We’re joining some sweet friends today {more on that below} to share some of our best tips for an easy Thanksgiving table! I’m all about taking the holidays one at a time, so we can’t wait to share what’s up our sleeves for this year’s Halloween costumes. But in the meantime to get those creative juices flowing, we thought we’d share a little Thanksgiving fun, too. {Social media has really jumped on the Christmas bandwagon early this year, and I am still mourning summer.} Hazards of the job, I guess.
There is something kind of fun about sprucing up your home for fall, though. While I had some grandiose plans for all things new and fabulous, all those plans fell through. The plates came unwrapped and broken, {Thanks, TARJAY} and the rest well… was totally pieced together from shopping my house in a tizzy to have this finished in between client work and this collection deadline I’ve now made for myself.
But the kids came home from school and commented on how nice it looked. They asked if it could stay. And I was reminded that it doesn’t have to be shiny and new to be special. It doesn’t have to be a ton of hard work to stand for a celebration. I literally threw a little tablescape together and called it a day. I feel like sometimes we’ve been handed down that story from generations before us, and there can be a lot of pressure around the holidays. I’ve slowly been letting go of that over the last few years. It’s just the issue of doing a little remix, a hodgepodge of what works for you. We can take the pressure off for all things formal this holiday season. Because it’s really all about works for us, and having fun in the process. This isn’t your grandmother’s Thanksgiving table.
Here are some of my very favorite tips for an easy Thankgiving tablescape. {Or any tablescape, really.}
1. Tips for an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape: Embrace the Eclectic Look.
It depends on at which table we’re sitting, but sometimes I may not have enough matching plates to pull off a ‘traditionally formal’ look.
Dish sets can be tricky. They’re all available in sets of 6 or 8 {or four} and while we have plenty of dishes collected over time for styling reasons #dishhoarder, sometimes it’s fun to mix it up. Dishes are something you collect over time. So we decided to layer our multiple neutrals up in different ways instead of buying all new, along with differing silverware, and then, drinking glasses for lots of bejeweled color. It doesn’t have to match perfectly to look oh so fun!
2. Tips for an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape: Unify It.
If you want a little method to your madness, we suggest pulling out several sets of whatever you have, and layering according to size and what will fit. We love pieces of simple white layered with other plates. Big box store variants in melamine are also a great, affordable option to throw in pattern. Chargers and placemats can also be great for a nice base. But depending on how large your table is, you can use several sets in layers, alternating each place setting to spread them out.
3. Tips + Tricks to an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape: It Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive.
Best advice I was given right before we got married? Don’t register for fine china. So I didn’t.
In the south, I may as well have told everyone I don’t like sweet tea, and slapped someone’s grandma. People weren’t sure what to do with me, even though I registered for practical things. Which makes me sound like an ingrate, because boundaries. But really. They didn’t know what to do with me when I didn’t register for that fine china. And I ended up with a lot of heavy crystal and Arthur Court, instead.
Which I exchanged for my every day plates. Which I still have.
It’s something I’ve never regretted. I do love collecting fun plates and glasses and napkins galore, for photoshoots and entertaining. I have plenty to work with. But if I’d been stuck with fine china, I can guarantee you I would have never used it, and then felt terribly guilty about that fact. It would also be collecting dust in a china cabinet right now, so there’s that. But also, I don’t really have a formal china cabinet either…
All of the finds you see here, every single one has been collected over time. They’re all from Target, Amazon and Walmart. I think there’s something about mixing them up, that makes them feel eclectic and fun.
These are all affordable pieces that really bring a table to life. And layered together, bring a richer meaning to the word community than the matching fine china that would still be collecting dust. These pieces also make for good stories when people ask where I got them, since most of them are actually paired with a ridiculous adventure or two.
It’s just a different way of looking at it, but something to consider. Take the pressure off and just enjoy creating with layers and diversity.
4. Tips + Tricks to an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape: Centerpieces Can Be Practical.
This is a table runner combined with little pumpkins from around the house, combined with this faux grass stem from a few years ago via world market… and we’re good to go.
But usually it’s grocery store flowers! We’ve said it a million times. These are so great! In the spring, you’ll find them paired with fresh cuttings from our own yard. I just swooped in to get my last harvest of the year, this afternoon… and now I have a beautiful bouquet on my kitchen table. Each year I’m a haphazard gardener, and pull from the beautiful roses in our yard, and the zinnia seeds that I love to plant. And that’s it. They make for lush additions when you add greenery, and even the tulips can be fun. Trader Joe’s + Publix + Fresh Market for the win.
5. Tips for an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape: Make it Cozy.
From pillows and pumpkins to layers with table runners and flowers, great conversations are made here and your guests can sit in comfort… that is, before they roll off the table to go watch parades, dog shows and football games.
Encourage your guests to linger for a while, with comfy seats and an inviting table. It doesn’t have to be catalog worthy to be warm and inviting. Sometimes the simplest tables are absolutely the very best.
6. Tips + Tricks to an Easy Tablescape: It Doesn’t have to Be Neutral.
Clearly, we don’t do neutral. One could argue this fall setting is a toned down look for us. Even if you prefer it, you can still put a pretty spin on it all with a touch of color.
When it comes to color, we think it should be embraced. Combine things to make it all feel celebratory. You don’t have to be afraid of color, so the more you bring to the table, the more vibrant it will be. Think in terms of tying it together in various ways, along with colors that work well together. You never know what combos you’ll find!
6. Tips for an Easy Thanksgiving Table: Just Have Fun
I still have a complex about setting the table correctly. Sometimes, even though I know how, I google just to make sure I’m right.
Why? There are probably lots of reasons. But I do know that we tend to put too much pressure on ourselves to make it just right. Easy breezy is the name of the game and just remember that at the end of the day, no one is really judging your table setting skills anyway. {At Friendsgiving, that is. Google the crap out of that nonsense for family gatherings before your great aunt Patricia you see once a decade has an opinion about your napkin placement, all so you can remind her of her seven marriages and the entire table can devolve into uncomfortable political debates…}
I KID just have fun. That’s all that matters.
So here’s to the impending holidays. Embracing the good with the bad… and keeping things simple because you can. It’s all about giving yourself permission, after all.
We hope you’ve enjoyed a few of our favorite tips and tricks for a simple Thanksgiving Table! What are you the most excited about this year?
Have an inspired day!
While you’re at it, be sure to check out our amazing friends who are a part of this little hop today! We’d love to see you stop by.
Thanksgiving Table Setting With Magnolia Leaf Centerpiece | Zevy Joy
Fall DIY Decor Project Ideas | Today’s Creative Life
Late Fall Moody Tablescape | Craftberry Bush
Thanksgiving Tablescape 2023 | Rooms For Rent
How to Style and Set a Thanksgiving Table | The Tattered Pew
Effortless Thanksgiving Table Setting: Quick Tips for Last-Minute Hosts | She Gave It A Go
How to Make a Simple Pumpkin Floral Arrangement for Thanksgiving | Midwest Life and Style
How to create an organic modern Thanksgiving table setting | My Sweet Savannah
Thanksgiving Table with Mismatched Dishes | DIY Beautify
Fall Thanksgiving Table | Hallstrom Home
How to Decorate a Thanksgiving Table for a Crowd | Pasha is Home
Tips for an Easy Thanksgiving Tablescape | The Handmade Home
How to Create a Thanksgiving Centerpiece with Thrifted Finds | Lolly Jane
How to Decorate a Round Table for Thanksgiving | Modern Glam Home
Thanksgiving No-Carve Floral Pumpkin Centerpiece | Tatertots and Jello
Kristi + Kelli says
So fun, Ash! Love the blues with the copper!
Kim says
Loving the greens and blues!
jennifer hadfield says
I love your colorful thanksgiving table!! And the centerpieces are so cool! Pinned 🙂
xoxo
Jen says
So pretty! I love the colors you used, too! Pinned.
Annie says
Love the pumpkins!