Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Last year, we focused on a FabList of cooking essentials to help you in the kitchen (you can find our “From Tired to Inspired” blog here). This year, we’re going to focus on setting a festive table! It’s fun to take a break from the kitchen and spend some time creating a fun and beautiful place to gather.
Creative Tablescapes:
Yes, you can go traditional with pumpkins and gourds, but why not kick it up a notch by painting them metallic or fun colors! Did you see Babs of “Brunch With Babs” Instagram fame? She covered her pumpkins with fishnet stockings and then spray painted them for a really fun look!!
Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can go crazy and create a super fun tablescape. Nobody does this better than Mrs. Alice (shown in the photo above). We discovered Mrs. Alice on Instagram and were immediately drawn to both her and her mother, Serena Fresson, who frequently appears with curlers in her hair! Do yourself a favor and get acquainted with both of them, on Instagram or on their site where they sell tons of great items. They recently opened a US warehouse which will make shipping quicker and cheaper.
Tablescape Ideas:
Here are a number of items that will instantly elevate your table!
Talk about a turkey! This decorative woven rattan turkey is a great statement piece! Throw in some raffia pheasants and some wheat sheafs and you’ve got yourself a great table!
If an enchanted woodland atmosphere is more appealing, try these glitter owls, purple glitter pumpkins, and ribboned squirrels.
Candles always create a cozy atmosphere. Glassybaby handmade glass votive holders come in lots of fun colors. These bamboo candlesticks in varying sizes are nice. We love these glass candlesticks – they come in great colors and you can buy them individually and mix the colors if that’s your vibe.
Mrs. Alice’s orange tea light glass lanterns are so clever!
Combining candlesticks with hurricanes is fun. We love these hurricanes with a woven seagrass base.
String lights aren’t just for the outdoors or for Christmas – these twinkle lights intertwined with an oak leaf fall garland down the center of the table would look terrific.
The nifty battery powered lamps, especially these bamboo ones, add a ton of interest and extra light.
John Derian for Target has some great looking Thanksgiving decor, including linens, platters, and much more.
Layered Linens:
Combine textures by layering tablecloths, runners, and place mats in different materials like burlap, linen, or velvet.
- Tuckernuck has many options for tablecloths, napkins, etc.
- Mrs. Alice can do no wrong! So many pretty options for all types of table linens.
- Top your tablecloth with these chunky seagrass chargers.
- Consider fun napkins instead of traditional white ones. These leopard napkins would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving table and perfect any time of year! And Hudson Grace has wonderful napkin options, including these numbered ones that are fun if you’re drawing numbers for seat ‘assignments’.
- Don’t forget napkin rings are a great addition to spruce up a table. These acorns are festive, or you can add some texture with these rattan ones.
Tableware:
We don’t know what’s in your china cabinet, but we love to have fun with our place settings. If you have Thanksgiving china, that’s great. If you have a ‘mix and match’ array of plates, that’s great too!
Some other ideas:
- These Scalloped Pheasant Plates would be a great investment in Thanksgiving decor that would be used for years to come and passed down to the next generation.
- These floral tin plates are great extras to have on hand for large gatherings.
- Bunny Williams Star Plates are great to have on hand for all the holidays.
- If you’re looking to add some simple place settings to your collection, Crate & Barrel has some great offerings, as does Hudson Grace.
Personalized Place Cards:
For many of us the ‘kids’ table’ is a thing of the past! And instead of stressing about who should sit next to whom, why not try numbered seats? Guests draw numbers to see where they sit, with corresponding numbers on place cards – totally random and fun (and even more fun with the numbered napkins shown above!) Other ideas:
- These topiaries are fun place card holders for all year-round events.
- Minted has a big set of these cute white pumpkins.
- Lobird also has great designs!
Fun Details:
- Place party favors at each seat: individual chocolate turkeys, tiny bottles of maple syrup, homemade cookies, crackers, etc.
- Include conversation starters or trivia cards at each place setting that are related to Thanksgiving history or fun facts. This TableTopics Holiday Conversation Pack will get everyone chatting and laughing.
