How to Style a Tiered Tray to Bring Christmas Magic to Your Kitchen

Do you like to have a little Christmas decor everywhere in your home? I know I do! BUT…when I start baking Christmas cookies, I don’t want decorations in my way. The answer? I keep my holiday decor in the kitchen confined to a tray. This year it is a wooden tiered tray laden with sweet Christmas ornaments and signs.

I am so happy to once again be joining Katherine of Katherine’s Corner as she hosts a lovely Christmas on a Tray Blog Tour.

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Have you purchased one of these trays and wondered how to use it or where to use it? Rule one is that there is absolutely no wrong way to style a tiered tray! If someone tells you differently, don’t listen to them!

Where to use a tiered tray:

  • Kitchen Island
  • Piano
  • Sideboard
  • Buffet table
  • Coffee Table
  • Entryway
  • Bathroom

A tiered tray is a great decor item that can be used in so many places in your home. Think of it as way to add decor or even extra shelves in a spot where no shelves exist.

My favorite place to use mine is on my kitchen island. That is certainly not the only place I use it though! You might find it set up on the end of our bar, on the console in the foyer or even on the piano!

What to put on a tiered tray:

  • food
  • cocktail napkins
  • Christmas ornaments
  • figurines
  • small plants
  • wood bead garlands
  • bathroom necessities
  • coffee cups
  • mini pumpkins
  • notecards
  • small signs
  • dishes of candies

Any holiday is the time to get out that tiered tray and add some holiday decor to any spot in your home. A tiered tray is a place where you can add as much or little decor as you would like, but no matter how much you put on it, you are keeping your decorations corralled into a specific space.

This is particularly true for me this year! The flood we had in early October has caused a chain reaction of renovation projects around my house! You don’t want to install a brand new floor and then start renovating rooms. There were three bathrooms, a laundry room and a new kitchen on our renovation list. We thought we could take two or three years to progress through these projects. Alas, no, we are hurrying to get them all completed before our new flooring goes in.

Consequently, my Christmas decorating is limited this year. That doesn’t mean there aren’t decorations. No, I have not put up a tree this year, but the mantel is decorated and this pretty tiered tray is a great place to bring out some favorite decorations.

Artificial candies like peppermints and candy canes are perfect in the kitchen.

Unique little ornaments like these sweet little trucks with bottle brush trees in the back are like tiny treasures on my tray. Did you ever wonder about trucks with Christmas trees and how they became a “thing”. I did, and I wrote an entire blog post about red trucks with Christmas trees.

Tiny garlands are a great addition to your tiered tray. A garland or wood beads, or in this case, red green and white felted balls strung on a nylon thread give a whimsical twist to my tray. Garlands are an easy way to pull the colors of tray from top to bottom.

Adding little signs to your tray is a nice way to add a message to your tray. I find so many of these signs I pick up here and there are so small they get lost on my mantel, but they can be a stand out on my tray!

There isn’t much of a better message than this one…I hope each of you keeps the true meaning of Christmas in your heart and believe in the magic the season can bring.

This little snowman must have melted while I was baking cookies in the kitchen, but his hat got left behind.

I don’t know when I became a fan of Annalee dolls, but I keep discovering them at Home Goods, and thrift stores and they have found their way to my home and into my heart.

It wouldn’t be a Christmas tray without Santa, now, would it?

Perhaps one of these cute Annalee snowmen will find his way home to me this year!

Try one of these tiered trays for your home:

I once heard that every room should have something black. This three-tier tray would be striking in any spot. Can’t you see this with beautiful white candles one it?

This delightful tray by Wilton is so versatile that it can be styled with just two levels and can even be divided into three individual trays. This is perfect for desserts, sweets, or finger sandwiches.

Not all tiered trays are round, check out this farmhouse style tray which is only $35.96!!

Tiered trays decorated for the holidays in my home:

For Easter my three-tier tray was full of everything Peter Rabbit! Tiny stuffed bunnies and artificial cabbages along with flower pots and gardening tools set the scene. Any holiday or season is an occasion for decking out a tiered tray. See more of the bunnies at Easter Decor Around my House.

Using a tiered tray for food is a perfect partnership! Setting up a summertime sundae party, bring out your tiered tray for guests to help themselves! Keep a tiered tray in mind for a coffee bar, a hot chocolate bar or even for a Sunday morning brunch! Is there any better way to serve up a selection of treats for family and friends?

Although I love Christmas, I think Fall is my favorite season. A tiered tray is an easy way to bring seasonal decor to any little corner of your home. Fall decor around my house was a way to do that! Deck out that tiered tray with your seasonal decorations and enjoy!

Another Christmas found this same tiered tray finding a home on the bar in our tavern room. For Christmas, bottle brush trees are a great fit for a adding to your tiered tray! You can see more of this display over at A Christmas Home Tour.

Now…time for a tour!

I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful Christmas on a Tray tour!

Welcome to this lovely tour! Simply click on the links below to take the grand tour and visit all of these beautiful trays, each with their own take of Christmas on a Tray. Enjoy the tour and all of the inspiration!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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17 Comments

  1. Adorable Chloe! I love to decorate tiered trays too, anything goes and they are such fun to look at! I love the little believe sign, so cute! Good luck with all your renovations and I hope you have a merry holiday!

  2. Chloe, I’m feeling your renovation woes having gone through them myself this year!
    The Annalee dolls really make the tray. They are so darn cute 🙂
    And you are right, little signs are perfect for trays.
    Merry Christmas
    Rachelle

  3. HI Chloe,
    Love this! I did a tiered tray too! I need to add more stuff. They are so fun with lots of items tucked away! Great job! laura in Colorado

  4. I love the colorful exuberance of your tray and all the Christmas items you gathered on it. The tray is indeed joyful and magical and would delight anyone who sees it! I especially like Santa and the signs, but it all works together beautifully! It definitely says ‘Chloe style’. Hope you enjoy a happy and wondrous holiday season!

  5. Chloe, let me tell you how much I love your tray! So much fun. You got the believe in the magic of Christmas sign that I want it so badly. I just love your whole tray. What wonderful whimsical characters you have. So much inspiration for so many people. Thank you so much. Merry Christmas time!

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