My grandmother may have stopped hosting Thanksgiving a few years ago (we now gather at my aunt’s house), but thinking of her Thanksgiving table still makes me smile.
That’s because she knew how to trim her table in style. Her base was a cream-color tablecloth topped with an autumn-hue floral centerpiece and my personal favorite: Edible turkey place card holders handmade with fudge-dipped cookies, candy corn, and other yummy tidbits. Her table was traditional, yet it certainly wasn’t stuffy. You could call it formal yet festive. And that’s the look I want when I host Thanksgiving someday.
If you’re in charge of Thanksgiving this year, chances are you’ve made a few trips to the grocery store and whipped up a few make-ahead items. But have you thought about how to top your table? Worry not—you can wow your guests with these ideas for topping a terrific Turkey Day table in little time:
Centerpieces. Your centerpiece may be the crowning touch atop your Thanksgiving table (aside from the turkey, of course), but that doesn’t mean you have to spend hours creating it. If you think the only time you’ll have to create a dazzling centerpiece is the mere minutes between when you pop the rolls in the oven and when notoriously early Aunt Mabel rings your doorbell, then you’ll definitely want to check out Real Simple’s 60-Second Centerpieces. After all, what could be more simple—and more stunning—than clustering different-size candles together? (Taking necessary fire precautions, of course.) Even better, if you’ve got a few extra minutes to spare, hollow out those gourds you used for fall decorating and insert tea lights. Voila—instant, nature-inspired candleholders. Or gather up those gourds and arrange them in a pretty basket. Heck, I personally love the look of scattering pumpkins and gourds atop a basic orange table runner. Or purchase a dozen autumn-hue roses and plop them in a round vase for an elegant look.
Place cards. Hosting a crowd? Designate seating arrangements with spiffy place cards worthy of the holiday. Making place cards can be as easy as folding and decorating pieces of cardstock or printing pre-made place tags such as these from Ben & Jerry’s or these from American Greetings. Or see how Martha Stewart makes rustic place card displays with wine corks and a basic template.
Speaking of seating assignments, part of the challenge tabletop decorating lies in figuring out where to seat everyone. The key is to seat people based on personalities. For example, if your dear cousin Debbie is somewhat of a gossip monger, you’re probably better off seating her next to a new guest—whether it’s your son’s girlfriend or college roommate—who might not mind the constant chit-chat. Get the scoop on strategic personality-based seating arrangements from Real Simple.
Placemats. If you think your table needs placemats, but nothing you have seems suitable, enlist your kids’ help. These downloadable placemats from Better Homes & Gardens will keep the kids busy for hours—and they’ll add instant personality to your table.
See? I told you it was easy. Now, just breathe.
Happy early Turkey Day,
The Home Know-It-All
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