Styling the Thanksgiving Table, Step-by-Step
This week those who are hosting Thanksgiving will be setting their tables (along with preparing a bunch of food and cleaning their houses). To encourage their creativity, I thought I would share my step-by-step layering process for styling a beautiful, texture-filled Thanksgiving tablescape, using simple items from the grocery store (and thrifted items, of course). Here’s Styling the Thanksgiving Table, Step by Step.
Styling the Thanksgiving Table, Step by Step
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To Begin Styling the Table, Start with Fabric
Start with some type of fabric foundation for softness. A runner can simply be a strip of cut fabric. For extra interest, I like to use a pattern. Because my plates are flowered, I decided a plaid would add some geometric interest and masculinity to the scene. Fight the urge to iron it too exactly…it’s going to get mostly covered anyway;)
If you want the table completely covered in fabric and don’t have good tablecloth choices, use my secret trick in “How to Use Fabric Yardage on your Table Settings”.
Anchor the Middle of the Table
Next I anchor the whole scene with a vintage, wooden lazy susan that was my Grandma’s. I love using family pieces for the conversations they encourage, especially for holidays. And I feel like I’m passing on traditions to my kiddos.
Add Other Elements to Centerpiece, Usually in an Odd Number
I’ve been crushing on brown glass lately and picked up a few pieces at the thrift store to be the main centerpiece elements. I love how the sunshine gleams through colored glass. I have 4 pieces, but they will act as the “perfect” decorating number of 3, since I put the smallest vase inside the bowl.
Use Grocery Store Pantry Items as Textural Fillers
Most of the centerpiece textural material came from my local, small-town grocery store. No fancy, hard to find items; just used creatively. I bought a couple bags of dried legumes, a bag of shell-on nuts, a colorful variety of fruit and a textural bouquet of fresh flowers.
–>>If you love the challenge and creativity of floral arranging with store bought items, check out “Get a Big Bang from your Box Store Bouquet”.
I placed the white beans in the wide mouthed container and the colorful beans in the tall, narrow-necked bottle. I nestled a few votive candles into the white beans and placed some grasses and feathers I had in the bottle. Already the various textures are getting interesting!
Add Fresh Foliage Clippings from your Yard to Store Bought Bouquets
I arranged the pretty bunch of flowers in the smaller brown vase, adding cedar and boxwood clippings from my yard.
Fresh Fruit and Nuts are Perfect for the Thanksgiving Table
Next it was time to fill the bowl around the flowers. I had picked up a nice bag of fake acorns while thrifting, and used them in the bottom of the bowl so the fruit could be placed more easily. Real acorns or nuts would also work.
I strategically bought the fruit for it’s mix of color and texture: brown Bosc pears, green Granny Smith apples, orange tangerines and soft red pomegranates. I added a few harvest squashes I had left and 2 small feather balls, continuing the colorful elements onto the runner. Some more of my yard’s clippings added some feathery, green texture. As a final touch, I sprinkled some of the nuts throughout like confetti.
Finish off the Table Setting with Candles
Almost done with the texture-filled centerpiece! A perfect ending is always to add some life and glow with candles. I lit the votives in the beans and added a couple more small pottery pieces with beans to the other end of the table. Candlelight needs to be at both ends of the table!
From overhead you can see the balance of all the elements even though there’s not perfect symmetry. I love the variety of colors, textures and shapes.
Continue the Centerpiece Theme to the Place Settings
Now, to follow through the theme we’ve developed to the place settings.
I started with some cedar chargers I picked up from Pier 1. I fell in love with their textural chargers last spring when I set my Easter table {see “Add Luscious Layers to your Tablescape“}. I’m excited I will be able to use these for both Thanksgiving and Christmas:
I decided to use my brown on white transferware plates and some recent gold glass goblets I’d picked up at a church sale for cheap! {“For the Love and Comfort of Church Sales”}
Many times I will buy a beautiful package of paper napkins, because Home Goods always has such a nice variety, but I decided I wanted to use cloth this time. For years I’ve had a set of small grapevine wreaths that I wanted to use as napkin rings, but I didn’t really want to dig through my unending closet of linens to find napkins.
I remembered I had a few Swedish Huck Towels in Fall Colors that I had not used when creating my “Huck Towel Utensil Pockets”. I cut them in 1/2 lengthwise, with a pinking shear, folded them over and tied them with a yank of rustic ribbon, through the grapevine.
I really like how the graphic pattern of these towels added to the whole table! Now I need to print up some placecards!
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I’ve got several different printable placecards and other seasonal art and styling tips in my FREE Resource Library. Just become an Insider and I’ll send you the password so you can start printing some off today! You’ll also stay creatively motivated with my weekly email!
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The Thanksgiving table is ready! I just love the texture-palooza this tablescape provides! It just feels like a celebration, doesn’t it? And as my pastor once said, “We remember what we celebrate”. Make this holiday a celebration of Thanksgiving…to God, to your family, and for the freedoms we’ve been blessed with!
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I hope this Styling the Thanksgiving Table, Step by Step was helpful to you, and gives you the confidence to create a unique and beautiful table setting for your next party!
Sharing at these lovely parties:
love your table! the brown glassware is fabulous. i love thrifting! i love using old family items as well. you have a great mix of old & new. those chargers are so fun! happy thanksgiving. xo- maryjo
So glad you enjoyed it, Maryjo! I love the balance of old and new too, and balancing all the beautiful textures:) Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Linda! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Such a lovely tablescape, Lora! I love all of the wonderful pieces you brought together so harmoniously! The cedar chargers are so great!
Happy Thanksgiving!