Stunning Ways to Set Your Thanksgiving Table
Upgrade your typical Thanksgiving spread with these seasonal beauties and classic pieces.
Alejandra Bennett and Nicole Clausing
Some of my favorite November memories involve just being grateful for having found a place to land on the holiday. Years later, I may still remember being crammed around a too-tiny table, and eating off chipped plates and thrift-store silverware, but I don’t remember anyone complaining about them.
So we’re not urging you to knock yourself out over your decor on a day when you literally have a lot on your plate. It’s important not to lose sight of what the holiday is about: good company and good food.
Still, it’s easier than you might think to create a gracious Thanksgiving table. Maybe you’re lucky enough to have bone China place settings for 12, but if you don’t, no worries. The right centerpiece can deflect attention away from ordinary cutlery, and a handmade place card can make mismatched plates look like they were part of the plan. You really just need a few key pieces to elevate your décor from shabby-chic into the realm of effortlessly relaxed.
These additions to your table don’t have to be expensive; in fact, they don’t even have to be store-bought. They just have to be eye-catching and stylish. Read on for some of our recommendations for touches that will bring effortless style and class to your table. Draw the eye in with some visually striking candles, or a living table runner made from harvest vegetables. Splurge a little on a vintage-vibe serving tray, or make your own place cards and table favors. It’s easier than you think to create a Thanksgiving feast where all your guests go home with memories of sparkling conversation and a perfectly cooked bird, not the cleverly disguised card table they ate it at.
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1 /7 Courtesy of Food52 Harvest Hues
Add a burst of foliage-inspired color to your holiday table with these unscented paraffin wax candles. Available in sets of three, these candles can be styled together in a cluster or placed separately.
2 /7 Courtesy of Home Depot Star Centerpiece
Scatter a few of these ceramic fluted vases down the center of your table and fill them with dried twigs and red berry branches for a very understated and chic fall centerpiece.
3 /7 kajakiki/Getty Images Take It or Leaf It
Pressed leaves are a fun, and easy, DIY that makes the most of the autumn foliage. Simply gather the brightest and prettiest leaves on the ground and place them within the pages of a heavy book. On Thanksgiving, take the leaves out and scatter around the table.
4 /7 Keith Beaty/Getty Images Gather Around
Using sprigs of thyme and sage and a bit of twine, create small bouquets for each place setting. You can also add a name card or a note to reminds guests of all they have to be thankful for this holiday season.
5 /7 Alan Richardson/Getty Images Bountiful Vases
As an ode to the fall harvest, and as a way to bring abundant color into your spaces, fill vases, planters, and bowls to the brim with seasonal blooms, fruits, and vegetables.
6 /7 Courtesy of Pottery Barn On a Silver Platter
While a tiered serving platter makes food look all the more scrumptious, this Thanksgiving use this antique-style stand as a decorative display for squash, pine cones, and other harvest-inspired goods.
7 /7 Keith Beaty/Getty Images Vegetable Bonanza
Pumpkins, squash, and fall veggies galore! Use what’s in season to create a colorful and unique arrangement.