Ideas for Thanksgiving Table Top Decor
Ideas for Thanksgiving Table designs abound! One search on Pinterest can set your head spinning. What you need to know are the necessary pieces of Thanksgiving table top decor and you can wing the rest!
If you're looking for the steps to create a beautifully simple Thanksgiving table you've come to the right place!
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Head IN With Us
The first week of each month I join several amazing party stylists to create something beautiful for the season. Parties have changed since COVID and instead of heading OUT, we are heading IN to our homes and giving you ideas on how to make your intimate gatherings fabulous!
SO today we've got Day 5 of the ATE Days of Thanksgiving AND more “Head IN With Us” Thanksgiving inspiration at the bottom of the post.
Ideas for Thanksgiving Table
First, decide if you'll use a tablecloth or leave the table plain. A tablecloth will always make the event feel fancier but you have to wash it when dinner is done, so weigh your options.
*This one isn't actually a table cloth at all, just a piece of sequined striped fabric I picked up at Hobby Lobby. So don't feel boxed in by the tablecloths on the shelf. Get creative and design something just for you!*
If you choose not to use a tablecloth, I recommend using a table runner instead. It'll help ground your Thanksgiving table top decor and create a visual separation for the table settings.
Create a Centerpiece
Flowers for the Thanksgiving table make the perfect centerpiece! You can purchase something already made or create your own using a pumpkin and an assortment of flowers, leaves, berries, and feathers.
Fresh flowers are lovely but if you create a faux arrangement you'll be able to do it way in advance and enjoy it all season!
You can get great deals on faux florals at Michaels if you just need a few stems. Hydrangeas are my favorite base flower for their size and beautiful colors. Dried hydrangea heads are also lovely but they don't store very well.
Create a Runner with Table Top Decor
Once your centerpiece is selected build on it with smaller repeating elements, like pumpkins, leaves, and feathered balls.
You don't have to make your Thanksgiving table top decor exactly the same on both sides of the centerpiece but you want things to get smaller as they move away from the center of the table.
Ideas for Thanksgiving Table Settings
Thanksgiving dinner is a big deal, but your thanksgiving table settings don't have to be so fancy that you no longer feel comfortable! We went rustic and although it looks fancy, there's still a casual element to this table.
Start from the bottom and work your way up. Even with a table cloth you can use a placemat or charger to help delineate each space.
Then layer a dinner plate, salad plate, or bowl on top. And finish it off with a napkin. These rustic chicken plates are actually melamine {check in at Home Goods early in the season!} making them super affordable to purchase and mix in with dishes I already owned.
Pair a fancy goblet with a themed paper insulated cup for the Hot Apple Cider Bar to keep it down to earth.
Also our paper dessert plates and forks stayed on the Thanksgiving food table until we were ready. That left more space on the table to actually serve dinner.
Thanksgiving Table Top Details
If you like adding place cards to each Thanksgiving table setting you can easily add a name to the chocolate turkey or maple leaf cookie {both from Trader Joes} in the salad bowl.
Regardless, these treat additions are darling and delicious that really help set the Thanksgiving stage.
DIY Sweater Pumpkin Decor
A great idea for a Thanksgiving table to get done on a decent budget consider making some of your table top decor. These sweater pumpkins are so cute, can be made to match any color scheme, and are simple to make. Get the tutorial here.
Shop Your House for Thanksgiving Table Decor
Shop your house and see what you already have. This little blue truck was perfect carrying a white pumpkin, as well as the “blessed” tag I snagged from a fall wreath.
When you decide on your colors, walk around your house and look at everything with fresh eyes. You never know what unexpected items will be perfect for your Thanksgiving table top decor!
And don't fret if you don't have enough of one thing. Feel free to mix and match plates, napkins and rings, glasses, etc. As long as you set the table intentionally, like I did using a different napkin for every other place setting, it'll still feel cohesive.
Thanksgiving Food Table Ideas
Once your dining table is all set, don't forget a thanksgiving food table. It's much easier to serve a large group from a buffet than trying to pass each dish around large or multiple tables.
You can see our hutch in the background set up with desserts and several appetizers to keep guests occupied until dinner. As well as more Thanksgiving table flowers!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope you feel confident moving forward with these ideas for Thanksgiving table top decor. This rustic table wasn't fussy but still felt special for our celebration. Be true to your style and personality and create a table to match.
If you want a 16 piece table setting for each person with 3 forks, go for it! I'm all for fancy. But I'm also for family and it's OKAY to not want to go that far.
I'd love to hear about your Thanksgiving table decor in the comments below. And if you share photos, I want to see it too! Please tag us @partieswithacause on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We love celebrating all your hard work!
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ATE Days of Thanksgiving
Coming up for Day 6…..
DIY Fall Sweater Gnomes
All About Apples
- Day 1: Apple Cider Bar Ideas for a Harvest Party
- Day 2: Fall Family Activity Apple Tasting Night
- Harvest Party Girls Night Ideas
Thanksgiving Ideas
- Day 3: Butternut Squash Soup Recipe: How to Easy Recipe
- Day 4: Sweater Pumpkins DIY Dollar Tree Pumpkin Decor
- Day 5: Ideas for Rustic Thanksgiving Table Top Decor
- Day 6: Fall Gnomes! DIY Gnome Instructions
- Global Chic Thanksgiving Holiday Tablescape
Thanksgiving Food Table Ideas
- Day 7: Thanksgiving Food Table Ideas for a Rustic Holiday
- Day 8: Fall Baby? Little Pumpkin Baby Shower Ideas
From the Autumnal Archives
Girls Night Harvest Party Ideas
Peacock Table Decorations for Thanksgiving
Farmer's Market Harvest Brunch
Head In With Us
- A Thanksgiving Popcorn Cornucopia by Giggle Living
- A Simple Thanksgiving Dessert Table by Pop of Gold
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