If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, you have a lot of items on your to-do list. From the pre-feast cooking to the post-feast cleaning, it’s stressful to say the least. So allow us to take one task off your plate with our favorite Thanksgiving table decor ideas. From minimalist setups in sultry jewel tones to a more classic option that utilizes fall colors and textures, there are a lot of beautiful table settings that will kickstart your own home decor ideas.
As you’ll see, there are so many design directions to consider that none are wrong. Go with your gut (and eye) and decorate accordingly. The one element that ties together all 25 of our favorite inspirational photos is coziness. After all, Thanksgiving happens once we’re well into autumn and on our way to winter, the comfiest season of all. So whether you use warm-toned colors or touchable soft textures, you’ll want to lounge around the table all night long.
No matter how you decorate your table, it’s bound to be a beautiful complement to the festive feast. The best part is that you don’t really need to invest in a whole lot of decor to create the tablescape of your dreams. And if you need help deciding what to buy and what to skip, we even included a few shopping links. Don’t wait, though. All of our favorite products are so charming that we can’t imagine they’ll stay on the shelves for long.
Use a Table Runner
If you like the look of a classic white table, but don't think it feels appropriate for Thanksgiving, which often celebrates autumnal colors (among other things), opt for a tablescape like this. The whole spread, from the tablecloth to the dishes, is white, but the leafy table runner reflects all of the fall foliage hues we love.
Turn to Literature
Okay, this may feel like a little much, but if you have a large enough book collection to accommodate all of your dinner guests, turn to a page with a passage about gratitude and have each guest read it. Of course, you may want to move the book when it's time to eat to avoid stains.
Embrace Moody Hues
Whether you opt for a reddish brown like the creatives at Peaco*ck Ridge Farm did or another fall-inspired color, the monochrome look is definitely in. If you're wondering how to bring the color together, use it wherever you can, including the napkins, table cloth, flowers, and candle sticks.
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Play With Pattern
As long as there's a cohesive element, like a color or motif, feel free to mix as many patterns as you'd like. Personally, we love the deep mauve and leafy symbols pictured here, but pretty much anything goes.
Keep It Simple
If you can't decide what aesthetic route to take, keep it minimal. This one is decorated with nothing more than candles and a faux garland down the length of the table. If you want the wintery smells though, go for a real garland.
Take It Outside
If you live in a place that's warm all year, you may want to take the Thanksgiving feast outside this season. This table really embraces the outdoors with tree-inspired chargers and candle holders.
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Look Back
This tablescape has Old World vibes, and we're into it. It could be because of the Mediterranean color scheme, the soft textures of the linens, or the gold-toned details, we're not entirely sure, but we love how elegant the decor is. Of course, the ornate pattern on the plates doesn't hurt either.
Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
This clever take on the fruit bowl as a centerpiece is a good idea for anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot on table decor. Just head to the grocery store and pick out a selection of the most beautifully colored produce. The creatives at Blesser House chose pears and Champagne grapes, which pair well together, but the options are limitless.
Use Unexpected Colors
When we think of a Thanksgiving palette, jewel tones don't usually come to mind, but we'll welcome the soothing shades. After all, most of Thanksgiving foods (save for the cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes) are beige, so giving them a little color is always a welcomed move.
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Turn Back Time
This elegant table is giving us Shakespearean vibes in a big way. After all, doesn't it—the garland, fruits, and napkin color, to name a few elements—give you A Midsummer Night's Dream feels?
Lean In
Nothing says Thanksgiving like seasonal squashes, so feel free to follow Haute Off the Rack's lead and use faux pumpkins as name card holders. Because they're white, they pair well with any Thanksgiving dinnerware sets you may already have.
Provide Drinkware
Thanksgiving is as much about the beverages as it is about the food, so give your guests more options than a simple water glass. Give them a wine glass too, and make sure the pair look good beside each other. These cool colorful ones are easily some of our favorites.
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White Wash
If you can't pick a color, go for a monochromatic white look. This will serve as a clean backdrop for any florals and plants you'll plan to incorporate. White is also easy to reuse because it doesn't scream any one particular holiday.
Decorate the Whole Room
Of course, the table is often the star of the show during Thanksgiving, but don't forget about the rest of the room. In fact, we suggest replicating whatever you're doing on your table around your living room or dining area, too. So if your centerpieces feature several different types of florals, incorporate the same blooms on the mantle, on the console, and on the buffet table. This elegant tablescape is the artful work of events mastermind Blake Sams, founder and creative director of Gregory Black Sams.
Consider the East
Blue and white schemes can read a lot of different ways, but the specific patterns, tones, and materials are leaning towards ancient China. Yes, Chinese porcelain is such a classic and elegant inspiration to kick-start your tablescape designs.
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Or Consider the West
If you're looking at these mismatched blue and white plates and thinking, "Wait, doesn't this look just like the Chinese porcelain scene in the previous photo?" you're not alone. Though the tones and ornate patterns may look similar, this particular design is actually called flow blue, and it originated in the early days of the Regency era throughout Staffordshire, England. Feel free to mix and match the dishes to create a colorful and vintage-looking feel.
Skip the Elaborate Centerpiece
The only tricky thing about enormous centerpieces is that they tend to divide the table, making it hard to chat and clink glasses with anyone sitting opposite you. Instead, fill a few bud vases with one or two stems each and arrange them along the length of your table.
Light the Room
If you're not into flowers, don't fret. There are plenty of beautiful decor alternatives that don't sacrifice style and warmth. Case in point: tapered candles. To make your table look cozy and not too utilitarian, grab a few candleholders of various heights so that the candles aren't uniform and stagger them across the table.
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Set Desserts Aside
Don't hide the pies in the kitchen until it's time for delicious dessert. If you have a buffet table in your dining room, use it to display the desserts and let the sweet smells waft through the air.
Embrace the Season
Instead of a table runner, use miniature pumpkins—real or artificial. We love the orange and white scheme, but if you use real pumpkins, you can really go big on the playful palette. Plus, this is a chance to support your local farmer's market or florist.
Angela Belt
Angela Belt is the contributing Assistant Shopping Editor at House Beautiful. She's also an interior designer and is the host of her own podcast, The Mood Board. When it comes to design, she's an esteemed expert with some of her work also appearing in HGTV, Better Homes & Gardens, The Washington Post, and more.
Jessica Cherner
Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.
