers and can get into the holiday spirit with the addition of a nice big bow.


I love how Katie Anderson of Modern Eve keeps all her holiday wrapping supplies on a kraft paper runner, lined with ribbon — it’s practical and looks great. Plus, it keeps the supplies delegated to one portion of the table. Mason and apothecary jars filled with bows, tags and markers pull double duty as practical organization and festive decoration.


If you’re not OK with eating dinner on the couch, you’ll probably still want to use your dining table for meals. Consider organizational options that can be moved on and off the table easily. These cake stands are adorable, can hold plenty of supplies and can be easily removed to make way for supper.


What are the benefits of having everything out and in one place? If you have a wrapping station, you can get your presents wrapped at a slower pace. Suddenly that last-minute white elephant gift is less of a headache. Going to a last-minute party? You can grab a bottle of wine and quickly tie a ribbon on it to make a cute host gift. It’s also a great reminder of what the season is about — giving. You’re putting the emphasis on the care that goes into preparing gifts for others. You’re also giving yourself a nice reminder to sit down and write cards to people you love.

Putting everything out for your kids entices them to get involved, giving your family space to create impromptu holiday fun.


While you wrap gifts for the cousins, your kids can help or just pull up a chair and make cards for friends. With the setup taken care of, you can focus on the little things that elevate your time together — turn on some Christmas music or pop some break-and-bake cookies in the oven. It’s all about making it easy for you to create memorable moments together.


Do you love to bake and decorate cookies as a family? Set up a cookie decorating station instead of (or in addition to) your wrapping station. Instead of baskets of tissue paper and gift bags, fill them with parchment paper and cookie cutters. Having all your icing nozzles ready to go will make you ready to go when you decide a tin of cookies would be a great host gift for tonight’s holiday party.


The most important thing is to have fun. Making it easy to sit down and wrap gifts, make cards or bake cookies means you’re transforming a holiday activity from a chore into a chance to be creative and to have fun together.

Whether you’re wrapping gifts with your kids, having friends over for a cookie-decorating competition (everyone wins when baked goods are involved) or simply finding a spare moment to knock out some of your holiday cards, it’s important to spend time with the people who make life special despite the hustle and bustle of the season.

More: 10 Ways to Get Your Kitchen Ready for the Holidays

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