As written here BY ELLE DECOR EDITORS
You’ll be tempted to use them all year long.
If you can’t stand the thought of another year of paper turkeys and fake leaves, there’s good news: Thanksgiving decorations can actually be stylish. Take your celebration to the next level this year with creative ideas that will showcase your style and add an elegant touch to your space.
Browse these 35 inspiring decorating ideas, including unique color schemes and eye-catching table settings, to make your Thanksgiving dinner one to remember.
CHINOISERIE THEME
This year, designer Marika Meyer is trading the traditional Thanksgiving palette for a chinoiserie theme. “We are using lots of gold paired with traditional blue and white colors and tabletop accents, like pagodas and gold animals!”
CANDLES WITH STRIKING HOLDERS
Looking for an easy way to incorporate a dose of style into your holiday table? Pair white candles with striking, sculptural holders, as designer Cara Woodhouse has done in this dining room. “The best way to add drama to a traditional holiday table is to layer in candles at different heights and sizes that create depth and interest in an otherwise mundane design,” she says. “The ambience that beautifully placed candles can add to a table setting is the difference in an unmemorable meal and an unforgettable gathering.”
WARM LIGHTING AND FRESH FLOWERS
For Danielle Rollins, a combination of fresh flowers and warm lighting are key for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner table. “Entertaining should start the moment your guests walk through the door,” Rollins says. “Small details such as fresh flowers and warm lighting are always inviting.”
FRESH GREENERY
For Thanksgiving, interior stylist and photographer Alyssa Rosenheck surrounds candles with lush greenery, including fern leaves, seeded eucalyptus, Nageia Nagi, Jade Palm, and Eucalyptus Silver Dollar.
VELVET PUMPKINS
Velvet pumpkins, like this set from Amazon Handmade, add a fun and sophisticated twist to traditional Thanksgiving decor.
PUMPKIN VASE
To make your Thanksgiving table a bit more special, use a pumpkin to display your favorite blooms, as seen in this photo by Gray Malin. It’s a fun and festive way to add personality to your decor.
CLASSIC TARTAN
A classic tartan tablecloth in autumnal hues is an easy way to dress up a Thanksgiving dinner table. Designer Danielle Rollins likes to enhance a Thanksgiving table with low centerpieces, whether it’s simple herbs or flowers.
FRUIT BOWL UPGRADE
Love the color orange and a good fruit display? Try taking your fruit bowl to the next level. Amaryllis Floral and Event Design used a two-tiered dish for an unexpected, energetic combination of oranges and flowers. Just finish it off with a few touches of greenery for added visual interest. It’s the perfect look for a Thanksgiving Day gathering.
NATURE-INSPIRED
If you’re looking to move away from more traditional Thanksgiving decor, try a rustic look for a dining table or an entryway console. For inspiration, consider this design by Janie Molster featuring an eclectic display of branches covered in colorful flowers and berries.
FEATHER CENTERPIECE
Simple Stylings chose a dramatic centerpiece with an assortment of pheasant feathers, pine cones, and white pumpkins. Gold pine cones and a faux fur table runner serve as finishing touches.
WHITE TABLESCAPE
A white table set-up is a classic look no matter the time of year, but is especially elegant during the holidays. On Living With Landon, she paired white tableware with faux pumpkins that she spray-painted gold for an especially decadent look.
OUTDOOR DECOR
If you’re lucky enough to have weather that allows for outdoor dining, take the opportunity! Set out a farmhouse-style table accented with a few cozy indoor chairs and blankets for extra warmth, like at this fall wedding vignette photographed by JOPHOTO.
CINNAMON DETAILS
Just because you want a memorable Thanksgiving table, doesn’t mean you need to go out and buy all new table dressings. You just need to give your usual napkins a little extra pizazz. Sandra Nilsson from Vintage House tied her cloth napkins in string and then tucked a sprig of greenery and a stick of cinnamon, for an understated but festive feel.
DESSERT STATION
Forget a plate of cookies, set up an entire dessert presentation for your Thanksgiving day guests. Clear out your usual display cabinet, and fill it with tasty treats like caramel apples and cupcakes, like in this wedding from Style Me Pretty.
FORMAL FLATWARE
Even if your Thanksgiving dinner is usually a little more casual, up the fancy factor by breaking out your good china and flatware. It will make the day feel even more special, like this gold, white, and black setting shot by JOPHOTO.
RUSTIC ACCENT
Place chestnuts still in their shell at each setting for an unexpectedly rustic touch. The table decor gets even more stylish when paired with beautiful fall shades like dusty purple and amber.
GLAM THANKSGIVING
A palette of rich purple with gold accents sets the perfect scene for an indulgent, glamorous holiday. In this Camille Styles table set-up, a spiked table ring adds a modern element of surprise to the gold and white plates.
RUSTIC BAR CART
Create a bar cart that is the ideal blend of rustic and modern by adding copper touches, a few golden pumpkins, and a vase of wheat, as shown in this vignette from Inspired By Charm.
FOREST-THEMED THANKSGIVING
Fallen leaves and pinecones aren’t the only foliage fitting for a beautiful Thanksgiving. Moss also creates a woodsy yet elegant setting when paired with gold accents and white flatware, such as in this table setting. Get the full how-to from Camille Styles.
PURPLE AND PINK THANKSGIVING
Add a brush of rose and purple to your Thanksgiving decor by taking inspiration from this table by Style Me Pretty. It seamlessly blends sweet pastel pink and deep purple into a traditional red and orange color scheme.
CANDLESTICKS AS CENTERPIECES
Short on time? An array of golden candlesticks on your Thanksgiving table can light up the entire room in minutes. Gift each guest with a small flower arrangement on their plates to celebrate the season of giving before anyone even picks up a fork. See full instructions for this project from Camille Styles.
TRY CALLIGRAPHY
Try your hand at calligraphy to create a Thanksgiving like Caitlin Moran of Glitter Guide did with this gold and white stunner.
BOUNTIFUL THANKSGIVING
The bounties of the season don’t need to be limited to a cornucopia. Pomegranates, apples, sunflowers, cranberries, and other fruits and plants gather as the centerpiece on this Sugar and Charm Thanksgiving table.
MUTED BOUQUET DECOR
For those who want something different from the typical Thanksgiving color palette, a bouquet of greens and neutral tones is the perfect option.
DIY PLACEMAT
Opt for a meaningful DIY, like this handmade placemat, from Clarita at Skies of Parchment, which gives guests the chance to reflect on what they’re thankful for before digging into dinner.
ENWRAPPED PUMPKINS
Arrange a series of white pumpkins in the center of your table before wrapping them in branches. Accent the centerpiece with a few votive candles to give it that dinnertime glow.
GLITTERY THANKSGIVING
Bring some glamour to your Turkey Day table with a shimmery tablecloth in your favorite autumnal hue. We love this bronze version from Mrs. Freund & Co.
WISHBONE NAMEPLATE
A whimsical take on a classic Thanksgiving symbol, wishbones are used as nameplates in this sophisticated holiday dinner setting by Coco Kelley.
PRETTY PIE DECORATIONS
Your food deserves a little decoration too. Use leaf-shaped cookie cutters to punch out a little extra crust for a festive pie topper.
THREE-TIERED STAND DECOR
These elegant stands aren’t just for springtime tea parties. Fill a three-tiered stand with fall fruits and vegetables for a pretty centerpiece, particularly for an outdoor Thanksgiving gathering.
UNEXPECTED TOUCHES
Pair something completely unexpected—like a faux fur table runner—with classic patterned China, for a look that combines the best of both worlds, like designer Jen Going did for this Thanksgiving table.
WILD THANKSGIVING
For all-natural styling this holiday, incorporate branches, leaves and other plants from your own backyard into floral arrangements. It’s a decor technique that (literally) brings the beauty of the outdoors inside.
GLAM TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING
Traditional motifs, like the deer on the plates and the classic candlestick, are made glam with bright purple candles, golden flatware, and goblets in this Thanksgiving table by The Makerista.
TANGERINE ORANGE THANKSGIVING
Pumpkins aren’t your only option when it comes to adding a splash of orange to the dining table. If you’re short on baby pumpkins, fill a vase with with tangerines and pinecones for a similar decorative effect.
FLANNEL THANKSGIVING TABLE
Few patterns say “cozy fall” better than classic flannel, and in this table from Coco Kelley, it stars in both the tablecloth and the salad plates. The pattern is complemented with brass candlesticks and flatware, plus classic fall motifs like crisp yellow leaves and white baby pumpkins.
With their Multi-Cultural Background, over 35 years of combined experience selling Real Estate and because they are Licensed in New Jersey, New York and California, Rahul, Smitha and their team can offer global reach. They have lots of experience representing a diverse group of clients, from Local New Jersey Buyers & Sellers to Relocation and International/Foreign Buyers, Sellers and Investors. Rahul and Smitha are exceptionally well-respected Realtors in the industry with high ethical standards and GLOWING REVIEWS. Their team offers a high level of expertise, innovative technology and cutting-edge real estate marketing and sales solutions. Â They specialize in Morris, Somerset, Essex and Union counties.
www.SRRealEstateGroup.com | www.Morris-Homes.com | www.TheTownhouseExpert.com