Sarah Raven's secret to creating a lovely foraged Christmas table centerpiece

Author and floriculturist Sarah Raven has revealed her secret to creating a stunning foraged Christmas table setting each year.

Unsurprisingly, each year the famed gardener uses an abundance of the best Christmas plants on her festive tables. While many may associate Christmas with silvers and golds, Sarah Raven’s Christmas tablescape is refreshingly natural – with organic whites and naturally hued leaves. 

These tones are arranged together with a hidden tool: a wire cake tray. Here, Sarah reveals how you can recreate her annual focal point.  

 Sarah Raven’s foraged table centerpiece 

When it comes to decorating your table for the holidays, Sarah recommends beginning with the centerpiece – in this case, her aptly named ‘Paperwhite’ narcissus table center (opens in new tab).’ 

‘My tradition is to make a Paperwhite’ narcissus table center like a wedding cake of narcissi. I’ll often use potted amaryllis (opens in new tab) on my Christmas table, too,’ she says. 

Sarah arranges her homegrown and foraged plants around a cake tray. She adds that her Footed Wire Cake Tray, available from Sarah Raven (opens in new tab) (pictured above) makes the perfect base – as it adds the right amount of height to your table. 

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Wire Cake Tray | $21.88 on Amazon (opens in new tab)
You can also pick up a similar wire cake tray on Amazon. This size is particularly perfect for a table setting as it is large enough to stand as a talking point without getting in the way of the conversation.

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Sarah then recommends adding candles, foliage, and flowers, including ivy and hellebores that will ‘trail beautifully onto the table.’ 

‘The core principles I work to when planning a Christmas table setting are color, choosing a palette that is joyful and uplifting; height to add drama to the arrangement without blocking guests’ sight of each other,’ she adds. 

The garden expert is not alone in her promotion of a more natural tablescape. Etsy’s Trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, also witnessed a growing demand for organic decorations – reporting a 366% jump in searches for mushroom decor (opens in new tab) and a 33% increase for woodland creature ornaments. So, this is the year we invite our outdoors inside for Christmas dinner. 

So whether you want to keep it traditional and learn how to make a DIY poinsettia centerpiece or you'd prefer to give Sarah Raven’s alternative festive indoor garden ideas a go, you're guaranteed to enrich your tablescape year after year. And of course, you’ll be in excellent company too.