Are you hosting your family Thanksgiving dinner this year? If so, don’t stress about the prep and décor. We have a few simple suggestions to have your home looking holiday ready in no time. To begin, think about your themes and décor. There are wonderful ideas on Pinterest! Take note of your space and the rooms your guests will sit and stand in. Decide where you’d like to put your decorations and accents, as well as the color scheme you’re going with. Then, start brainstorming your meal, followed by your table setting.
For your table, you can easily set the table a few days prior to Thanksgiving — especially if you have a formal dining room that is predominantly used for family gatherings or hosting parties. This is also an opportunity to unwrap your special-occasion cutlery, fine china tableware, and your favorite serving dishes! The first step in perfecting your table is to start with your favorite clean and ironed linens. That said, you don’t necessarily need a tablecloth. Instead, you can use a runner with a burner plate. However, one of the perks of using a table cloth is that you can cover those less desirable tables (or, protect your table from any damage).
You’ll also want to grab a cloth napkin and napkin ring that are complementary to your table linen(s). Cloth napkins make everyone feel like they’re a special guest! Next, set the table; here are straightforward instructions:
- The dinner plate goes in the center of the placemat and burner plates, with the folded napkin set to its left.
- The bread plate should go above the napkin. If you’re serving salad, place the salad plate on top of the dinner plate.
- Place your forks on the napkin (or on the outside of the napkin if you’re using a napkin ring), with the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork. Your dessert fork and spoon will go above the dinner plate.
- Set the dinner knife to the right of the dinner plate with the blade facing in. To the right of the knife, place the teaspoon.
- If you’re serving soup, the soup spoon goes to the right of the teaspoon.
- Your water glass goes to the top right of the plate, with the wine glass to its right.
Once you have your table set, pull out your decorations. A few simple fall feeling pieces include adding candles and small pumpkins to the center of your table. If you’re using a long table, you can add accents with a runner and holiday décor, similar to those below.
If you have a bar cart, feel free to add autumn décor to it as well. Oh, and don’t forget the bathroom(s)! For the rest of your house, I would recommend having your pumpkins outside. Plant those mums near the entry — this is a great look for a fall entry way. On the inside, use your pumpkins, squash, and faux aspen leaves, and a fantastic fall candle to really bring together the day. Below are a few images to inspire you with your holiday decorations.
For more Thanksgiving table-setting suggestions, send us an email! Otherwise, you can get in touch with Anne by clicking here. If you’d like a free estimate for an interior design overhaul, you can also request that by clicking here. To view some of Anne’s latest designs, click here.
