It is that time of year! The 2019 Holiday Season is officially here with Thanksgiving on Thursday. It is one of our favorite holiday – who doesn’t love to eat? If you are hosting, we have some tips for you to create the perfect tablescape for your Thanksgiving dinner. After all, a beautiful table is just as important as the Turkey and all the sides!
Start with a Table Runner
Start with runner from which to build the rest of your design. Table runners come in a variety of colors and prints so they are a great way to incorporate design interest while also being functional. The table runner will help ground your centerpiece on the table, especially long ones, so it feels purposeful rather than random.
Use a Center Piece
Put extra thought into this piece of your Thanksgiving Tablescape as all eyes will be on it. Pick a center piece that’s fitting for the season – think fall hues that match the foliage outside, pumpkins, gourds, leaf garland, etc.
Pro Tip: Thanksgiving is all about gathering and conversation so make sure the center piece you select is not too big that is encroaches on guests’ ability to converse across the table.
Natural Elements & Candles
Fall tablescapes are the perfect time to incorporate natural elements as they are fitting for the season! This is when you can get creative and add in additional elements along the length of your table runner to give it a layered look.
Items such as branches, dried eucalyptus, pinecones, gourds, and pumpkins are perfect for a Thanksgiving table. We love placing little pumpkins around the length of the table because what is Thanksgiving without pumpkins?
Pro Tip: If you are adding greenery to your tablescape, use small elements of your selected greenery within each napkin ring to tie the whole look together
Candles are a must – place them along the length of the table at varying height to cast a warm glow over your Thanksgiving meal. Candlesticks are great for adding height to your tablescape while small votives are perfect for mixing in with the natural elements throughout the length of your table.
Place Setting
What better time to go all-out and put in the effort of a full place setting than Thanksgiving? Take advantage of the food-centric holiday to use your best China and create a layered table setting for each guest.
Start with a placemat at each setting, and build out with a charger plate, entrée plate, appetizer plate, and napkin and napkin ring to create a layered look.
Pro Tip: Thanksgiving is the perfect time to use real cloth napkins. Often times, you will be able to find a patter or color that ties directly back to the table runner with which you started.
If you are hosting a large group, make name tags so guests know where they are sitting when they arrive to the table. You can also leverage natural elements to create a name tag such as tying it to a gourd or mini pumpkin.