Make This Thanksgiving One for the Ages: 3 Festive Tablescape Ideas

Thanksgiving is all about coming together, right? Old friends, family we haven’t seen in ages, generations joining together to enjoy the things that matter most: good company, good conversation and good food. That’s all well and good, but what if all these folks are coming to your house this year? Don’t hit the panic button yet. With a little forethought — and some help from this blog — you can ensure that Thanksgiving at your home will be one for the ages.

First it’s important to remember that, on Thanksgiving, your dining room isn’t just a “dining room.” It’s a super-special room, deserving of lots of love, attention and care — not to mention a bit of decorating know-how. Yes, yes, it’s all about the food, but beautiful table settings and decor will go a long way toward making the experience memorable.

We know what you’re thinking: “With all the prep work leading up to this holiday — deciding what’s on the menu, grocery shopping, baking and meal prepping — how will I ever have time to prepare a festive tablescape?”

That’s where we come in. Think about your personality and your current home decor, then pick one of our handy design strategies below. If you give yourself a head start, your table will be ready to go long before you pop that bird in the oven.

Strategy One: Play into the Thanksgiving Theme

Thanksgiving is almost synonymous with oranges, browns, mustard yellows and deep reds. Why not play up these colors in your centerpiece setting, tablecloth, place settings, tableware and decor pieces? This one may seem obvious — at first blush, the idea of using orange pumpkins and squashes might seem predictable — but with the addition of some candles, some fall greenery, some splashes of purple, a courtesy of red grapes and red d’anjou pears, you’ll be well on your way to a brilliant holiday dinner centerpiece.

You can further embrace the Thanksgiving landscape with your dishware, adding rustic chargers and tying the napkins with jute twine and some additional greenery. Play around with the Thanksgiving color combinations to make your theme come to life.

The great thing about taking this strategy is that you’ll be able to utilize the decor for many Thanksgivings to come; each year, you’ll just need to buy more pumpkins, gourds, etc., which you can pick up during your trip to the grocery store. A natural centerpiece makes a great conversation starter.

Tip: This style can be both tasteful and fun — so if you have little ones attending Thanksgiving dinner, it might be the one for you.

Strategy Two: Keep It Neutral

If you actually aren’t thrilled with the traditional color palette and sentiments of Thanksgiving, but you still want your decor and style to represent the holiday, there’s an easy solution: go neutral. Bring in Thanksgiving pieces like pumpkins of all sizes, leaves and cornucopia centerpieces, but keep the colors muted.

A simple centerpiece of candles and greenery will be sufficient to add a touch of elegance while keeping the focus on community and conversation. If you want to lean into the Thanksgiving theme a bit more, a centerpiece made from a bundle of wheat tied with neutral ribbon will do the trick.

Retailers who sell seasonal decor understand that many customers prefer to keep a more cohesive, simple design approach. With the neutral strategy, you won’t have to use holiday-specific China or dishware; instead, you can use white dishware that will also serve you well at Christmas, Easter and throughout the rest of the year. Finish off the setting with neutral chargers and napkins, handwritten place cards, and — for that extra little dash of Thanksgiving goodness — some pine cones or small neutral-white pumpkins.

Tip: When it comes to table runners, go for a white or warm beige to accentuate your pieces and lean into your neutral design theme.

Strategy Three: Go Midcentury

If your tastes are a bit more eclectic and unpredictable, and your home has more of a midcentury modern feel, why not carry that vibe forward through the holidays? It so happens that fall color schemes — rusts, oranges, yellows and reds — are also prominent colors in midcentury design. Lean into it! Look for an orange or yellow midcentury-style table runner, add a tasteful and simple centerpiece of fall foliage, and finish the scene off with some retro-modern candle holders. Classic white midcentury dishware and silverware will do just fine, with white or yellow napkins. Make sure to mix it up with some unexpected blues or greens to keep the color palette interesting. And that’s it!

Tip: Most Thanksgiving table settings focus on a natural feel. However, with this strategy, don’t be afraid of plastics, Pyrex, Bakelite and other midcentury favorites.

One Last Thought Before You Go!

Thanksgiving may be a few weeks away, but it’s not too soon to make sure you have everything you need. If the whole family is coming for the holiday, but you still don’t have the right dining room table and chairs to make space for all the guests you’ll have this year, we’ve got you covered. Check out our blog entry, “Dining Room Tables for Every Style & Budget.”

If you’re ready to up your Thanksgiving game, you can shop now and pay later with Acima at one of Acima’s over 15,000 retailers. An Acima professional will help you find the best dining set for you and your family — and just in time for the holidays! Use this link to find a store near you.