Brown, red, yellow, orange . . . the traditional colors for a Thanksgiving dinner. Well I’ve never liked any of those colors together. Sure the palette is inspired by falling leaves, but it just doesn’t fit my home or personality. I love blues, corals, and cream so why can’t those be the main colors of a Thanksgiving table? They can! Today I’m sharing my colorful Thanksgiving table with stylish affordable decor from Better Homes and Garden products at Walmart. Your holiday table can and should reflect your personality.
Start with your favorite colors, or prominent colors in your home. Pick your top two or three and begin pulling accents or decor in those shades for inspiration. Do you prefer an ombre color palette of similar shades, neutrals or bold contrasting colors? Is your dining set painted or a stained wood? Do you have any favorite textures like lace?
Once you have a good idea of the style you want to create, start gathering your basics. With this particular table setting, I started with classic white dishes. You can never have enough white serving bowls and rectangle platters for Thanksgiving dinner. Even with a potluck dinner, transfer guests’ dishes to your own platters. The table and serving area will look that much more elegant compared to plastic bowls and containers.
Table linens are the next item on the Thanksgiving table to do list. Decide if you’ll go with a runner or full tablecloth. If you have a beautiful wood table or other pretty surface use a runner. I love the warmth of our table and didn’t want it completely hidden. Plus it is easier to avoid any spills or stains during dinner if the table is partially uncovered.
I love using table linens to set the tone for a table’s design. It’s definitely the first item you can use to incorporate personality. I fell in love with the lace medallion tablecloth. The warm mix of colors and a dainty lace detail is both feminine and festive. I knew I wanted to use aqua (my napkins) and coral as accents, so perfect fit. Don’t shy away from patterns or interesting textures if you love them!
Now for my favorite part, the place setting. With this table cloth, I knew I wanted plain white dishes. My best recommendation for anyone entertaining is to have the proper number of white plates on hand. Always purchase enough for each seat plus a couple extras. White dishes compliment any decor and come in so many beautiful styles. This scalloped dinner plate has just enough detail to showcase my love for vintage styles. I paired a vintage set of silverware at each place setting plus DIY embroidery floss tassels in coral and cream. For the place cards, I used letter stamps on card stock to spell out each name. Super quick to make and an easy way to get the kids involved too!
Adding accents to your table will wow your guests. I always include fresh flowers when entertaining. White hydrangeas are my go to bouquet when decorating and they can be found year round! I spray painted a few old vases white to match the dishes. I love other natural elements like pinecones and fresh produce as decor as well. You can pick a few seasonal fruits like pomegranate, persimmons or pumpkins to create a centerpiece. In this case, a colorful collection of fruit + veggies was perfect for adding more color to the table.
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I rarely entertain without setting up a dessert table. I worked in pastry years ago and baking still remains a passion. This year I plan to have an assortment of pies for guests to enjoy. I am in the midst of organizing recipes, choosing platters, but the table is ready to go! I highly recommend setting up everything you can before the big holiday. Basically everything but the food. Save yourself the headache Thanksgiving morning of scrambling to set the table and lay out platters.
The extra table is just off the dining area and covered in matching full tablecloth in the same beautiful pattern. Having a small table off to the side is perfect for setting down the turkey and side dishes especially if you have a smaller dining table. Our dining table is quite narrow and gets crowded very quickly! I actually use my writing desk as the buffet table for parties at home. A card table or dresser/cabinet is a great option too. Just cover with a beautiful table linen and no one will know!
Again don’t wait until the last minute to get things ready if you’re hosting dinner. If you’re a guest this year, remember to bring a hostess gift if you aren’t contributing a dish. A bottle of wine, assortment of cheese, flowers or delicious-smelling candle are some of my favorites.
Thanksgiving should be an enjoyable time spent with friends and family. Don’t let stress or worry upset your day. Decorate a beautiful table, cook a wonderful meal and have a good time. Then, sleep in on Friday!
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For more inspiration and to check out other blogger creations visit the social channels below. You can also follow the hashtag #BHGLiveBetter !
*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Better Homes and Gardens products at Walmart. All content, ideas, and words in this post are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Planning Pretty.
