58 Beautiful Ways to Set Your Table This Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

How do you set a beautiful table for Thanksgiving? ›

A mixture of gourds and mini pumpkins running down the length of your table makes for a charming, autumnal table display. Flank your pumpkins with navy blue plates, linen napkins, and natural wood-accented silverware for a different take on Thanksgiving tablescapes.

Provide separate plates for appetizers and bread rolls to keep your table organized and ensure there's plenty of room for the main course. Set out your delicious Thanksgiving dishes in elegant serving platters and bowls.

How To Make a Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece? Choose a unique container like a wooden crate, bowl, or glass vase. Fill the bottom with mixed fall leaves, then add harvest elements like pears, apples, and cinnamon sticks. A wreath is another great option – just arrange candles in varied sizes in the center.

The fork is placed to the left of the plate. Place the knife to the right of the dinner plate and then set the spoon to the right of the knife. Set the water glass in the top right corner, above the knife. The napkin can be placed on top of the dinner plate or beneath the fork.

I always recommend working in sets of threes or odd numbers as this looks balanced and most pleasing to the eye, for example, one decorative vase, three bunches of flowers or five candlesticks. Make sure to use varying heights for drama, however, avoid using any objects that block peoples views from across the table.

A big bowl half-filled with water and seasonal flowers floating on its surface would really amp up the elegance! 4. Add a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits to your table. They could serve as a snack before the meal is served and as a post-meal healthy dessert.

We've broken Thanksgiving dinner down to its essential elements. Turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and potatoes, of course. But no less necessary, if slightly less obvious, is something orange (yams, squash or even mac and cheese).

Create a buffet station on the kitchen counter or island where guests can fill their plates and find a seat at the table to enjoy the meal. And with fewer dishes to contend with, you can score an extra few seats around the table.

White pumpkins and small succulents set a serene Thanksgiving scene. Hollow out the center of a few pumpkins to make room for a vase of flowers or a flickering candle. Use slices of wood—bark intact—as raised platforms down the center of the table.

What is the Thanksgiving centerpiece called? ›

What is a Thanksgiving table centerpiece called? The traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece is called a cornucopia. They are also known as a Horn of Plenty.

The first and basic rule to get you started is: Utensils are placed in the order of use; from the outside in. A second rule, with only a few exceptions, is: Forks go to the left of the plate, and knives and spoons go to the right.

Basically the components are: china, glassware, flatware, linens, menu cards/place cards, flowers, and seating arrangements. You may or may not use all of these components at every event, but it is fun to experiment with different ways to set the table for a particular event and make your guests feel special.

Place bread-and-butter plates above the forks, to the left of the place setting and don't remove them until the dessert course. Stemware is set above and to the right of the dinner plate. The water glass stands above the dinner knife, white wine to its right, and red wine top center.

An old dough bowl or wood trencher makes a great low centerpiece when filled with seasonal pumpkins, gourds, pinecones and flowering branches.