How to Assemble a Thrifty Thanksgiving Tablescape
As far as holiday meals go, I’m firmly rooted in the belief that what matters most is who’s seated at the table, not just what’s being served on the menu. Having said that, it’s certainly nice when the food is tasty and the décor is warm and welcoming.
The ‘dinner’ part of my holiday meal is easy to take care, but it’s the tablescapes that usually leave me stumped, because I’m not big on store-bought pieces for my holiday table décor. It’s not that I have anything against them’I’m guilty of walking by Pottery Barn and spotting no less than ten things I’d want for my table within 30 seconds’it’s just that I don’t have the space to store them for the other 50 weeks of the year. So, I resort to using what’s already available in my home, outdoors and at the grocery store’I’ll be going there anyway’to add some colour and festive appeal to my thrifty Thanksgiving table.
For me, the first rule is to shop my house for:
- Pumpkins and gourds (I love that novelty pumpkins are widely available now so if orange doesn’t match your interior colour scheme you can choose something more subtle)
- White candles, as many as I can find
- White everything: platters, vases, bowls, etc.
- Wooden everything: cutting boards, bowls, serving boards, etc.
- Glass vases
- Texture: wicker baskets, burlap, twine, etc.
- Stainless steel buckets, silverware, bowls (the more tarnished the better)
- Kraft paper
- Assorted greens
Second, I shop my yard, or nearby wooded area, for:
- Branches, sticks, and twigs
- Leaves, the more colourful the better
- Rocks
Third, I hit up the produce aisle and pantry for:
- Apples
- Pears
- Pomegranates
- Fresh herbs
- Assorted nuts in shell
- Cranberries
- Popcorn kernels
Once the items have been collected, I group them together, like with like: all white decorations stay together in a cluster, branches and outdoor elements get are gathered in vases, fresh fruit are piled high into a bowl’¦ you get the idea.
Also, I also have a board I bought at the lumberyard for $5, which I’ve stained and use in the centre of my table as the focal point of my tablescape. When it doesn’t hold seasonal decorations, I use it as a trivet or sorts, holding pots and platters full of food for dinner. It jazzes up the table when needed and looks best when used with a table runner underneath. You can see how I used it last year in our recent Thanksgiving gallery.
Tell us, how are you decorating your table for Thanksgiving?
