Whether you're planning a big dinner party or inviting a few friends over for a meal, setting the table can be a little tricky. To set the table well, you need to know where to put plates, spoons, forks and glasses, and you'll be ready to say "Happy eating" right away. If you want to know how to set the dining table, follow these steps.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Setting the Dining Table For A Formal Dinner
Step 1. Place the placemats
Place one placemat in front of each chair for each of your guests.
For formal dinners, you should have placemats with the same motif and color for all guests, these placemats should also match your tablecloth
Step 2. Place the napkin on the left side of the placemat
Fold the napkin in half or quarters, depending on the width of the napkin. Napkins should ideally also be made of cloth
You can also fold your napkin on the left side of the fork after you put it down
Step 3. Place the plate in the center of the placemat
This plate should cover the right side of the napkin. If you want a more luxurious atmosphere, use ceramic plates.
Step 4. Place the dinner fork and salad fork on the napkin
The dinner fork should be very close to the plate without touching it, and the salad fork should be one centimeter to the left of the fork. The tip of the fork tooth should point towards the center of the dining table.
- If you forget where to put your fork, think about what you're going to eat first. You will eat the salad first, and you will eat from the outside in, using the cutlery from left to right, so the salad spoon should be on the left side of the dinner fork.
- Remember that you eat using cutlery from the outside in, starting with the outermost and moving closer to the plate until the end of the meal.
Step 5. Place the knife on the right side of the plate
The sharp side of the knife should be pointed toward the plate.
If you're confused about where to put your knife and fork, imagine how a right-handed person eats. If you sit down and imagine the movement, you will know that you are taking a fork with your left hand and a knife with your left. So that's where you should put it
Step 6. Place the teaspoon on the left side of the knife
The teaspoon will be used to stir the coffee or tea at the end of the meal.
Step 7. Place the soup spoon on the right side of the teaspoon
Put down the soup spoon, if you are going to serve soup, so this cutlery will be the first one you use.
Note that in some traditional settings, soup spoons are larger than teaspoons
Step 8. Place the wine glass on the far right of the placemat
To add an extra glass of water, place it on top, to the left of the wine glass. The tip of the knife should point to the glass of water.
Step 9. Add any extra plates and utensils that you may need
You may need to add the following plates and utensils:
- Bread plate and knife. Place this small plate about 12 cm above the fork. Place the small knife horizontally on the plate, with the sharp side pointing to the left.
- Spoon and fork for dessert. Place the dessert spoon and fork horizontally a few inches above the plate, with the spoon on the fork facing the left and the fork facing the right.
- Coffee cup. Place the coffee cup on the base of the cup a few inches above the outermost utensil on the left and a few inches to the left.
- Glasses of white and red wine. If you have two different glasses, then the glass for white wine should be placed closer to your guest, and the red wine will be slightly above, to the left of the glass for white wine. You'll remember this order because your guests will drink the red wine first.
Method 2 of 2: Setting the Dining Table for Casual Events
Step 1. Place the placemat in the center of the table
Placemats that you use can be more casual than a formal table. Place mats with light colors you can use.
Step 2. Place the napkin on the left side of the placemat
You can fold it in half or quarters.
Step 3. Place the plate in the center of the placemat
The dishes you use don't have to be fancy. But try to use plates with the same motif for all occasions.
Step 4. Place the dinner fork on the left side of the plate
You only need one kind of fork for casual dining.
Step 5. Place the knife on the left side of the plate
The sharp side of the knife should point toward the plate, just like a formal event.
Step 6. Place the soup spoon on the left side of the knife
If you don't serve soup, then there's no need to put it on the table.
Step 7. Place the dessert spoon horizontally on the plate facing left
The dessert spoon will be much smaller and more concave than the soup spoon.
Step 8. Place the dessert fork parallel to and under the dessert spoon, facing right
The fork for dessert should be smaller than the dinner fork. This fork should rest under the dessert spoon without touching it.
Step 9. Place the wine glass a few inches above and to the left of the soup spoon
For a more casual table setting, the wine glasses you use don't have to be legged.
Step 10. Place the glass of water a few inches above the soup spoon
The water glass should be placed further away than the wine glass, and to the left of the wine glass. The water glass should be slightly larger than a regular glass.
Tips
- To simplify the table setting, you should put the plates and cutlery that you really need.
- Make sure your guests have enough room to use their cutlery without elbowing each other.
