Transform words that express heartfelt sentiments into decorative motifs for your table. Handwritten script has an inherently elegant appearance that makes it ideal for borders. And applied in golden brown or sepia to linens and goblets, it assumes a warm effect. Try books or online references for Thanksgiving quotations, or make up phrases of your own. As guests arrive, conversation is sure to gravitate to the scripted words of thanks that embellish your table, the simple decoration offering words for what is often difficult to express.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Tria Giovan
Set the table and mood. Let your table reflect the warm colors of the season. The vibrancy of autumn shines through with aged wood, roses the color of fallen leaves, and fresh produce. A mix of antique and reproduction creamware, vintage amber glasses and dessert plates, and the utter simplicity of beeswax candles sets the mood. Here, propped against a russet-tinged pear, a rectangle of scallop-edged stationery is embellished with silk ribbon. Use your best handwriting to place family and friends around the table.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Erika McConnell
Dishes: Family china may steer the table's theme, but introducing a few simple, con-temporary pieces can create an entirely new look that is as personal as it is inviting.
Table: Favorite items like colorful linen napkins or a family heirloom can inspire the overall look. Employ a sideboard to keep plates and glassware handy for the second course and the dining table uncluttered.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Steven Randazzo
Make the centerpiece as colorful as the rest of the table. Keep it compact so it doesn't interfere with the passing of dishes.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Steven Randazzo
A vineyard leaf decorates a plate.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Ray Kachatorian
On strips of paper, write quotes or phrases. Fasten strip at end with double-sided tape, so it is slightly smaller than the glass's circumference; place on each glass. Invite guests, when seated, to read quote aloud.
Nested Candles: For a warm-looking presentation, fill low wooden or ceramic bowls to their rims with nuts still in their shells. Add pillar candles, being sure to position the flames a safe distance from the centerpiece.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Tria Giovan
Favorite items like
colorful linen napkins or a family heirloom can inspire the overall look.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Steven Randazzo
This holiday, expand your entertaining space and move part of the party out of the dining room.
1. Rethink your surfaces. Clear a side table or desktop in another room to create a cocktail bar or dessert station.
2. Vary the height and size of your serving pieces. Incorporate footed compotes, trifle bowls, cake stands, and stacks of dessert plates to add dimension and visual interest to your entertaining surface.
3. Corral your ice bucket, glassware, and libations on a tray that can be easily removed when coffee and tea are served.
4. Mix & match your favorite china and glassware collections at the dessert station. Don't worry about continuing the theme you create on your main table.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Steven Randazzo
Jewel tones and saturated color heighten the appearance of the Thanksgiving table and celebrate the season's bright foliage against the late-autumn sky. To get the look here, take advantage of the enhanced color attributes of inexpensive faux foliage and rich textile remnants. Present the faux berries and leaves (combined with real leaves, if you like) in a free-form display of pitchers and teapots, sugar bowls and goblets. The burnished finish of the collection will unify the look of the table, and the display lets you enjoy objects you love but don't always have the opportunity to use. Soften the effect with simple white candles; just be sure to set their flames well clear of the berries and leaves.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Tria Giovan
The table, dressed in a rich palette and laden with autumn fruit, sets the tone for an intimate Thanksgiving dinner. Plump persimmons and scarlet pomegranates adorn the table--and the menu--a ripe reminder of the season's exuberant, and occasionally exotic, abundance. The table setting is a compatible mix of old (heirloom silver and dishes) and new (table runners, glasses, napkins), simply yet artfully arranged to bring out the beauty of all.
Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Thanksgiving Table Settings
Keller + Keller
