Whatever holiday you're celebrating - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year's - decorate your table with creativity and ease. Even the simplest dishes taste great when they're served from a festive table!

Table Coverings:

• Take a trip to the fabric store or a fabric Web site. Holiday-designed cloth for holidays from Christmas to New Year's may cost no more than paper tablecloths and napkins. Better yet, fabric is elegant. And you can use it again next year.
  
  
• Use non-traditional table coverings. A quilt for family harvest celebrations; large scarves (red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah); straw mats, African batiks, mud cloth or kente cloth for Kwanzaa; lace curtains or taffeta for an elegant party; or holiday gift wrap for a casual meal. (Hint: To protect special coverings, put a clear, plastic cover on top.)
  
  
• Create a family heirloom. Cover the table with an inexpensive, plain bed sheet. Buy colorful fabric markers and let everyone design and sign their new holiday tablecloth! Use colors symbolic to the holiday.

Easy Table Decorations:

• Create CAN-dle holders. Keep your empty cans after cooking. Spray cans of several sizes with gold metallic spray paint or coat with any holiday decorations. Turn them upside down for multi-level candle stands. For a soft touch, arrange fresh greens, dried foliage or ribbons around the base.
  
  
• Cluster a group of framed photos taken at past holiday gatherings in your centerpiece. Or use individual photos as place cards. Photos of your guests give a warm, personal touch.
  
  
• Decorate with luminaries. Hammer a pattern of nail holes in empty large- to medium-sized cans. Spray paint them, then put votive candles inside.

Festive Table Service:

• Tier your serving containers to give the buffet an interesting, multi-level look. Raise platters and bowls on food cans, wooden blocks, upside-down bowls or other sturdy objects. Then cover these stands with colorful leaves, evergreens, gift-wrap, "grass" or other decorations.
  
  
• Wrap colorful ribbons or yarn around utensils or napkins for an easy splash of color. A sprig of bittersweet, evergreen or holly tucked with a napkin gives a fresh look to the holiday season, too.
  
  
• Create easy menu tags to identify unique buffet dishes or honor the guest who brought or made them. Use pinecones, place card holders, small floral prongs or small apples (each with a slit) to hold the tags.