Thanksgiving is a great time to gather friends and family around a beautiful table and eat delicious food. This time to appreciate the people in your life and the memories you made this year is quickly approaching. We’ve got some tablescape and recipe ideas that’ll help you plan if you’re hosting this year.
Tablescape Ideas
Whether you want to do a full fancy table setting or something simpler, anyone can create a beautiful tablescape that makes guests feel welcomed. Take the time to assess what represents your home and life. A Tablescape is an extension of you and can set the tone for how the meal will proceed.
Deciding on a Table Setting
Before picking out any decorations or colors, first, decide what kind of table setting you want. There are 3 major types to choose from, but you can always adjust to fit your gathering’s needs.
- Formal. This will be your most involved table setting. There is a specific place for each utensil, glass, and plate to accommodate a six-course meal. If you plan on including an appetizer, soup, salad, starch, protein, and dessert in a formal setting then this might be the right option for you.
- Casual. Similar to the formal setting in that it has multiple utensils, glasses, and plates, this setting accommodates three-course meals instead. This will be good if you are serving soup or salad, a main course, and dessert.
- Basic. The simplest setting has a plate, fork and knife, and a glass. This is great for buffet-style get-togethers and smaller gatherings.
While each setting is typically used in certain settings, for family and friend gatherings you can always mix and match settings and formality. If you love to have an abundance of food, you can have a “formal” place setting but pair it with a more casual atmosphere.
Style Tips
There are a few items you can incorporate or exclude from your tablescape.
If you are going for a more traditional style, a festive table runner can add color and creativity. If you are wanting to keep it simple, then forgoing the runner and using some type of greenery, like eucalyptus, to decorate can be stunning on a wooden table.
Candles of varying heights create visual interest and can help your meal feel more intimate. Depending on how you want to decorate your table, you can choose white candles or a variety of colored candles to match the rest of your place setting.
Try decorating with faux food and fall flowers. Well-placed pumpkins, apples, and other harvest foods can create a homey fresh from the farm feel. These can be real, but fake items can be stored for the next year and won’t start to smell if you forget about them.
Choose A Color Scheme
To have a cohesive tablescape, try to pick a color scheme. You can pick fall pastels, vibrant colors, or muted earthy tones.
Either pick a neutral color as the base and incorporate accent colors or pick a flashy color as a base and use neutral colors to accent. There are a multitude of ways to showcase your personality and style.
Recipe Ideas
No Thanksgiving table would be complete without food. Here is a short list of some of our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes.
Have Fun with It
Have fun with loved ones this holiday season. As much as a well-thought-out tablescape adds to a meal, the main point is to enjoy loved ones. There are no hard rules when it comes to entertaining, so remember to have fun and be thankful for each other.