Thanksgiving is the time of year when we get together with family and friends to give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received. Hopefully, we all remembered to be thankful for our blessings throughout the year and not just on one day.
As much as I love planning events and hosting gatherings, Thanksgiving is one holiday that I choose to be a guest at someone else’s house. For all the ladies and gents who are the host of the go-to house on Thanksgiving, I am thankful for you! To express my gratitude, I decided to design a quick tablescape and give you some ideas for your Thanksgiving holiday.
For your gathering you have a few options: You can a host a sit down dinner with a full spread of dishes, have a chill get together with a buffet of small bites, or host a potluck dinner. My decor elements can be adapted to whichever gathering you choose to host.
First things first, when planning any event, my most resourceful tool is making to-do lists and a quick schedule to keep me on track. I also recommend a budget, you don’t want to spend all of your funds on one holiday, when there’s Christmas and New Years trailing right behind. There are some great affordable retail locations to shop for all your decor needs. My go- to stores for styling my event decor are usually Target, Party City, Michael’s, and Home Goods. All the decor pieces used in my tablescape were purchased at these stores and have been listed below with pricing.
As mentioned in my previous post, Event Planning Tips, all events should start with a theme or color. Since it’s Thanksgiving, I chose to stay within the fall color scheme of cranberry, burnt orange, amber, and gold. Feel free to venture outside of the fall colors and add a contrasting color. Make sure you have the theme/color in mind before hitting the stores. Trust me when I say you will come home with lots of unwanted goods if you don’t already have this in mind.
When decorating your table, decide whether you’d like to use a tablecloth or runner. Table runners work well with large rectangle tables. I recommend splurging a little on the tablecloth or runner; plastic tablecloths are a huge no-no, unless you’re having a kid’s party. Whenever I host any event at home I always have lots of candles and a few floral centerpieces to add to the decor. Votives and tea lights are budget friendly and will take your decor up a notch.
Floral arrangements in my table decor are a must. Some people don’t care for them, but floral centerpieces add an elegant touch to your decor. I created a quick centerpiece, which consist of flowers purchased at my local supermarket. When making centerpieces for other occasions, florals are usually purchased at a flower market because of the quality and variety, but for your convenience and purpose the supermarket or florist will do.
Your tablescape should include both a food and drink menu for guests. To be budget friendly, menus can be placed in a frame on the table for guests viewing rather than at each table setting. My menus were DIY with cardstock paper purchased from Michael’s. If you choose to have a buffet style dinner, making name tags for each dish adds a nice touch.
When deciding on dishes to make, choose easy, tasty recipes that your guests will enjoy. Stick to recipes you are comfortable cooking, now is not the time to try new things. It will only add to your stress and make for unhappy guests. Signature drinks excite guests and are a great compliment to any event. They can also be budget friendly because, you can choose to only purchase the alcohol required for the recipe.
Hopefully, my suggestions will come in handy and inspire you to spruce up your tables, while planning your Thanksgiving feasts. For those, who would rather leave it to the expert to plan their next holiday gathering, please inquire at www.staticeevents.com. Be sure to look out for my upcoming post on Christmas Décor.
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What I used to put the table setting together:
Table Cloth-Home Goods $19.99
Vase-Target, $12.99
Votive Holders-Target $2.49/ea
Picture Frame-Home Goods, $6.99
Candlestick Holders-Home Goods, $19.99/set (these were a splurge, but worth it!)
Charger-Michaels, $1.99
Plates- Target, $2.99 and $2.79
Glass-Home Goods, $5.99
Florals-Pathmark, $18
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