Filed under: Celebrations
Create a palette for your table setting and use it as a central theme. Try designing your dinner table (linens, plates, glassware) around the colors of the season: warm oranges, vibrant reds, rich browns and jewel toned purples and greens; or go with a touch of sophistication and play with variations of white or black. Obtain glasses from your local Dollar Tree stores for inexpensive, yet festive looks.
Print thankful messages on decorative holiday paper and put them in 4x6 or 5x5 picture frames. For ex: "Thankful for Great Friends," Thankful for Health & Strength" or you can personalize them according to your invited guests... "Thankful for my neighbor Pat," "Thankful for my Loving Husband." Place these heartfelt thanks on a decorative table runner down the center of your dinner table. This will surely spark great conversation.
Carve your pumpkin into a sophisticated design by cutting out the stem at the top and placing a votive candle in its place. For petite pumpkins use tea light candles. Use different size pumpkins for height, and place the pumpkins on a decorative tray in the center of your dinner table or coffee table. Make sure that the pumpkins you select can lay flat on a surface so the candle sits straight in the center. And, don't forget to use colored candles to get a contrast of color against the orange hue of the pumpkin. The glow from your pumpkin centerpiece will surely give off warmth of peace and love.
For this design use a 10-inch Hurricane vase filled ($7, each, saveoncrafts.com) with faux leaves from your local arts and craft store or the beautiful autumn leaves from outside your front door. Fill the vases half way with the leaves and then place a 4-inch ivory block candle ($4.99; ikea.com) on top. Place 3 to 5 vases down the center of your dinner table for a simple but dramatic effect. This design can also be placed on a solid table runner in a brown, orange or deep red to pick up on the colors of the leaves. You can also print a 3-inch banner that says Live, Laugh, Leaves and place it around the vase for a personalized look. (Adhere the ends with double-sided tape)
5. Autumn Happiness
What makes us happier than a nice juicy piece of fruit, rich in color and bursting with flavor? Fruit isn't only great to eat but also great to look at. Display an array of sunburst oranges, red and green apples, rustic pears, pomegranates, peaches and plums.
You can also add in a few mini pumpkins into your fruit arrangement. Display them in a beautiful colored platter or oversized wooden bowl. Add crinkle cut tissue paper in natural for a decorative touch.
Celebrate your day of "Thanks" with a toast of your favorite bottle of wine or champagne. Set your table with beautiful wine glasses or champagne flutes to create an elegant table setting. To top if off, personalize your spirits with decorative labels and creative sayings like, " Toast of Thanks," "Let's Wine & Dine," or "Pour, Sip & Be Thankful." Purchase printable labels ($.50 to $1.17 each; myownlabels.com) that will cover the existing ones. The bottles can be placed on your dinner table or displayed in an ice bucket. This is an easy and effortless touch that will make a great impression.
Here's a creative and fun way to add whimsy to your Thanksgiving design, tie strips of ribbon from your chandelier or standard lighting fixture. The ribbon should be approximately 24-inches from the top of your table and can be in a mix of jeweled and earth-tone colors. At the end of each ribbon hot glue a tag or a plain 2 x 2 card. On both sides of each card hand write words that express the meaning of Thanksgiving. Use a metallic gold marker to make your words sparkle. Your guests will feel like they're sitting underneath streams of love and blessings.
What better way to create a table setting for thanksgiving than with flowers? The dinner table is the focal point for this design idea. Go to your nearby grocery store or fruit and vegetable market for a cost-effective selection of roses, gerberas or sunflowers if you're lucky. Arrange the flowers in the center of a pumpkin, glass vases, or decorative coffee mugs, tie raffia around the vase or the stem of the mug, or use leaves for a beautiful, rustic holiday look.
10. Rent Instead of Buying
To enhance the look and feel of your design, try renting tables, chairs and linens for an extra special touch. There are many local rental companies that provide great prices on tables, chairs and linens... $8 for a standard 6ft. table, $3.75 for folding ballroom padded chairs (that now come in an array of colors) and assorted colors of linen that range from $10 to $15 based on the material and style.--Kesha Franklin, CEO, The Beautiful Experience