Thanksgiving Holiday Table

Holiday table decor on the cheap!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, you probably already have everything you need to dress up your table laying on the ground outside. The possibilities are endless if you use your imagination combined with whatever you have on hand. Look through your cabinets for table cloths, ribbons, scrap fabric and nick-nacks that will dress up your home.

Send the kids outside to hunt for the most beautiful leaves and pine cones in the yard. Make sure to brush off any dirt and shake out any bugs before bringing them inside! Ask the kids to arrange leaves in a fan pattern under the plates and place pine cones on saucers or in bowls in the center of the table. We used tea cups and saucers to create candle-holders and to give our decorations some height.

You can help your children cut leaves from brown paper bags, construction paper, or anything else you have on hand. If your child made a turkey or any other fall art project – by all means put it on the table for everyone to enjoy. You will miss those hand-turkeys and stick-pilgrims when your little ones are grown. The little boy in the photo at the right is a teen now, and if I ask him to make me a turkey hand, he’ll roll his eyes and say “MooOOoooommm…. no way.”

If you’d prefer a more grown-up look, layer fall colored paper or fabrics under each place setting. Place a pillar or taper candle in a bowl, then layer sweet gum balls or pine cones around the base of the candle. Place votive candles in wine goblets, then tie a ribbon around the stem.