Here are our 9 Thanksgiving decor ideas to inspire your holiday season:
Living room decor
Thanksgiving takes place on the 28th of November this year, which means the cold weather has started seeping in. So bring out your blankets, lights and candles, and create a warm and inviting athmosphere in your living room. I would personally go for a cinnamon scented candle, to extend that scent of pumpkin pie from the kitchen into your main living space.
A place that usually gets forgotten is the coffee table, so why not make a beautiful coffee table display, with candles, apples, pumpkins or even dried flowers. I would personally make a pretty low display, to make sure you can still se over it. You can really let your creativity flow freely here, anything you like or find pretty is a good choice.
The way i would do it is to start with a nice wine box, fill it with apples or small pumpkins, and then sticking a scented candle in the middle, to give it a harvest theme. If you want to secure your candle a bit more, you can always use a upside down mason jar to elevate your candle and give it a sturdy base.
This will not only create a lovely athmosphere for the room, but can also give your guests something to talk about, or even as a after dinner snack, if you decide to go with apples.
Or if you want to go with flowers, take a tray, lay down some dried flowers, a couple of pens and small pieces of paper. You can then let your guests write down nice notes on the tray, that you can read later on to remember the evening. You can also write the notes yourself, to give your guests sonething nice to read while waiting for the food.
Re-use some of your halloween decor
You probably had a pumpkin out for halloween this year, so why should it go to waste? If your pumpkin is still in good shape, just turn it around, or carve away the design you made, to make your pumpkin a bit less halloweeny. It will still give you that fall feeling, but less spooky. Or, you could get a new pumpkin, they usually go down in price after halloween, and carve a fall design into it instead. Another halloween decoration that can be reused is corn stalks. They might look a bit creepy in the dark, but putting them on your porch can really create a festive fall look. A lot of halloween decor isn't spooky, but has a general fall feeling to it, so to reuse can save you both time and money!
Make pumpkin place cards
Staying on the topic of halloween decorations, if you like many others bought smaller pumpkins for halloween, why not use them as your place cards for Thanksgiving? Simply take your small pumpkins and write down your guests names on each one. And once thanksgiving is over, you can use it to make something delicious, like roasted pumpkin seeds or to make pumpkin puree. It adds a really rustic, homey feeling, and incorporates nature into your decor.
Use natural elements
The sad thing about fall, is that a lot of the things we grew in our garden start to wilt. But a lot of flowers will look amazing if you pick them when it starts getting colder outside, then bring them in to dry them. Natural elements add an authentic and rustic feeling to your Thanksgiving decor.
You can also bring that pumpkin inside, to use as a centerpiece for your table, and spread some cranberries around it. And leaves and branches, for a really rustic look.
And one of the best things about fall is that the leaves are so beautiful, in their red, orange and brown tones. So why not use them? After you are done raking the yard, put the leafs in a nice basket and put it on your porch. Maybe put a pumpkin or some corn stalks into the basket as well, as a nice porch piece.
Table setting ideas
For table settings, one thing you can do is to start with my place mats, then work from there. I like to start with a neutral color, like beige or black, that can match any other color I want to use later. I also like to use place mats that match my table cloth, to get a good base for my decor. But as a swede, I do prefer more simple decorations to over the top ones, so a simple one colored place mat, some orange or brown napkins and some nice plates and glasses. I would also use scented candles for my table setting, and choose a scent like cinnamon to get that pumpkin pie smell during the entire dinner. It will shine a nice light on all the delicious food you've cooked and create a warm and inviting vibe. You can also make small notes for every person attending to place at their plate, where you write someting nice about them that you are thankful for.
Basket Centerpiece
Most of us have a picture in our head of a Thanksgiving table, decorated in orange and brown, with a cornucopia in the center. But why not use a basket instead this year, that you can reuse as a planter or tree basket later? Put it on it's side, fill it with gourds, leafs and cranberries, and spread some out on the table, to give the impression of it spilling out. If you want, you can put napkins around the edge of the basket, in whatever color you like, to set the tone for the rest of the table. Use matching napkins for your plates, and you have a beautiful centerpiece that brings that fall feeling.
Make your own garland
I think DIY-projects always have a place at any holiday, and Thanksgiving might be the best one. To make something beautiful with the people you have in your life, and hanging it up to celebrate your relationship really captures the meaning of the holiday.
This is one way to make a nice garland for Thanksgiving:
You will need:- A secateur
- Scissors
- A string of lights(LED)
- Clothespins
- Wire
- Tape
- Old Thanksgiving Cards, crafts and Photos
- Greenery, such as pine branches, maple leaves, or anything you find pretty
- Start by choosing where you want to place your garland later, and choose a string of lights that fits that space.
- Then, take your greenery, cut it to the right size, and attach it to the light string, using wire for branches and tape for leaves. After that, you can use clothespins to attach your pictures and photos to the string of lights.
- This creates a nice, well lit collage of all your past Thanksgiving memories in a new and creative way, while simultaniously lighting up one of your indoor spaces. You can also put up empty notes, that your guest can write what they are thankful for on.
Incorporate Christmas Decorations
Thanksgiving is very close to Christmas, less than a month before, and redecorating can be both fun and stressful. But why not use some of your Christmas ideas for your Thanksgiving decorations? I don't mean that Santa needs to be dug out of the box already, but why not bring out your string lights, tree mats and a few ornaments? This will not only save you time later, but also combine the exitement of Christmas, with that cozy familiar Thanksgiving feeling.
Make miniature wreath place cards
Something I really love are herbs. Their scent, the way the look, and the mood they bring. So I thought, why not make mini wreaths from herbs to use as place card holders? And it is so simple, just take your sprigs and form a circle, then secure with some wire or twine. Then you write the names of the people attending on a piece of paper, and place it in the middle of the wreath. And you can use any herbs you like, as long as the sprigs are long enough to become a wreath. I would personally use the same herbs that were used while making the turkey, to compliment the scent of the food. Sage and rosemary are perfect for this craft. You can also use lavender, for a more floral touch, and to get a bit more color on the table. A super simple thing to make, that really elevates your table decor.These are just a few examples on new things to try this thanksgiving, I hope it has inspired you to celebrate what you are thankful for with your family or friends this year!
