17 Thanksgiving Decor Ideas Guaranteed To Inspire

By Southern Living

The entire Thanksgiving holiday is centered around food—so it follows naturally that our best Thanksgiving décor ideas revolve around setting a beautiful, festive table. There’s nothing worse than centerpieces that block conversation or place cards that lead to confusion. We’ve gathered our favorite Thanksgiving decorations to make your holiday prep a cinch. Once you have your occasion-worthy Thanksgiving menu and your splurge-worthy desserts set, plan a spectacular Thanksgiving table to coordinate with your fabulous menu. From creative centerpieces to perfect final touches, this collection of Thanksgiving decoration ideas is guaranteed to inspire your home this holiday. From functional kids’ tables to swanky sophisticated settings, these Thanksgiving decoration ideas are the best of the best. The only thing more impressive than your home décor will be your smoky, flavorful turkey.

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Statement Gold Pieces

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Grab a few larger-than-life golden fixtures at your local craft store, and paint them a uniform shade of glamorous, warm gold.

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Tasteful Menu Display

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Thanksgiving revolves around food—spend a little extra prep time on displaying the menu. Guests will love knowing what delicious dishes they’ll be eating in advance.

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Photo Place Cards

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Instead of written place cards, show your family’s personality with individually framed name cards at each place setting.

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Fresh Cotton

Photo: Jennifer Davick

For a simple statement-worthy centerpiece, add a few sprigs of freshly cut cotton to extra vases and scatter them around your home for a unified decoration.

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Natural Elements

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Bundle together key elements of fall’s bounty and use them as an organic centerpiece on your dining room table.

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Draped Decor

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Adding the napkin to the stack of plates adds another level of detail and intricacy to this swanky setting.

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Well-Placed Pumpkin

Photo: Hector Sanchez

Here’s what to do with your leftover, un-carved pumpkins from Halloween: insert them into a wide-brimmed container, line with moss, and use as a seasonal centerpiece.

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Creative Kids' Table

Photo: Iain Bagwell

Around a Thanksgiving table, bored kids can be disastrous. Keep them entertained with white paper tablecloths and pencils.

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Build a Bar

Photo: Peter

Thanksgiving may be the only holiday on which the bar plays second fiddle to the buffet; still, having a well stocked bar cart is key to any successful Southern celebration.

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Practical Plates

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Collect china with intricate turkeys, and display them on the wall leading up to Thanksgiving, for a practical cottage décor that doubles as dishes for your Thanksgiving gathering.

 

With Thanksgiving dinners came, of course, an increase in demand for holiday-specific dishes from house-proud American women. And the potteries of Staffordshire, England, were happy to oblige. The turkey was ready for its American close-up. From the late 1800s until the 1950s heyday, waves of turkey-patterned transferware crossed the pond for our dining tables. Today, many of these collectible pieces are available through websites such as ebay.com and replacements.com, though you may already have some resting in your sideboard. Here are some of our favorite patterns.

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Rustic Revival

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

Embrace your homes rustic feel. Instead of dressing up your rooms in curtains and cloths, use wooden furniture (in all finishes) to bring a warm, homey vibe.

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Place Cards with Purpose

Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

Etch your guests' names into simple glassware for impressive name cards that double as party favors.

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Tiny Table Toppers

Photo: Jennifer Davick

If a centerpiece that blocks conversation is your pet peeve, replace the bulky arrangement with miniature arrangements of your favorite fall flowers.

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Seasonal Centerpieces

Photo: Peter Frank Edwards

These festive centerpieces are perfect for your Thanksgiving table. Get the look with heirloom or Cinderella pumpkins and a trip to the local florist. Simply carve the pumpkin out in a vase-shape, and fill with water and flowers.

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Layers of Linens

Photo: Hector Sanchez

This earthy setting still seems sophisticated, thanks to rustic elements layered with streamlined details. Recreate the look by choosing a 3-color scheme and choosing a mixture of modern and natural details.

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Top-Notch To-Go Boxes

Photo: Jennifer Davick

Your guests will obviously be leaving your home with a to-go container full of turkey. Dish out your leftovers in style with these personalized to-go boxes.

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