Add class to your Thanksgiving table with simple decor tips

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year. It’s a time for family, food and football. In my family, the food is legendary. Now that all of my mother’s girls are grown women, the only time we can convince the culinary genius to cook is when the holidays roll around. Although my sisters and I can hold our own in the kitchen, we tend to leave the cooking up to my mom and concentrate on the Thanksgiving table decor.

At Thanksgiving, it’s important to set the mood and make sure that all of the goodies sit upon a table that is worthy of their delicious splendor. Creating your family’s annual Thanksgiving table decor can be a fun, family friendly task that even the smallest participants will enjoy.
~
Regardless of how small or large your holiday celebration is, Thanksgiving table decor is a must have for your family this year. With these simple tips, you can create a beautiful table scape that will warm hearts while serving as the back drop to the perfect holiday feast.

– Take advantage of fall foliage if you have it. If you want to get the kids involved, this is the time to do it. Simply send the children out into the yard and ask them to collect pine cones and the brightest leaves they can find. Once they’ve finished, place the pine cones on a baking sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for approximately ten minutes. This will ensure that all creepy crawlers have been eradicated. Then, place the pine cones in a cornucopia basket at the center of the table. Place a leaf at each place setting.

– Sometimes the perfect Thanksgiving table decor is the food itself. Instead of using bowls for your Thanksgiving soup, use a hollowed out gourd, pumpkin or large squash. Have them in place at each seat to give your guests a nice surprise for the first course.

– Make a trip to your local crafts store to stock up on fake corn, squash and pumpkins. The number of items you get should depend upon the size of your table. Strategically place your “prop veggies” inside a cornucopia and down the center of the table in between your food items.

– If props aren’t your style, you still have plenty of decor options to choose from. For simpler, more elegant affairs, you can coordinate table cloths and napkins of varying colors to reflect the season. Use a burnt orange, brown or burgundy table cloths and napkins. Tie the napkins off using grapevine to give it a rustic chic look. You can use fake or real grapevine depending on its availability and your budget.

– Place gold candle sticks with off white candles on either side of the turkey to give a warm glow to the room and emphasize the star of the meal. If you have little ones running around, or are uncomfortable with taller candles, you can use flameless candles.

– Purchase some fake Fall leaves from the craft store. Use a hot glue gun to paste the leaves on a sheet or table cloth of your preferred color. If you need to, place the cloth on the table and mark it with a fabric pencil, indicating where the leaves should go in order to avoid mistakes. After gluing the leaves on the table cloth, lay a sheer layer of tulle over top the cloth to give it a finishing touch.

– For dinners that are more kid friendly, set up craft workshops for the kids during the day. Use black and white cardboard paper for pilgrim hats and brown cardboard, rubber bands and feathers for Native American head dresses. Place a head piece at each place setting before dinner.

Use these simple Thanksgiving table decor tips to start new family traditions and impress your relatives this next holiday season.