How to set the table

Table of ContentsMethod 1: Formal Table Setting1: Place the tablecloth.2: Place the napkin on the left side of the tablecloth.3: Place the dinner plate in the center of the tablecloth.4: Place the entrée fork and the salad fork on the napkin.5: Place the dinner knife to the right of the dinner plate.6: Place the teaspoon to the right of the dinner knife.7: Place the tablespoon to the right of the teaspoon.8: Place the wine glass in the upper right corner of the tablecloth.9: Place the other tableware you may need. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or just inviting close friends over for a casual meal, setting the table is a delicate part of the process. To get the table set in place, it's important to know exactly where to place your plates, cutlery and glasses correctly. So you can always say to your guests, "Bon appétit." To learn how to set the table, follow these steps.

Method 1: Formal Table Setting

1. Place the tablecloths. Place a tablecloth at each guest's table. If it's a formal dinner party, make sure you have a good amount of tablecloths and that they match the tablecloth appropriately.

2. Place the napkins to the left of the cloth. Depending on the size of the napkin, fold it in half once or twice. It is best to choose a napkin that is made of fabric. You can also fold the napkin in half and place it to the left of the fork at the end of the meal.

3. Place the plate right in the middle of the cloth. Make sure the dinner plate just covers a small portion of the right side of the napkin. For a better arrangement, opt for a ceramic dinner plate.

4. Place the entree fork and salad fork on the napkin. The entree fork should be placed close to the plate, but at a distance, while the salad fork should be placed about a centimeter to the left of the entree fork. Ensure that the fork tines face outwards. If you're not sure which fork to use first, simply choose them in the order in which they will be served. Generally, the salad will come out before the main course, so the forks should logically be used from the outside in, left to right, so the salad fork should be placed to the left of the main course fork.

Remember to use your utensils from the outside in at mealtimes, and don't start in the middle of the plate or move away from your plate.

5. Place the knife on the right side of the plate. The tip of the knife should face outward, while the face of the knife should face inward on the plate. If you can't figure out how to use a fork and knife, think about how a right-handed person would use a knife and fork. If you sit down and experiment, you'll know to hold the fork in your left hand and the knife in your right.

6. Place the teaspoon to the right of the knife. At the end of the meal, the teaspoon can be used to mash coffee or tea.

7. Place the spoon to the right of the teaspoon. If the first course is a soup, you can just pick up the spoon and eat. Note that in some of the more traditional arrangements, the tablespoon is usually larger than the teaspoon.

8. Place the wine glass in the upper right corner of the cloth. The water glass should be placed on top of the wine glass, to the left of the drink glass. Note that the tip of the knife should be facing the water glass.

9, and then set up other tableware that you may need. If the meal program or food is excessive, you may need to add the following additional cutlery: serving plates and knives needed for serving bread and butter. Place this small disk, about 4 feet, on top of the forks. And the knife should be placed horizontally on the dinner plate with the back of the knife facing left.

Fork and spoon for serving dessert. Place the fork and spoon horizontally about a few feet from the dinner plate; the spoon should be above the fork and facing left, and the fork facing right.

Coffee cups. Place the coffee cup on a small saucer, which should be placed a few feet to the upper left of the outermost utensils.

A red and white wine glass. If you want to place two different glasses, then the white wine glass should be placed closer to the guests, while the red wine glass should be placed slightly closer to the top left of the white wine glass. Because of this, guests will use the white wine glass before the red wine glass when drinking.