A beautiful holiday table is often the focal point of any Thanksgiving celebration.
The table is where everyone will gather for dinner, so you'll get the most "bang for your buck" by focusing your decorating efforts on beautiful table decor. Fortunately, setting a beautiful table doesn't require a lot of money. In most cases, you'll be able to create a table to be proud of using nothing more than decorating materials you already have, plus a bit of time and creativity.
Decorating with the Bounty of Nature
Since Thanksgiving is a celebration of the bounty of nature, using natural materials to decorate is often the best way to go. Your own backyard can be the perfect place to gather decorations. If you had a garden during the summer, you might have some pumpkins, gourds or squash that you can use. Branches of autumn leaves or a basket of brightly colored apples can also add beauty to your holiday table. You can create a centerpiece out of your natural materials by using a vase or bowl. A hollowed out pumpkin or squash can also be used as a bowl to create a beautiful centerpiece arrangement. Or, simply place a table runner down the center of the table so that you have a place to display your decorative items. Of course, you'll want to reserve plenty of space for the bowls of food and the turkey platter which are usually the centerpiece of any Thanksgiving dinner. You can also highlight your table decorations by using natural materials in other ways around the dining room and kitchen, such as piling miniature pumpkins in a wicker basket or bundling wheat stalks together to adorn a buffet.
Choosing Decorative Holiday Table Linens
Table linens are commonly used to add a decorative touch to a holiday table. You can either purchase a tablecloth with a holiday theme, or create one of your own. If you have a plain tablecloth, you can use fabric paints and stencils to create a beautiful holiday pattern. If you have children, let them make small handprints on the tablecloth using paint. Then, add eyes, beaks and feet to transform the handprints into small hand-painted turkeys. This can be a great way of letting children participate in the holiday decorating. You can also use placemats instead of a tablecloth if desired, decorating them in a similar fashion. You can set the paint with a warm iron and a pressing cloth to make the designs more durable for laundering.
Designing a Beautiful Holiday Place Setting
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to pay a little more attention to individual place settings at the table. Bring out your best dishes and good silverware for the occasion. If you have cloth napkins, use them. Dress up your holiday table by using napkin rings and place cards. If you don't already have napkin rings, make your own by painting plain wooden rings or braiding circles out of twine or raffia. Beautiful autumn leaves can be used instead of paper place cards. Choose colorful leaves that are still soft and supple. Gently wash and dry them, then use a fine-tipped permanent marker to write names on each leaf, creating place cards with plenty of natural beauty without spending a dime.
This article was written by Alyssa Davis of Metal-Wall-Art.com who specializes in creating stylish interiors with butterflies metal wall decor and unique wall candle holder.
