Every year, Thanksgiving brings friends and family together for a single, special dinner. That’s why hosts and hostesses across the country want their holiday tables to be warm and welcoming. If you’re looking for inspiration for your Thanksgiving table decor, then check out these festive ideas.
Start with Autumn-Inspired Dinnerware
To wow Thanksgiving guests, start with your dinnerware. Casual gatherings call for colorful plates and bowls in seasonal hues like sage, cranberry, and burnt orange paired with wooden-handled flatware. For a more chic and sophisticated look, opt for white porcelain dinnerware and metallic flatware in gold or copper. Serve food in fun ways this Thanksgiving by using hollowed out pumpkins, colorful cake stands, and platters shaped like turkeys, autumn leaves, or sunflowers.
Get Creative with Table Linens
Linens help set the tone for your Thanksgiving celebration. A chambray fringe table runner and napkins give a casual, farmhouse vibe, especially when paired with earthenware serving bowls and sturdy metal pitchers. Napkins made from fabrics like jacquard and silk complement a more refined tabletop.
If you’re looking for a unique autumn table runner, take a tip from designer Randi Garrett and use a plaid wool scarf. For a more traditional look, choose one made from lace, burlap, or linen. When it comes to autumn-inspired napkin rings, you can’t go wrong with leather, burlap, jute, or gold leaf.
Spread Warmth and Love with Candles
Deck your holiday tabletop with candles for a warm and friendly glow. Place small pillar candles inside clear wide-mouthed glasses, and surround them with acorns, hazelnuts, or un-popped popcorn kernels. Finish by wrapping each glass with ribbon or twine. For a fragrant twist on this idea, try scented pumpkin spice candles tucked into fresh coffee beans. Add a pop of color to your tabletop with luminary candles stuffed into bright red hollowed-out apples, or create a whimsical, twinkling effect by covering electric pillar candles with box graters stood on end.
Bring the Outdoors In
Fashion a chic, rustic tabletop this Thanksgiving by bringing the outdoors in. Think wood plank chargers, birch bark candles, and thick woven baskets stuffed with fruits and fall berries. For a visual and fragrant presentation, make fresh herbs and spices part of the show. Tie napkins with sprigs of rosemary, or make a beautiful table runner from herb garlands and fresh oranges. For an earthy-yet-elegant display, mix fine china, gold flatware, and crystal glassware with crab apple boughs and pinecones.
Add an Eye-catching Centerpiece
A beautiful centerpiece steals the show at any holiday dinner table. For Thanksgiving displays that ooze elegance, Randi Garrett recommends adding pumpkins in different sizes made from velvet or mercury glass. To create a more rustic ambiance, scour local thrift stores or flea markets for tabletop treasures. Pack old wooden boxes with pumpkins and pinecones, or fill antique bottles with fresh-cut wheat sheaves. For a colorful bouquet that lasts throughout the fall, fill a basket with crepe paper flowers in bright yellow, orange, and red.
When your friends and family gather around the dinner table to celebrate Thanksgiving, treat them to an inviting tabletop. Take advantage of these holiday decorating tips, and if you find yourself in need of temporary furniture during the holidays—perhaps you’ve just moved to a new city or a new house or apartment—turn to CORT Furniture Rental to help you furnish your new space with quality furnishings that are delivered and picked up at your convenience.
