Ideas For Decorating The Top Of An Entertainment Center

Choose Accessories That Create Contrast

To add Hanukkah flair to this neutral dining room, Design Star Season 7 contestant Britany Simon created a tablescape (and a clever, graphic arrangement of paper lanterns) that's all about contrast. Cool blue textiles, metallic elements and vivid floral arrangements all pop against this dining room's pale neutral walls, floor and chairs.

Put a Twist on 'Traditional' Tones

Historians have argued that blue and white became associated with Hanukkah relatively recently, and it's commonly suggested that the association became widespread in the 20th century when Israel became a state (as those are the hues on its flag). That said, the Torah mentions the use of tekhelet (a blue dye derived from a sea creature) for dyeing portions of white prayer shawls, and scholars have argued about what tekhelet should look like (the clear noonday sky, or the evening sky, or something else?) for centuries.

Display a Manzanita Branch Menorah

For a fresh interpretation of the classic menorah, consider a manzanita branch candelabrum as your table's centerpiece. Fancy a ready-made version? Find a similar piece from SPI Home here (or keep your eyes peeled for West Elm's take on the look as pictured above; it pops up on sites like eBay every now and then). Feeling the itch to DIY? Try spray-painting a manzanita branch (available at floral and craft supply stores) and adding small scraps of wood with hot glue or wire to create spaces to accommodate tea lights.

Choose an Iconic Flower

Lilies are a classic element of winter floral arrangements here in the States and, as it happens, one of only three flowers mentioned in the Bible (as well as a common motif in Hebrew art). Create a bit of height and reflect candlelight by arranging your blooms in a mercury glass vase.

Create a Custom Table Runner

No sewing machine? No problem! Create a custom table runner with 3 yards of satin folded into thirds, then top it off with a layer of metallic crafting sheer. The bound edges of the metallic crafting sheer add a graphic edge which gives the layered textiles a finished, tailored look.

Experiment With Gold Flatware

Setting out gold flatware in place of more-expected silver can add a hint of glamour to your table arrangements — but it requires a bit of TLC. To ensure your utensils' longevity, save them for special occasions: the more frequently gold is run through the dishwasher, the more likely it is to show its age (and hand-washing flatware every night is decidedly unglamorous).

Winterize Your Gold

When you're selecting gold elements of your Hanukkah decor, stick with shades that have yellow undertones (since yellow mixes well with blue, white and other wintery colors). Brownish and orangish gold tones, on the other hand, create more of an autumnal look—and they're trickier to pair with cool and silvery hues.

Play With Patterns

Incorporating patterns creates a one-two punch of movement and graphic impact. Dip your toe in pattern play with table arrangements by starting small, as designer Britany Simon did here with a turquoise-toned, zigzag salad plate atop a solid, blue-gray dinner plate. The cool backdrop paired with the warm gold accents strikes the perfect balance.

Deploy a Mobile Serving Station

If your dining space lacks serving stations or buffet space, introduce a temporarily repurposed bar cart to create an instant special-occasion serving area. Use the top portion for laying out desserts, and designate the bottom as a place to gather gifts.

Add Drama to the Dessert Table

Extend a metallic motif even further with high-gloss, graduated dessert servers. Hammered-pewter cake stands and chrome three-tiered servers like the ones used here are an effortlessly elegant way to present your final course.

See More Photos: 25 Decadent Desserts for Any Occasion

Keep Gift Wrap Simple

Kitschy prints might earn a giggle or two, but simple papers and gleaming ribbons like these contribute to an overall color story and metallic theme without overwhelming the eye.

See More Photos: 75 Holiday Gift Wrap Ideas

Shine Strategically...

Take a less-is-more approach to decorating with metallic elements by choosing stemware ornamented with thin bands of gold, silver or bronze. Paired with more substantial metallic pieces (like flatware, votives or a menorah), those understated accents instantly help carry the metallic motif throughout the tablescape.

...Or Double (and Triple) Down on Gold

Add a warm richness to your tablescape by layering shades of gold through different design elements. Deploy a bit of spray paint to add shine to less lustrous supplies: here, Simon upcycled wine corks to create simple, striking place card holders.

Add a Festive Focal Point

Create a massive seasonal design feature (sans major installation costs) with a group of paper lanterns. For this look, the lanterns' supports are just as important as the globes themselves; replace standard fishing line or white string with luxurious satin or grosgrain ribbon in varied shades of blue.

Unfurl a Special-Occasion Area Rug

Table runners are well and good, but it's high time hosts and hostesses extended festive textiles to the floor, no? Develop a truly immersive color scheme by anchoring your dining space with a solid, textural area rug in blue, gold or silver.

Blend Traditions With a Hanukkah Tree

If your circle of special people recognizes multiple winter traditions, why not commemorate them together? If both Christmas and Hanukkah are significant days at your house, consider a sweet hybrid like this one.

Create a Boho Wreath

Geometric and organic beauty come together in this simple wreath, where straight branches are arranged to create a Star of David (which appeared in antiquity but became a near-universal emblem of Judaism in the 19th century). We'll show you how to create one for yourself from backyard clippings — or craft store silk branches, below.

See More Photos: Host a Boho Chic Hanukkah Party

Deck the Hall With Dreidels

Grab scrapbooking paper, pencils, scissors, stencils (we love these) and glue, then task your kiddos with creating dreidels you'll drape along the stairs (or shelves, or the mantel) with clear fishing line.

See More Photos: Celebrating Hanukkah: Easy and Stylish Jewish Holiday Ideas

Experiment With Layers

As designer Nicole Dingle put this look together, "It was a challenge to find tableware that wasn't kitschy or tacky," she explains. "As a result, I opted for a less obvious 'Hanukkah theme' and instead concentrated on the color palette. When creating a tablescape (no matter the occasion) layering is key. Start with a runner or tablecloth as a base and build from there. Add dimension by layering textures, patterns and varying heights in your color scheme; in this case blue, white and gold."

Choose a Simple, Sculptural Menorah

Go Mod and Minimalist

Drape a Glam, Textured Garland

Try a Shibori Tablecloth

Shibori — an ancient Japanese indigo dye technique that involves using folds, found objects and binding to create intricate patterns in fabric — is well suited to the decor we associate with Hanukkah, thanks to the graphic blue-and-white designs it creates. Shibori table linens are now widely available at both mainstream retailers and through sites like Etsy — and if you're feeling crafty, we'll walk you through creating your own shibori napkins, below.

Get the How-To: How to Make Your Own Shibori-Style Tie-Dye Napkins

Build an Eclectic, Modern Table

Take a cue from West Elm's latest offerings and create a gathering spot where natural simplicity meets subtle intricacy. A rough-hewn marble menorah (with eight recesses for candles and a brass receptacle set higher for the shamash candle that will light the others) complements pale, gold-embellished celestial dinnerware and painterly, hand-glazed blue constellation salad plates.

Assemble "Stockings"

Rabbis and scholars explain that giving gifts in honor of Hanukkah is a very recent invention — and that, like the gift exchanges on Christmas that Hanukkah gift-giving developed among American Jews to echo, it doesn't really have anything to do with the holiday's religious requirements. That said, assembling and displaying tiny treats to open each night can be a sweet way to add an additional bit of joy to each evening's activities.

Invest in an Heirloom

Introduce a Casual Runner

Counterbalance special-occasion dishware that might feel a bit too formal by reaching for table linens that cultivate a more eclectic, homespun vibe. Materials like cotton canvas and even denim look beautiful on modern tables, and they're machine-washable.

Reimagine Your Donuts

When it comes to Hanukkah desserts, "the donut is definitely king," says Lindsay Landman, a New York City-based event planner. (Fried foods are eaten on Hanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the Temple in Jerusalem's oil lasting for eight days.) "But, if you want to go next-level, consider using a delicious donut as a base for your hot fudge sundaes (so long, brownies!) or even crumbling your cake donuts to use as a topping on a make-your-own sundae bar. If you are serving coffee or hot cocoa, add a donut hole on a swizzle stick for an extra sweet treat."

Think Outside the Potato

Landman suggests looking to social media for appetizer inspiration. "Do you love the crazy cheese and charcuterie boards you see on Instagram? Well, how about a latke board to elevate a Hanukkah classic? Use a big wooden cheese board or other large tray and showcase the many delicious latkes you can make (or buy!). Sweet potato, white potato, zucchini and carrot … all varieties welcome. Style the board with ramekins of applesauce, herbed crème fraîche and roasted tomato spread along with fresh herbs and apple slices and it will be a huge hit." Start with our basic latke recipe, below, then let your imagination be your guide.

Get the Recipe: Quick and Easy Potato Latkes

Celebrate (Even More) Light

"Two of the most beautiful and most central themes of Hanukkah are light and miracles," Landman notes. "What could be more magical than that? Go all-in on candlelight, not just in your chanukiah (that's the "real" name for a Hanukkah menorah) but throughout your home and tabletop."

Reference Tradition

This dramatic menorah by Amy Reichert is both visually unconventional and historically significant; its floating brass blossoms reference the original temple menorah (which was made of gold cups shaped like almond blossoms, according to Jewish tradition). The pool of water is an especially clever detail, as it both reflects the lit candles' glow and catches any wax that might drip beyond their holders as they burn.

Branch Out

The silvery wreath and branches in this elegant tablescape's background demonstrate how beautifully "Christmas" decorations (and disco balls!) lend themselves to a wintery Hanukkah table. Glass globes arranged as a wall treatment give the dining table a celestial dreaminess.

Pile on the Dreidels

"Using some simple Hanukkah favorites in big-time repetition can create a big wow on a small budget," says event planner Lindsay Landman. "I like to order gold 'gelt' by the big box and fill simple glass containers as decor — and the same can be done with colorful dreidels." Party stores can supply large quantities of dreidels in "classic" colors like these, but why stop there? Pro tip: "If you want to really up your color game, consider buying tons of inexpensive dreidels and spray painting them a crazy color like neon green or go for something moody and paint them all in high-gloss black. Spilling these down the center of your dining room table mixed with some candlelight is a simple and super cool runner," she adds.

Reach for Ombré (and Beyond)

Improvise Napkin Rings

Dreidels can also serve singly as striking place setting accessories. Look for decorative versions similar to the one pictured here, and use their hanging loops as bespoke "rings" for cloth napkins.

Try Upscale Paper Tableware

As Deborah Shearer (founder of Table + Dine, a lifestyle marketing and merchandising team) notes, there's much to be said for keeping things simple and remembering what matters. "While I love to entertain and set a beautiful table, you and your family will remember the food, the fun and the guests around your Hanukkah table, more than the decor," she says. Instead of splashing out on decorative chargers that will disappear into the back of the cabinet once the holidays are over, consider embellishing your everyday tableware with layers of budget-friendly, disposable pieces. Shearer created this look with paper products from Sophistiplate, a father-and-son company that produces single-use tableware.

Use a Garland as a Table Runner

A true master of high-low decor, Shearer combined a blue felt Hanukkah banner she found at Target and felt snowflake placemats from Pier 1 with Lenox Federal Platinum plates, etched footed wine glasses and Continental flatware. She then anchored the center of the table with two of her own menorahs and a third that her photographer received as a wedding gift. The takeaway here? From humble to haute and mass-produced to heirloom, you can make space for just about anything on your table. (Find a full list of her sources here.)

Assemble a Rustic Tablescape

Assorted votives and artfully embellished twigs sketch out a serene theme on the creamy white linen table runner that blogger, recipe developer and food photographer Chef Sarah Elizabeth laid out on her Hanukkah table. She "mismatched" candles and vessels to emphasize the unfussy nature of her arrangement.

Build a Gelt Runner

Becca Goldberg created this clever (and eco-friendly!) table runner for My Jewish Learning's food site, The Nosher, with little more than three large pieces of card stock, gelt wrappers and a hot glue gun. Find a full description of her next-level DIY — as well as step-by-step instructions for metallic feather place cards — here.

Or, Gather Kids' Gelt in Felt

Make the Festival of Lights more fun for kids with this low-sew felt star tote. Perfect for a slightly older child learning to hand sew or easy to glue together for a younger one. Get more kids' Hanukkah craft ideas, below.

See More Photos: 10 Fun Hanukkah and Winter Crafts for Kids

Bake Hanukkah Cakesicles

The key to creating picture-perfect dessert pops isn't sculpting skills — it's strategizing. With little more than white cake mix, a mold, baking chocolate and seasonal sprinkles, you can whip these beauties up in no time. (Find Kosher.com's full recipe here.)

Make Gourmet Gelt

This kid-friendly, no-bake dessert project is both gorgeous and incredibly simple: just melt dark, white or semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler, drop tablespoons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and decorate with toppings of your choice. Half an hour later, your bespoke dessert will be ready to serve. (Find Kosher.com's full recipe here.)

Embrace Intricacy

The kaleidoscope of patterns in this Williams Sonoma tablescape doesn't overwhelm the eye because the scales and tones are consistent. Feel free to build a table with lots of detail; as long as the designs you choose complement one another, you can keep on going.

Add Secular Style

Empty the China Cabinet

Celebrate abundance by using all of your dishes for once. Designer Marian Parsons used a place mat, a charger, two plates, a napkin, a napkin ring, five pieces of flatware and two glasses for each setting at this table — and the resulting arrangement is fabulous.

See More Photos: Hosting a Sparkling Blue and White Hanukkah Celebration

Create a Menorah With Votives

To create the look of a single vessel that holds nine candles, place a long, low votive holder on either side of a small glass cake pedestal. Variations in accessory height will improve the look of your tabletop all year long; in the case of this arrangement, it's traditional for the shamash ("servant" or "attendant" candle) which is lit first to stand a bit higher or lower than the eight candles surrounding it.

See More Photos: Hosting a Sparkling Blue and White Hanukkah Celebration

Texturize the Table

Create a feeling of abundance by scattering the spaces between large tabletop decorations with small-scale accents like coasters, gelt, curls of ribbon and cutouts. (A look like this is an excellent way to make use of gift-wrapping scraps that would otherwise be headed for the recycling bin!)

See More Photos: Hosting a Sparkling Blue and White Hanukkah Celebration

Create Star of David Gift Wrap

Turn trinkets into treasures that double as decorations by gluing rather than taping your paper together. Truth be told, assembling a package like this one could be even easier than wrapping a rectangular gift the traditional way. (Find full instructions and more ideas here.)

Combine Seasonal Greens With Bold Blooms

To create a striking, large-scale table arrangement like this one, begin with larger blooms like roses and irises, then add smaller flowers in similar tones (like snapdragons, lilies and daisies). Unexpected, textural fillers like eucalyptus and pine needles give this centerpiece a sculptural, wintery feel.

Cultivate a Contemporary Look