3 Easy Ways to Make a Beautiful Thanksgiving Dinner Table

I cannot express how easy it was to put together this thanksgiving dinner table.

Mark this off of your thanksgiving hostess list as a simple task you can do ahead of time with these 3 easy ways to make a beautiful thanksgiving dinner table. I love the way this table came together incorporating a soft fall color palette with warm textures. Thanksgiving is one of those entertaining holidays I find to be a little stressful (maybe a lot stressful…). There is always so much to do from setting the table to cooking a 4-6 course meal, making sure your guests are content with cocktails and apps but not getting them too full for dinner… the list goes on. I’ve personally hosted a few thanksgivings and I’ve come to terms that it’s always going to come with its stress, however there are a few simple things you can do to help with that.

My number one tip when hosting thanksgiving to lessen the load is to set the table well ahead of time! You can do this even the week before so it’s one less thing on your list. If you plan to use fresh flowers, wait to incorporate those the morning of so the flowers stay fresh. Here, are my tips on 3 easy ways to make a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner table.

Stick to a simple centerpiece! For this setting I chose to incorporate dried flowers and stems along with pumpkins as the centerpiece along with candles mix in. All of these items were things I had. The dried stems are something I have collected through the years and always kept for moments like this where I didn’t want to buy fresh florals for this setting but wanted some texture in my centerpiece. There are also many florists that do gorgeous stock centerpieces (at least in Denver) that you could pre order to pop on your table the day of. If you pick your centerpiece up the day before, make sure to store it in a cool place so the flowers stay fresh.
Choose a color palette! For this palette I chose to go with that blush color to soften the table setting amongst the gingham table cloth. I love the mix of gingham in the table cloth and plaid blush napkins in this thanksgiving dinner table. Have fun with fall patterns for your table setting! I also added in amber tones with the bud vases and these votive candle holders I purchased last year and loved incorporating them into both my fall and summer table settings. Neutral plates along with basket weaved place mats added another texture amount the table setting. I just love how this all came together.
Use items you have! As mentioned above, I had all of the centerpiece items in my stock to put this together (other than the white pumpkins which I picked up at Whole Foods). The tableware is also all from my stock so it was super easy to throw together. Choose a color palette and mix and match anything you have on hand! I love the idea of mixing patterns, pops of color and warm and soft tones for a thanksgiving dinner table! If you’re missing fall-esq items in your stock I highly recommend investing in a few simple little pieces such as these little ceramic pumpkins and some fall colored napkins.

Other details to consider…

I always recommend place cards for any table setting, big or small. I have this thing about making sure my guests don’t face our kitchen so they avoid starring at the mess that is lingering over there. This only really works when we host two friends so I can put them on the opposite side of our table. So, having place cards allows for a no nonsense seating chart when I know exactly where I want my guests to sit. It also avoids any awkward seating of people that might not want to sit with each other (especially at a family dinner 😉 ). For this setting you might recognize these wine stem place cards I had for my pickleball birthday party! I had used them on top of the to-go cups we had at the pickleball courts, but their main intent was to hang on a wine stem. This is also a great way to designate your guests wine glass for the evening!