Tables set for holiday celebrations

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Tables set for holiday celebrations

Atlanta designers share their tips for creating unique place settings for the holidays.

Neighbors Tyler Colgan, an interior designer, and Laird Memory envisioned this kid-friendly holiday table as a sweet, whimsical and edible treat. The DIYers built a plywood table around a bare-branched tree, and using some spray paint, burlap and sweets, created a candy cane-inspired tablescape.

Colgan says you don't need a big budget to have high-end tables. Here, a Rice Krispie treat snowman adds height to the place setting while serving as a placecard. The top hat is made from a marshmallow and vanilla wafer dipped in chocolate.

Using tree stumps from their backyards, the women -- both mothers of two young children -- crafted these toadstools with a burlap-covered pillow and patches that match the placemats. "You can always go to a store and copy the table," Colgan says. "But I find when you have to do it on a budget, you have to be more creative."

Marshmallows and licorice add a pop of sweet surprise to the tree centerpiece. The felt ornaments were an affordable find at HomeGoods for just $3.99.

Letting children play with their food is exactly what Colgan and Memory (seen here with son Augie, 2, and daughter Raleigh Bunting, 1) had in mind with the whimsical snowman centerpieces.

Owen Halpern and Lawrence Pritchard, owners of luxury home goods boutique OwenLawrence, gave us some ideas for a traditional holiday table. A Hanukkah tablescape has a light-hearted touch with a blue and silver tinsel centerpiece paired with Sieger by Furstenberg porcelain.

A traditional menorah.

Porcelain dreidels add an elegant touch, though Pritchard said allowing children to make dreidels for the occasion promotes budget-friendly family time.

Halpern and Pritchard were inspired by the terra-cotta color of their dining room when creating this Christmas tablescape. Though they often use luxury items such as the Seiger porcelain or Beauville linens, Halpern turns to nature when dressing the table. "As much as you can, utilize elements from your garden," Halpern said. He clipped nandina and juniper from his Buckhead backyard when designing the centerpiece.

Halpern suggests using fabric in the center of the table to protect the wood. He simply purchased a couple yards of taffeta from Lewis and Sheron Textiles for this display. Antique silver filled with apples or nuts adds a traditional note.

The men like to incorporate family heirlooms into their tablescapes, such as this antique German candle carousel from Pritchard's family.

Interior designers Wendy Blount and Brooke Taylor of Blount Architectural and Interior Design created this edgy yet glamorous holiday tablescape. The designers incorporated pink into the subdued display for a dose of feminine flair.

Gold chargers complement the pink calla lilies in the place-setting. The centerpiece was constructed from bare branches adorned with white, black, clear, gold and pink matte and shiny ornaments from Ikea, West Elm and Taylor's collection.

A crystal skull votive-turned-candy dish ($9.95 each) from Z Gallerie adds an unexpected twist to the holiday-themed table. The designers show that infusing one's personality into holiday decor can create unique conversation pieces.

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Neighbors Tyler Colgan, an interior designer, and Laird Memory envisioned this kid-friendly holiday table as a sweet, whimsical and edible treat. The DIYers built a plywood table around a bare-branched tree, and using some spray paint, burlap and sweets, created a candy cane-inspired tablescape.

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