Basic Table Setting Etiquette Tips If you prefer, it is acceptable to set the napkin on top of the plate in a basic table setting, though some think this can create a more formal feeling.

Dining etiquette stretches back centuries. To many people, formal table settings are an art form, and table manners are not to be taken lightly.

From utensil placement to napkin etiquette, here are 23 mistakes you could be making while setting the table—and how to fix them to create a beautiful, functional space for your meal.

"From the 1922 edition of Emily Post's Etiquette, some of the advice is still so similar — how to set a table, how to use utensils — it's almost unchanged." ...

First, the ABCs of table setting: Place the plates on the center of the placemat. Lay the napkin to the left of the plate, or get fancy with a fold — it's easier than you think.

We met up with Marci Raver Lash, founder and Chief Etiquette Officer of the Contemporary Etiquette Institute, at Ann Arbor's downtown home goods shop Bed & Butter (333 South Main St., Ann Arbor ...

• It is very poor manners to use a toothpick at the table. — Susan Krumm is an Extension agent in family and consumer sciences with K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County, 2110 Harper St.

Don't set a basic dining table, or forget about the basics. While we encourage creativity and individuality when creating a tablescape, it's important to remember the standard protocol.

When I teach business dining etiquette, I am always fascinated by how many people want to know how to decode a table setting. Whether for a simple or multiple course meal, at home or a restaurant ...

Setting the table is often a hurried, last-minute chore. But it's the holidays; make it special. Mindy Lockard, an etiquette and lifestyle expert and founder of the Gracious Girl blog, says the ...

Ready, set, table! Crystal Young, in her sophomore year participating in the OC Fair’s table-setting competition emerged Tuesday with a “Best of Show” ribbon and $150 prize – a repeat of ...