30 Inspiring Thanksgiving Table Ideas That’ll Make Your Feast Come Together Beautifully
A few tablescape touches are all you need.
This Turkey Day, make that tablescape count. We all know that the food is what brings everyone together on Thanksgiving, but your tablescape can make the whole day even more memorable. Little decorative touches around your dinner table — like garland, charge plates, or festive napkin rings — make for an easy and cheap way to transform your meal into a harvest feast. Use what you already have on hand or add in a few extras to make your dining room look like it popped off the page of a magazine.
Whether you are hosting a small-scale affair, or your entire family just so happens to be under one roof this holiday (lucky you!), these 30 Thanksgiving table ideas will make your time together feel even more special than it already is.
Pick up a Thanksgiving gift for you host or a fun Thanksgiving game while you're at it.
Tapers for Your Tablescape
Nothing says “special occasion” like a Thanksgiving table that’s lit with flickering taper candles. You can get creative with your wax sticks, too, instead of opting for plain white. Mix and match vibrant fall colors like aubergine, amber, maroon, and cornflower blue.
Put a (Napkin) Ring on It
Napkin rings come in countless designs, but we like styles that are more versatile than ones that can only be used for your Thanksgiving table.
Anything gold-colored is a winner and adds an air of refinement, even if you're keeping everything else simple.
Bring Home the Pumpkin Patch
Instead of a cornucopia this year, try filling up your tablescape with an array of gorgeous gourds.
But how does one find this many perfect pumpkins at the farmer's market? You don't — grab a set of white craft pumpkins and paint them to your desired hue.
Make It Pop
Muted earth tones aren't for you? Make a statement by setting out orange dinnerware. It adds a playful pop to an otherwise buttoned-up dinner.
Bite-Sized Sweets
These pumpkin-spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting might be the ideal Thanksgiving dessert if your household is more Team Cake than Team Pie.
Try this Good Housekeeping recipe for the cupcakes and this one from Jo Cooks to make the candied cranberries.
Sunflowers at Every Setting
Fill your Thanksgiving table with as much botanical flair as you possibly can — these sunflower napkin rings may be a small decorative detail, but they're undoubtedly eye-catching.
Small Ambient Touches
While the Thanksgiving turkey will likely steal the show, a few tea lights flickering in autumnal-toned votives easily become accent gems for the tabletop.
Pick a Pretty Platter
While we definitely recommend carving your turkey before serving it on your table family-style, a picturesque platter goes a long way in the presentation.
Tell a Color Story
When you want to go bold with your holiday plating without buying an entirely new set of dinnerware, opt for melamine dishes. Available in all sorts of colors, they are slightly more casual than ceramic, but are usually dishwasher-safe, cheaper, and available in any color that suits the occasion!
Set Out the Right Glasses
A pillar candle inside of a hurricane glass makes for a stunning, simple centerpiece all on its own, but further accented with a small autumn wreath around it makes it magical.
Lay Out the Linen
Deck out your Turkey Day table in a gorgeous linen tablecloth to give your meal the rustic, yet refined presentation it deserves.
Have Plenty of Chargers on Hand
Setting each dish atop a charger plate makes your dinner look like a five-star fête. We love using chargers made of wood, because not only do they coordinate with the rest of your Thanksgiving table, but they can be used virtually any other time of year as well!
Decorated to the Letter
This typographic greeting, whether on your table or countertop, provides an Insta-friendly photo op.
Embellish a Bouquet
Pick up a bouquet of autumnal-toned mums or roses and display them in a vase interspersed with faux fall foliage and botanicals to evoke the vibrant color of the changing leaves.
Give Thanks to Everyone
Let your guests know how thankful you are for them by putting a sweet "thank you" card at each place setting in lieu of a traditional name card.
Keep It Candlelit
The more candles around your Thanksgiving tablescape, the better, but we also understand if you'd like to keep the fire hazards to a minimum. Use moving-wick flameless candles instead of sparking the real thing, and they'll be even more mesmerizing to look at.
Let the Kids Get Kraft-y
Don't forget about the kids' table! Keep them occupied during a multicourse meal by covering the surface in kraft paper. Set out crayons and colored pencils so they can decorate their place setting however they please!
Garnish Your Table With Garlands
The right garland can go a long way — snake it around the center of your table to provide a whimsical, seasonal element.
Set Out the Nice Napkins
This Thanksgiving table idea couldn't be easier! Setting a personalized leaf (we're sure you won't have trouble finding any outdoors!) atop a folded cloth napkin is as simple as it is chic.
Go Low-Key Leaf Peeping
However, if grabbing leaves from the yard to scatter around your table doesn't appeal to you, snipping a few individual leaves from a faux-foliage branch makes for an elegant autumnal table backdrop.
Melanie Yates is the senior service editor of Best Products, where she writes and reports pieces pertaining to the etiquette, dilemmas, and how-tos of gift-giving for different occasions. Previously, she was the site's senior home editor, covering all things decor- and bedding-related since 2015. Her digital byline can also be found on Bustle, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. A longtime classical-music enthusiast, Melanie spends her off-hours enjoying performances big and small across New York City.
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