Since I will not be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family this year, I wanted to host a mini Friendsgiving for my closest friends. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite American holidays. I have fond memories of celebrating it with my college roommate and her family in her home in Auburn. We would spend the entire day feasting on turkey, stuffing and green bean casserole (my favorite!). I celebrated Thanksgiving almost a decade ago so I’m really excited to resurrect this tradition. A Thanksgiving feast feels incomplete without a Thanksgiving table setting. Since this is my first time hosting, I thought I’d start small. Here are my tips on how to create a simple and beautiful thanksgiving table setting.
Related: How To Style Open Shelves In The Kitchen With 6 Easy Steps
Decide on a theme for your Thanksgiving table setting
There are so many ways to dress up your table for Thanksgiving. Some prefer to style it traditionally with pumpkins and fall foliage. Others may take a contemporary route and furnish the table with monochrome accents. I wanted to evoke a warm and homely feeling to my Thanksgiving table setting so I opted for a rustic theme. As a result, I chose beige, sage green and white as my main colors.
Tip: Intimidated by themes? Begin by choosing a color scheme instead.
Start with your dinnerware
It’s important to ensure your table setting is both practical and beautiful. I like to start with placing my dinnerware first. If you have limited space like me, it’s good to invest in a plain white porcelain dinnerware set. To keep things casual, I laid out one main plate per person. Since we will be serving food family-style along the middle of the table, a single plate per person will suffice. Then, I incorporated gold cutlery and clear drinking glasses to complete the dining set-up.
Tip: Don’t have matching dinnerware? Choose a whimsical or eclectic theme so you can mix and match your tableware.
Choose your table linen
I have a glass dining table, which may not be the best option for rustic table setting themes. To lend my sleek and modern surface some much-needed rustic vibes, I laid a brown runner down the center of the table. I chose sage green linen napkins to add a pop of color to the table setting. Finally, I settled on round hyacinth placemats as the finishing touch to the overall look. Wooden plate chargers is a great alternative to hyacinth placemats.
Tip: If you don’t have a wood dining table, use table cloths, runners or placemats to create texture to your existing tables.
Add your decorative items
What’s a Thanksgiving table setting without a centerpiece? I considered adding a majestic floral centerpiece but I figured something extravagant will conceal all of the other details. My inspiration for the centerpiece was completely accidental. While washing my empty kombucha bottles, I noticed how beautiful the amber bottles looked. I decided to repurpose them into vases and filled them with strands of dried foliage like dried wheat and eucalyptus.
Tip: Repurpose fresh floral arrangements by drying them out. Dried flowers can last 1-3 years. You can technically dry any flowers but my favorites are baby’s breath, bunny tail, and eucalyptus.
Include personal touches to complete your Thanksgiving table setting
Finally, it’s time to include a couple of personal touches to complete your Thanksgiving table setting! I have a soft spot for handwritten place cards. Besides that, you can light up your favorite candles or display your vintage or heirloom trinkets. I attempted a DIY project this year and made dried orange pieces. These are so easy to make and they make the home smell amazing. Besides that, I’ll be using our Tiffany & Co champagne glasses for the first time during the Friendsgiving dinner. We received them as a wedding gift from our dear friends and haven’t had a special occasion to use them yet.
Tip: Spending on decor can add up. If you’re tight on budget, try decorating with fruits and vegetables! Arrange fruits like lemons and figs or vegetables like pumpkins and gourds along the middle of table for a fun and vibrant centerpiece.
Setting up the table is making me SO excited to have my best friends over to enjoy a delicious meal together. Happy thanksgiving, everyone! How are you going to style your Thanksgiving table setting?
Looking for more Thanksgiving decor inspo? Check out my Pinterest board!
