Wednesday, November 19, 2014

DIY ~ Elegant and Easy Tablescape Ideas for Thanksgiving or a Fall Dinner Party


Well, we are just 8 days away from Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone has their holiday plans in place, and that your countdown has begun. Chris and I are heading to Florida to spend Thankdgiving in the sun and near the beach ~ I am so excited!

My favorite part of Thanksgiving is spending the whole day with family, my second is all of the cooking…and my third is decorating for the day! :) ...So naturally I wanted to share a few of my favorite Turkey Day DIY tips and ideas; to help keep the cost of decorating to a minimum and time management to a maximum! I hope these are a little helpful or inspire an idea or two?

1. Sale Shop / Divide and Conquer ~ You would think that most retail stores would wait until after the Holiday to offer deep discounts on décor, but that is not always the case. Richard’s Arts and Crafts for example usually offers all of their Fall décor at 50% off starting weeks before Halloween. Homegoods is also a great place to head for beautiful Holiday pieces. When I am envisioning a Holiday tablescape I look for items that are: 1) on sale and 2) can be divided and used in more than one way.

This Thanksgiving for example, I found beautiful branches of faux golden keaves for just $3.99 a bunch. I bought two branches and was able to cut them into smaller bunches to use as accents on each plate. At a later time, I will cut them into individual leaves and use them again as tiny metallic placecards….or possibly leave it as is and wear it as a fun Holiday hair accessory.



2. Common Thread ~ Whether I am decorating an entire room, or just the table, I try to choose at least one commonality to keep things cohesive. With table decorating this can be as simple as a neutral colored ribbon. For this table I used a thick (2 inch) cream colored ribbon as an accent on oversized acorns as well as ties to attach silverware and golden acorns together.




3. Visual Interest ~ Easily create texture and depth by layering the elements of your tablescape. On this table I have used a burlap table runner under the table’s centerpiece, and silver chargers beneath our dinner plates. These small details help add visual interest without breaking the bank. A roll of burlap only costs a few dollars and you can use it for so many DIY projects. I cut mine to fit just undereath the top of my table and then attach it with velcro. You can easily find inexpensive plastic chargers at most local craft stores or online at Amazon; they come in about any color you can think of.



Additional Tip:

Dessert/Cocktail Tables ~ This Thanksgiving, setup your Thanksgiving desserts or libations as their own standout décor.

For an easy dessert setup ~ vary the height and size of your serving pieces. Incorporate footed compotes, trifle bowls, cake stands, and stacks of dessert plates to add dimension and visual interest to your entertaining space. I just love this arrangement from Country Living:



For a fun Cocktail Bar ~ Gather up different glassware, decanters, icebuckets, and cocktail books to create a fun space to make drinks. Setout a variety of alcohol and let the fun begin!





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