Dress Your Thanksgiving Table

Dressing a festive dinner table for your Thanksgiving feast incorporates the same principles used to create a tablescape.  The goal is to fashion a table setting that will enhance (not overwhelm) the presentation of the food and help to create a unique dining experience.

How to Create a Thanksgiving Tablescape

Creating an arrangement for your dining table is easy as 1-2-3!  Just follow these steps for a custom display that will add an air of sophistication to your Thanksgiving feast:

1. Lay the foundation for your Thanksgiving tablescape with fabric.
   Using a fall-inspired table-runner or rich textiles to form the base of your table display will anchor the grouping and provide additional color, texture and dimension to your tablescape.
2. Choose a vessel (or vessels) to give height to your arrangement.  Combine vessels of varying heights to create highs and lows in the arrangement and create movement.  Just use vessels that have a similar aesthetic for a simple and unified display, like all glass footed bowls and candle votives, or wood bowls with wooden trays or woven baskets.
3. Select elements with varied colors, textures, shapes and forms to create an interesting arrangement or tablescape.

Step 1: Lay Down the Fabric Foundation

Quick, No-Sew Table Runner Ideas:

• Measure the length of your dining room table (don’t forget to add the leaves if you’ll need them to seat all your Thanksgiving guests).  Visit your local fabric store and have a piece of gold or light tan colored felt cut to your table dimension. Using a pair of sharp scissors, trim the felt width to 13-inches (Using felt means you won’t have to hem the edges since felt doesn’t fray). Then use leaf stamps and fabric paint (think fall leaves) to embellish your felt runner.    For a dressier look, add layers of silk or velvet ribbon runners; place a wider width ribbon down the center and top it with a smaller width ribbon in a contrasting color on top.  Gather ribbon ends with a sewing needle and coordinating thread, then use hot-glue to attach an acorn weight on each end.  (Okay, I said no-sew, but pinching the ends of the ribbon is easier than sewing on a button!).

• To set the foundation for a natural, rustic or country Thanksgiving tablesetting, cut a no-sew table runner from a piece of burlap to fit your table.  Intentionally fray the ends for a relaxed, natural look.  Then layer with an arrangement from nature’s bounty. 

• Fashion a table runner by laying dinner napkins in rich, fall colors down the center of the table on the diagonal.  The corner of one napkin should overlap the corner of the next napkin.  A table that seats 6 - 8 people will need three standard-sized dinner napkins.

• Use a beautiful fabric remnant you might have tucked away at home to create the foundation for your Thanksgiving tablescape.  Instead of pulling the fabric taut and smooth like a runner down the center of the table, play with and bunch up the fabric, creating folds and adding dimension to the table surface.

Step 2: Choose Vessels to Give Height to Your Display

Vessel Ideas:

Footed glass bowls
Cake pedestals
Wire baskets
Woven baskets
Platters
Trays
Glass cylinders
Hurricane candle holders
Glass votive holders
Pitchers
Glass vases
Tiered plate stands
Weathered clay pots
Wooden bowls, trays or window boxes
Hollowed out pumpkins or vegetables

Step 3: Gather Natural Elements for Your Tablescape Arrangement

Vegetables: pumpkins, squash, gourds, artichokes
Fruits: fresh cranberries, grapes, apples, peaches, kumquats, pears, persimmons
Fresh herbs
Dried foods: nuts in the shell, beans and legumes
Natural found elements: pinecones, acorns, fall leaves, sprigs of berries, clipped branches with fall foliage, river rocks
Craft store elements: feathers, wheat sprays, moss, grapevine wreaths, silk fall leaves
Unscented candles: votives, various-sized pillars, candlesticks

Some important tips to remember when creating a dining tablescape:

• The table decor should be in proper proportion to the size of the table.

• Create highs and lows in your dining tablescape to give dimension, depth and movement to your arrangement.

• Since people will be viewing the arrangement or tablescape from all sides, make sure that the arrangement looks good from all angles…all the way around. 

• While varying heights in an arrangement makes a more visually pleasing and interesting display, the table arrangement should not hinder the ability of your guests to partake in dinner conversation.  All your seated dinner guests should be able to see one another without having to look around or through the floral arrangement.

• When you’re creating a tablescape, stay away from heavily-scented floral varieties in arrangements and use only non-scented candles.  You don’t want to compete with the delicious aromas coming from the fresh-baked turkey and cornbread stuffing or the homemade pumpkin pie!

• If you incorporate natural elements gathered from the Great Outdoors in your tablescape, like pinecones, acorns or cut branches, make sure you clean them up well first.  You don’t want to invite any unwanted pests to join your feast! 

Crafting a beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape doesn’t require a lot of money or time.  Be creative! Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• For a casual, country table setting, save the cans from corn, beans, pumpkin filling, etc. to create small individual floral arrangements.  Set a woven basket in the center of the table with an assortment of gourds and squash and a few of the cans arranged with clippings from the garden or one grocery-store bunch of fall flowers for a charming Thanksgiving display.

• Does your home have a modern vibe?  In some tall glass cylinders, pour layers of dried legumes varying each layer by color and texture.  Run an odd number of the cylinders down the center of your table for a sleek and visually interesting centerpiece. 

• Use cranberries in the bottom of the vase in a floral arrangement to add color and interest, or arrange various sized candles on a tray or platter and pour cranberries around and between the candles.

• For a unique arrangement, hollow out vegetables like pumpkins, artichokes or peppers, insert a piece of floral foam soaked with water and insert fresh florals.  Or use the vegetables as holders for votive candles.

• Create table “placecards” from gathered fall leaves.  Write each guest’s name on the leaf with a permanent marker. 

Use the elements in your display in new and interesting ways and have fun creating your festive Thanksgiving table arrangement.  Just don’t forget to leave enough room at the table for the settings, food and guests!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

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