While the food is usually the main attraction at any Thanksgiving celebration,
the décor can be just as important. With the right decorations, you can take
your holiday celebration to the next level. By decorating your home and dinner
table, you'll give your guests a feast for the eyes as well as their
mouths.
Outside the HomeYou can put your guests in a more
festive mood by decorating the front of your home with pumpkins and gourds of
different shapes, sizes, and colors. Also, you can't go wrong with attaching
dried corn stalks to your lamp posts or placing ears of Indian corn on your
front door. Alternately, you could put a colorful autumn wreath on your door.
You could either buy one or make one yourself with real or fake leaves, berries,
nuts, small gourds, and pine cones.
Inside the Home
Make your home more festive for Thanksgiving by filling it with
objects of warm or neutral colors, such as red, yellow, orange, brown, black,
and grey. Place appropriately colored pillows, throw rugs, candles, and
paintings throughout your home. If you have any silk floral arrangements,
temporarily swap them out for some more seasonal ones. You can also
strategically place autumn-themed garlands around the house. Another idea is to
purchase some inexpensive figurines of turkeys, Pilgrims, and Native Americans
to fully emphasize the holiday.
On the TableThere are plenty
of ways to decorate your table for the Thanksgiving meal. Of course, you'll
probably want to have a centerpiece. Cornucopias are the most obvious choice.
You can purchase these horn-shaped wicker baskets almost anywhere during the
holiday season. Fill it with real or artificial fruits, vegetables, and gourds,
and arrange the cornucopia so its contents are overflowing onto the table.
Alternately, your centerpiece could consist simply of decorative candles of
different sizes. For a simple yet striking centerpiece, place a potted mum plant
on the table. These autumn flowers capture the essence of the Thanksgiving
holiday.
TIP: If you want to have a more formal Thanksgiving dinner, put
place cards or menu cards next to each place setting. Remember to decorate the
cards to make them look festive.
Once you have decided on a centerpiece, focus on decorating the rest of the
table. You can randomly place gourds, cranberries, acorns, or leaves along the
table. Another good idea is to cut the tops off of several miniature pumpkins
and place a tea light inside. These can be placed in front of each place
setting. You could also fill some clear glass vases with fresh cranberries, and
then stick yellow or orange flowers into the vases. To give your Thanksgiving
table some festive sparkle, place napkins in gold napkin rings or use other gold
accent pieces.
With these decorating tips, you can easily make your
Thanksgiving gathering a true autumnal celebration. Though you don't have to
make any permanent or drastic changes, the simplest additions to your yard,
home, and dinner table can make a more memorable holiday for you and your
guests.