By Sophia Schmitz
Welcome to November!
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s time to discuss the tablescape. Arguably more important than the turkey, the tablescape sets the tone and elevates the entire Thanksgiving experience. The key to the perfect Thanksgiving tablescape is to make it feel like you’re outside. Think fresh greenery, pumpkins, leaves, acorns, etc. No matter how big or small your Thanksgiving table may be this year, why not make it beautiful? Here is a step-by-step guide to building the perfect Thanksgiving tablescape!
- Find a table
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Depending on how many people you’re expecting, you’ll need either a square, rectangular, or round table. Round tables usually work better for smaller groups, and square/rectangle is better for larger groups. Unless you don’t mind food getting on your dining table, you’ll need a tablecloth. Starting with a white then layering a brown, orange, or red on top is a great way to add dimension.
- Start with table settings
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Each seat gets a water glass, wine glass, fork, spoon, knife, and napkin. A tip to add some flair: use a charger plate to add dimension! You can find some in all different colors and price points. Using a beige or dark orange would pair nicely with any greenery you plan on adding to the table.
- Add the big pieces
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Grab 2-3 medium-sized pumpkins from the grocery store. You don’t want anything too tall because you still want to see over the majority of the centerpiece and talk to everyone at the table. You can go for the traditional orange pumpkins, or spice it up with white or green pumpkins, or even a combination of the two! Once you’ve laid out the larger pieces, you can build around them. Be sure to keep the pumpkins in the center of the table. You can play around with various sized pumpkins as well.
- Greenery
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Use your greenery to build outwards towards the place settings. Think fresh eucalyptus, ivy, or oak leaves. It always looks really pretty to lay them out flat and let them spread across the table. You could also even stack them upwards to add height. Be sure to add some seasonal leaves, as well. You can easily go out and grab some from trees around your neighborhood. The oranges, reds, and yellows will really pop out against the green.
- Candles
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Tall candles are the key. We want to avoid keeping everything on the table the same height because it makes the tablescape look monotonous. Breaking up the pumpkins by interspersing tall candles is ideal. It also looks really nice to sprinkle in a few tea-sized candles so you can have tall, medium-sized, and short objects on your table for optimal dimension. Be careful not to catch any of your leaves on fire, though.
- and lastly….accents
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Accents can be things like branches, acorns, small pumpkins, berries, etc. Sprinkling berries or acorns onto the greenery gives it a natural, “spilling” effect. Another really creative accent idea I’ve seen is a cute napkin holder or place card. Depending on the size of your Thanksgiving dinner, place cards may not be necessary, but they’re another way to add some flair to your table.
Hopefully this guide will help you in making the perfect Thanksgiving tablescape!