Adding sparkle to the dining room table for the holidays can be unique, affordable and fun - whether you want a fresh spin on classic table decorations, or something exciting and modern.

Local stores have a wide variety of garland, linens, florals and candles that can give any table a touch of Christmas magic.

Begin with great linens

Before you even set a single plate on the table, you should build a beautiful base.

Dimple Navratil, owner of Dimple's, 416 Main St., has a large selection of jewel tone table linens that would be perfect for a holiday dining table.

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Hand embroidered antique saris have been made into embellished table runners that cost between $35 and $100. "They are fun," Navratil said.

They are also unique, and can be used throughout the year instead of just at the holidays.

Dimple's also sells hand-dyed tablecloths in jewel tones, which are priced between $20 and $40.

For a sheer look with a bit of bling, Artistry Furniture, 512 Monument Square, sells taffeta table runners with beaded ends. "The taffeta just adds a little glimmer," said store manager Tiffany Angotti said.

Glass act centerpieces

"To create your own centerpiece has become a trend," Angotti said.

She suggests buying a beautiful glass vase and filling it with stuff you love, like popcorn, pomegranates or candy.

A very popular look for the holiday season is glass jars and vases full of interesting bits of Christmas. Angotti said a clear vase full of fresh cranberries, or several apothecary jars filled with ornaments would both make great holiday dining table centerpieces.

Another option is a decorative bowl, perhaps wrapped with garland and filled with decorative spheres.

Garland comes in huge variety of styles, all which can be run down the middle of a dining room table with some greens and candles for a beautiful centerpiece that is low enough to allow conversation. Artistry has strands of jewel tone and clear beads, holy, and metal garland in the shape of leaves. The garland is priced between $6 and $30.

Fresh and faux florals

For traditionalists who love fresh floral arrangements, there are innumerable options, said Jane Cascio, a designer with Flowers and Company, 240 Main St. For holiday centerpieces, fresh favorites include evergreen boughs, red berries, white lilies, red roses and fresia.

Cascio said people can do everything from very traditional to fun. Even vase arrangements don't have to be traditional anymore.

"We have a lot of people doing fun containers, like mercury glass, and filling it with greens," Cascio said. "It's less flowers and more different assortments of evergreen, pinecones and artificial sparkles."

For a low centerpiece, Cascio suggests running loose, fresh Christmas boughs along the table, adding pinecones and candles. "That's always pretty," she said. "It's a nice easy fix that anyone can do. You can even lay traditional glass Christmas bulbs along the greens."

If you want to buy silk florals that you can reuse each year, Angotti said elaborate stems have become very popular. She said people can have fun with feather boa stems or go very traditional with country Christmas floral pieces.

Artistry also has flocked pine stems, beaded berries and glitter stems in red, gold, silver and green. All of the silk florals range in priced from $10 to $12.

Candlelight

"The most important thing (on the table) is the candlelight," Angotti said.

Traditional taste calls for tapers and candlesticks.

"One of the things we have that's new is taper rings," Angotti said. The little rings of jingle bells, which sell for $8, sit on top of the candlestick, around the base of the candle. They add a little extra sparkle to a very typical look.

Artistry Furniture also has thicker taper candles called columns. "It's more substantial," Angotti said. The columns can be used in a taper candlestick holder with a piece that fits into the candle holder to hold the column. The column holders sell for $3.

For lower candlelight, a tea light log is a really unique way to decorate the dining table. The clear logs, which cost $14, can be filled with crystals, garland or beads. Each holds five tea lights and can be set up down the middle of the table. Artistry also has pinecone shaped tea lights for the logs, priced at $8 for a set of six.

Tea lights and votives in cups with elongated stems are also a great look for the holiday dining table.

A place and a gift

Tea lights can also be placed at each individual guest's place, and then sent home with them as a gift.

"Tea light holders are great," Angotti said. "It's an inexpensive item that reflects the day that they can take home with them."

Artistry has sparkly silver floral tea light holders for $10 and tea light cups in various colors with a velvet jacquard pattern, with metal candle holders that drop in and have a spiral metal hook that sticks up out of the top of the glass cup. The spiral makes a great place to stick place cards.

Artistry also sells sets of six place card holders shaped like ornaments in different jewel tones for $20 a set.

Table jewelry

For a fancy table, napkin rings can serve as the eye-catching bling. The rings come in a huge variety of colors and materials. Artistry has jingle bell napkin rings for $12.

However, Angotti said for a dinner party, using unique ornaments for napkin rings can be really fun.

"Personalize each ornament for each guest and use it as a napkin ring," she said. "You can also use the napkin ring as a gift."

Beautiful buffet

For casual dining, you can still decorate the table: the buffet table. Angotti suggests decking out the area around your dishes with garland and candles. "You can use the place card holders to describe each dish," she said.

If you want a little sparkle in your serving ware, Artistry Furniture has a wonderful collection of reasonably priced metal serving ware.

The pieces, which include tiered trays, veggie trays, salad bowls, relish dishes, bread bowls and more, come in fun shapes.

They are practical for a buffet, because they can be kept in the oven for warming and go right to the table, Angotti said.

The serving ware is priced between $8 and $47 a piece.