How to Set the Table (Basic)
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A blog called “Gracing the Table” wouldn’t be complete without some help on how to actually set your table! I never want to assume that people know how to do things that I consider common knowledge, because I realize that I was taught by ladies who were avid hostesses and actually care about the right way to set a table.
If you were never taught or simply haven’t cared about the “proper” way to set a table, it’s okay! There is no judgement here, but I believe that knowing how to set a table is skill that is helpful and valuable to have. Etiquette, at it’s heart, is about having one set of rules that everyone knows and abides by so that you can know what to expect in various social environments. It is about being considerate of others. Unfortunately, etiquette has gotten twisted by many people as a way to judge the shortcomings of others and make them feel “less than”. That is the complete opposite of what I am about and what “Gracing the Table” is all about! I want the people in my home, at my events and around my table to feel celebrated, considered and loved well. Social graces, or etiquette, is one way I accomplish this goal.
Today’s post is about setting a basic table setting for any meal, but I’m going to focus on dinner, since that is when my entire family is usually sitting at the table together!
What You Will Need (adjust to the number of people eating):
Dinner Plates
Napkins
Forks
Salad Forks (if eating salad)
Knives
Spoons (if eating soup or pasta)
Glasses
Salad Plates (if eating salad)
Step 1: Place the dinner plate about 1 inch from the edge of the table. You will want to center the plate in front of the chair on the table where you will be sitting!
Step 2: Put a napkin to the left of the plate. You can use a paper napkin (I use the Vanity Fair paper napkins that are $3 at Walmart), a cloth napkin or even a paper towel. For a touch of class, I recommend folding the napkin.
Step 3: Place the dinner fork on top of the napkin to the left of the dinner plate. This is technically the only fork you need!
Step 4 (optional): If you are eating a salad with your dinner, you can put a salad fork to the left of the dinner fork. You will typically eat your salad before your dinner so the line from Titanic about “starting from the outside and working your way in” is actually accurate!
Step 5: Put your knife directly to the right of the dinner plate. Make sure the blade is facing inward. Legend says that the knife blade is turned inward in times of peace and outward in times of war. Peace reigns in my home, so I always turn the blade inward. The knife is also on the right side of the plate because when you are cutting something, you always have your knife in your right hand, and use your fork to steady the food in your left hand. In Europe, people actually eat with their fork turned downward in their right hand and they actively use their knife to push food onto the fork with each bite. We don’t typically eat that way in America, but that is the reason why the fork and knife are positioned the way they are!
Step 6 (optional): If you are eating soup or having pasta, place a spoon to the right of the knife. Soup or antipasta are typically served before the entrée as well so you would use the spoon before the knife and at around the same time as the salad fork. In the case of eating pasta or soup, you would put the bowl on the dinner plate.
Step 7: Put your glass on the upper right hand corner of the plate (at 1:00 if your plate represents a clock). This allows you to access your drink easily without reaching over your plate to do so. This also eliminates any confusion about whose drink is whose. It is always going to be the glass to your right!
Step 8 (optional): If you are serving a salad, place the salad plate in the upper left corner of the setting (at 11:00 if the plate is like a clock).
The setting should look like this when you are finished!
Like I said before, this is a basic dinner setting with modifications for salad and soup or pasta. But you can certainly have the place setting with just a plate, knife, fork and glass!
I will do another post soon about setting a table for a formal dinner, especially since the holidays are right around the corner!
Also, I have had people ask me about my dishes! They are Franciscan’s Desert Rose. Here is a history and more information about the pattern itself!
The pattern first came out in 1941 and has been one of the most popular china patterns in the United States for decades! My Grandmommy purchased her Desert Rose dishes in the late 1960s/early 1970s and used it as her every day dishes for years and years! When I was a little girl, I told her I wanted to use Desert Rose for my everyday dishes when I had a home of my own, and I never changed my mind! The pattern was still in production when I got married in 2010 so I built up my own collection of Desert Rose and have used it for the past 13 years. Recently, my Grandmommy moved from an assisted living community to a skilled nursing facility so, like she promised me all those years ago, she gave me all of her Desert Rose. I feel so blessed to have these special dishes, and they remind me of the legacy of love, delicious meals, and happy memories that my grandparents imparted. It is a joy for me to share these dishes and my food with you here!
Desert Rose has sadly been discontinued, but I have always seen it at antique stores and there are people even selling it on Amazon! Here is a link to a set of 20 pieces, but you can also get individual serving pieces or bowls!
