Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with your nearest and dearest and sharing some well-loved dishes. And what better way to impress your guests and let your food shine than with a beautifully set Thanksgiving table? From rustic styles to modern designs, let these Thanksgiving table décor ideas inspire you to create a festive feast for the eyes.
a Thanksgiving color palette
The first step to creating a beautiful Thanksgiving table setting is deciding on a color palette. This will help you choose what kind of tableware and centerpieces you're going to adorn your table with. Thanksgiving is most often associated with autumnal colors, including rich orange tones, golden yellows, warm browns, and deep greens reminiscent of the falling leaves.
The vibrant green hues of our Greenwich collection or warm toasty browns of Studio Craft would be perfect on your Thanksgiving dinner table. Mixed with cozy cream tones, such as the soft oatmeal hues of Linen and the neutral shades of Modus, these colors will evoke a feeling of comfort and warmth at your Thanksgiving table.
Thanksgiving place settings
Once you've decided on your Thanksgiving colors, it's time to move onto your place settings. For a put-together look, provide guests with everything they need to enjoy their meal, and layer your table with different elements that will add interest to your table setting. Our Thanksgiving table décor ideas will give you plenty of inspiration to help you set and style your Thanksgiving place settings.
tablecloth
Thanksgiving is a time to go above and beyond with your table setting, and beautiful table linen is ideal for setting the tone and creating a sense of occasion. Tablecloths in warm, deep autumnal tones, such as mustard, rust, or chocolate brown would work perfectly, particularly if you've opted for place settings in neutral Thanksgiving colors.
For a more rustic or relaxed modern look, forego the tablecloth and use a table runner instead. Simple runners made from natural materials, such as cotton and linen, would look great on your Thanksgiving dinner table. Their natural fabrics are also a nice nod to the harvest.
tableware
When setting your Thanksgiving table, it's a good idea to provide everyone with everything they need to tuck into the delicious feast. This includes giving them all the necessary tableware, such as dinner plates, salad plates for bread and side salads, and soup bowls if you'll be serving soup, along with enough cutlery for each course.
Denby dinnerware sets come in bundles of four, 12, 16, and 20 pieces so you can be sure you'll have enough. We also have a selection of Thanksgiving dinnerware sets that include everything you need to lay a table to impress this holiday season.
To set the table for your Thanksgiving dinner, first lay your dinner plates at each place setting. If you're using salad plates, these should be stacked on top of the dinner plate or sat at the top left of your place setting. Soup bowls sit on top of the dinner plate (or salad plate if you're stacking).
At formal dinners, forks sit to the left of the plate, with knives on the right. If you'll be serving soup, then the soup spoons usually sit to the right of the knives. For more relaxed occasions, you could group your cutlery together at one side and lay them on top of your napkins.
Along with tableware, provide your guests with all the glassware they'll need for the entirety of their Thanksgiving meal. Small tumblers are ideal for water and soft drinks, while wine glasses are perfect for the adults at the table. Many of our Denby glasses are designed to complement some of our most popular tableware collections, including Modus, Natural Canvas, Halo, and Regency Green glassware, so you can match your glassware to your dinnerware for a cohesive look.
napkins
Using and folding napkins is an easy way to inject a bit of extra style into your Thanksgiving place settings. Roll or fold your napkins and use seasonal napkin rings to keep them in place. A small length of ribbon tied into a bow makes a simple but effective DIY napkin ring. For a rustic look, use bits of twine.
You can add a holiday touch by tucking dried flowers or sprigs of herbs, such as bay leaves, sage, or rosemary, into your napkin rings. A cinnamon stick is another festive touch that would look stunning placed on top of your napkins, and the wonderful scent will add an extra sensory element for your guests to enjoy.
If you're feeling a little more creative, then why not have a go at some napkin folding? A seasonal leaf fold is super simple to make and looks incredibly effective at each Thanksgiving place setting.
how to make a leaf napkin fold
- Start off with a square napkin and fold it in half diagonally to create a triangle. The longest side of the triangle should be at the bottom closest to you.
- Fold the longest side of the triangle (at the bottom) up about half an inch.
- Flip the napkin over and repeat the half inch fold along the bottom on the other side.
- Repeat steps two and three until you've folded the whole of the napkin up to the point.
- Pinch the napkin at the center so the folds are pushed together — creating a shape similar to butterfly wings — then fold each side together so the tips of the 'wings' meet. This should form a leaf shape.
- Use some ribbon or twine to wrap around the stem of the leaf and hold the shape.
name cards
Including name cards is a great way to add a personal touch to your place settings and elevate your whole Thanksgiving dinner table. These can be as simple as a small piece of folded card with each person's name elegantly handwritten onto each one.
For an extra stylish touch, place autumnal decorations wrapped with a slip of paper, such as miniature pumpkins, squash, apples, pears, pinecones, or acorns, atop each plate. To create a hint of modern elegance, add a sliver of gold leaf, or handwrite each name onto the side of the mini pumpkins and squash in gold or silver marker pen. Your guests can take these home with them as party favors and reuse them as beautiful fall decorations.
Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas
Finish off your Thanksgiving dinner table décor with a seasonal centerpiece. A few well-placed decorations will make your dining table feel all the more inviting, and they can be dressed up or down depending on the look you'd like to create. These Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas should give you plenty of inspiration to help you create the most stunning seasonal tablescape. For even more ideas, take a look at our tips for styling your dining table centerpiece.
Thanksgiving flowers
A floral arrangement always makes for a beautiful centerpiece. Flowers in autumnal hues are best for Thanksgiving tables, with many people opting for traditional blooms such as orange roses, red carnations, yellow lilies, and sunflowers for the holiday. These flowers look great when arranged as part of a large bouquet, but if you'd like to create something a little more minimalistic, choose one or two flowers and place a few stems of each into small vases or jars.
Fall foliage and berries, such as winterberries, gooseberries, or bittersweet, work perfectly for modern Thanksgiving table décor. Another option is to choose dried flowers in an autumnal color palette to add a contemporary look. Place a few branches into a tall vase or ceramic jug to instantly transform your Thanksgiving dinner table.
Fall garlands will look stunning flowing along the length of your table. You can easily make your own by tying together sprigs of eucalyptus, pine, or maple branches using floristry wire. Add extra autumnal touches such as pinecones, acorns, and berries to finish off your Thanksgiving centerpiece.
seasonal fruits and vegetables
Fall produce is delicious, but it can also be used to make beautiful and eye-catching Thanksgiving centerpieces. Fresh squash and pumpkins will add an extra seasonal touch to your Thanksgiving table décor, along with maize, apples, pears, and plums. Dot them along your table to create a continuous feature, or artfully arrange them in large bowls. Choosing produce in a variety of seasonal colors will add some interest to your display, and although simple, this Thanksgiving centerpiece can look incredibly effective.
cozy candles
A few well-placed candles can instantly transform any table setting, and dotting a few along the length of your Thanksgiving table among the rest of your decorations and centerpieces will immediately make your table feel cozy and inviting. Choose ceramic candles or candle tins that coordinate with your tableware for a cohesive look.
What's more, the smell of scented candles can help make your dining room feel even more inviting. Be sure to choose autumnal scents for your Thanksgiving table setting, such as tobacco, leather, and cognac or freesia and jasmine.
delicious food
Thanksgiving is all about the food, with many of us recreating recipes passed down for generations. So, it's only natural that you'd want to let your food be the star of the show by making it a centerpiece on its own.
Let your food take center stage by dishing it up in beautiful, handmade serving dishes that coordinate with your tableware. Lay your turkey and vegetables on ceramic serving trays and present your mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, and corn in large bowls at the center of the table. Use ramekins or small bowls to serve your little extras such as cranberry sauce, and small ceramic milk jugs for your gravy.
Our range of Thanksgiving serveware has everything you need to present your dishes in style this holiday season. Or, to save yourself time, use our oven to tableware to cook and present your Thanksgiving recipes all in one. These also work perfectly for your favorite Thanksgiving desserts, including pumpkin pie or our harvest apple bake.
Your Thanksgiving feast deserves the best backdrop, and these Thanksgiving table décor ideas should give you plenty of inspiration to create a stunning dinner this November. With a cozy fall colour scheme, beautiful place settings, and a centerpiece or two, you can dress your Thanksgiving table to impress this holiday season.
Here at Denby, we have a fantastic range of cookware, tableware, glasses, and serving dishes that are designed to last, making them the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving traditions for years to come.
If you're thinking of hosting a more unique celebration this year, our non-traditional Thanksgiving theme ideas will give you lots of inspiration to help you get started. Don't forget to take a look at our other inspirational features, where you'll find plenty of recipes and styling tips to help you make the most of your Denby tableware.