Designing and setting up the Thanksgiving tablescape is one of my favorite parts of the holiday. Like many of you, we are planning on staying put for Thanksgiving this year. Pandemic aside, the twins don’t have their two-month vaccines yet, so we’re going to make the most of celebrating at home. There are so many great restaurants in New York doing take out meals that need support right now, so I’m happily using that as an excuse to get out of cooking. My outfit will be more casual than usual for the occasion, but I’d never pass up the opportunity to dress up our table. I love and miss entertaining so much, so I wanted to share my uncomplicated tips for decorating your table no matter how you’re celebrating. Tablescaping doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor either. I recommend taking a cheap and cheerful approach by utilizing your day-to-day tableware and layering in a few festive touches. Keep scrolling for all of my tips for creating the perfect tablescape for Thanksgiving.
1. Arrange your own flowers
I have always loved arranging my own flowers at home. For this tablescape, I made a trip to the flower market, but grocery store flowers will absolutely do the trick. The secret is to pick three or four single-variety bunches of flowers, and arrange them yourself, instead of getting pre-arranged mixed floral bouquets. They always look more elevated this way, and you can put your own creative spin on the designs. While I was at the flower market, I picked up $8 rattan-wrapped vases at Jamali, the best floral supply store ever if you’re in New York, but here are some similar ones I found online.
2. Curate your dinnerware
This is my favorite part. I love to add one or two special pieces to my dinnerware collection for for the holidays, and then I fill the rest of the table with things I already have on hand. Here I used my everyday matte black dinner plates and dialed them up with these festive salad plates and colorful wine glasses. Have fun mixing and matching to create an interesting and budget-friendly table.
3. Add linens
There are so many different ways to style and fold napkins, but I personally love a good old fashioned napkin ring on a neutral linen. I opted for rattan rings to match the floral vases, but also love the idea of pairing a brighter napkin with these chain-link napkin rings. Get creative with napkin colors and ring styles to make the table feel extra special this Thankgiving.
4. Get creative with filler objects
Add interest and a finishing touch to your tablescape with seasonal objects. I used white pumpkins that I already had from Trader Joe’s for my table, but I also love the idea of adding pomegranates, acorns, birch wood or figs. There are so many filler objects that you can add to your table, and this simple touch makes the table feel so much more luxe.
5. Finish with light
If you skip all of the other steps, just add candlelight to your table. No matter what the rest of the decor looks like, a touch of candlelight will instantly upgrade the entire situation and add a romantic glow. I used a mix of short votives here, but also love the idea of adding height with candlesticks—especially if you’re using garland on your table. Light the candles right before you sit down to dinner and enjoy!
