Thanksgiving Decorating Tips

Welcome November! We all know what this month brings. Turkeys, Christmas Carols and people losing their minds the day after Thanksgiving. Well, that and figuring out what makes you thankful. I feel like people have lost sight of what this part of the season is really about. New Years is about new beginnings and letting go of the past. Christmas is about family and love. Halloween is for the kids. Thanksgiving is getting a bad rap in my mind.

So, while you are prepping the turkey and getting the pies in the oven, I want you to think about what makes this holiday so special. Remember that this holiday was to celebrate a good harvest for the colonials. They knew that they had enough to last them through the rest of the year and they were thrilled. Thanksgiving is a time to be happy and enjoy the bounty of your year of work. Let’s make it spectacular this year with some easy, and AFFORDABLE, decorating ideas.

Decorating for Thanksgiving

I know that this time of year just gets busier and busier. As a mom of two, I feel you. I know that we are all riding that struggle bus right now.

It seems like it was just Halloween like last week and now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving and every store seems to have had a tinsel bomb explode and scatter Christmas everywhere. And the kids want to go see Santa and you’re probably scouring the Black Friday ads like a general getting ready for battle and it just seems like there isn’t enough time in the day to get anything done, much less to get everything done.

Don’t forget, we still have to do Thanksgiving dinner and decorate for it. Somehow. Okay. Deep breath. We got this. Let’s look at some easy and inexpensive decorating ideas for Thanksgiving.

Entryway

This is where people are going to get the first feel of your home. You want to make sure that you welcome them to it in style.

Welcome mats are relatively inexpensive, and they can make a huge difference when it comes to how people see your home. If you have a nice, pretty welcome mat it can start your Thanksgiving festivities off on the right foot.

Wreaths are cool. They are pretty and they give your door that pretty little flair that makes your home stand out during the holiday season.

If you want something that might be a little different, look into a floral hanging. Floral hangings are just as pretty as wreaths but look more unique. You could have one that is just flowers, or you could look into one that has dried herbs.

And don’t forget the mums! All of this just screams fall and Thanksgiving and puts everyone in the festive spirit as soon as they step up onto your porch.

Table

The table seems to be the most important piece of furniture during this holiday. Let’s face it. We like to eat. Or at least I do. And its not just the eating. It’s the socializing that goes on around the table. That’s the best part of the day. Just talking with your friends and loved ones. So, you want to make sure that your table is the best looking one this holiday.

You know that you’re going to need a tablecloth and napkins and placemats and the whole nine yards. Why not make it pop and be a bit trendy with a pretty paisley print? Paisley is not the traditional print that is used during this time, but its so festive!

Have you seen some of the pretty plaid prints that are trending right now? Oh my! So gorgeous! And you can have that insta-worthy look, too. Just throw some plaid on the table. The part about this kind of print is that you can use more than one to mix and match!

Speaking of mixing and matching, doing that with your place settings will give your table a farmhouse vibe. Especially if all of the plates are in muted colors. It also means that everyone will get something a little different for their place. Imagine, a multitude of pictures being posted to Instagram all tagged to you because everyone had a different set and they all looked that good…

Pay homage to the origin of the holiday. Thanksgiving started as being happy about how much you were able to harvest for the coming cold months. So, dig down to the roots of the holiday and show the fruits that would be harvested at this time of year. Put some apples in a nice bowl on the table. Scatter walnuts along the runner.

Decorate the pies that you are making by taking the dough and cutting it into shapes before baking it. This earns you bonus points. For one it looks really pretty. For two, it will prove that you did the chef work instead of just buying one from the freezer section at the store.

Kid’s Table

Let’s not neglect the littlest of our dinner guests. This is a special day for them, too! For one thing, they are out of school. Usually for the whole week. For another thing, they get to meet a bunch of new people and eat a whole bunch of food and just have fun. So, let’s make sure their table is decorated, too.

One easy way to make it fun for the kids is also a way to make clean up a breeze. Cover the table in craft or butcher paper. This stuff is tougher than normal paper and harder to tear. It also soaks up a little liquid, so spills aren’t as big of a problem. Step 2 give the kiddos some crayons. Let them know that its ok to color and draw on the paper. After dinner just rip the paper off and clean up is pretty much done.

If you have older kids or ones that you know aren’t going to make as big of a mess, you can duplicate what you did at the adult table with fancy napkins and tableware. You could even use paper ones that look like the ones you have at the grown-up table. Don’t forget the candles! You can’t have a fancy dinner without some candles. Just make sure that their LEDs. I don’t even trust my grown sister with an open flame.

Styling the Rest of the House

So, you’ve got the entryway done, the table decorated, and the kid’s table done. You step back feeling like Martha Stewart and you realize that the rest of the house could use a little help. It’s just not festive. So, here’s some tips for the rest of the house.

Thanksgiving has a very earthy palette. You definitely don’t want to have any neon or super bright colors coming in to play with them. And let’s face it, orange and black are just too stark. Pull in some browns and tans. Grab some dark reds and dark yellows. Definitely stay away from brights and pastels.

Now I’m not saying that you need to have flowers on every surface, but a few well-placed ones will make the rooms just pop. And while you are pulling in some flower arrangements, this would be a perfect way to get that color scheme working. Flowers come in every conceivable color so you can use the flower arrangements to make your home have that perfect atmosphere.

Flowers don’t have to be in a vase and cookies don’t have to have a dedicated cookie plate for you to serve them on. Use a mason jar for some flowers. Serve cookies on a tin tray. Mix it up a little. Have some fun with it. Do you have one of those old school funky platters with the turkey on it? Wouldn’t that be great to put a cheese ball on instead of hiding it with turkey bits? Metal cans and old pitchers are great to hold utensils and napkins.

Put up a chalk board or message board and let people put up what they are thankful for this year. Have it where you can see it as you come in the door or while you are socializing. This way you avoid the awkward table conversation where everyone has to say what they are thankful for. But they can still let the world know.

Final Word

Lastly, no matter how you choose to decorate or how much or little you decide to do, just remember that this is the time of the year when you can reflect on the year that just passed. Take this time to remember family or friends that are not with us any longer. Celebrate new additions to the family. And don’t forget about those less fortunate.

My grandmother instilled a deep need in us to help those who are not as lucky as we are. Take a minute this year and think about a way that you can do that. You may not be able to volunteer your entire day to helping at a shelter. You may not be able to give monetarily. But there is always an option. Drop some money in that red bucket this year. Buy a gift for an angel tree child. Give a homeless person a warm drink or a hot meal. It doesn’t have to be much to change someone’s day.

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