How to Set a Pretty Thanksgiving Table on a Budget

If you’re like me, in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, you’ve looked at countless table arrangements in stores, magazines, and catalogs, on websites and blogs. You’ve gasped at the price of this candle holder and that set of linen napkins, these place card holders and that table runner. You could easily spend hundreds just decorating your table.

The truth is, you can set a gorgeous Thanksgiving table without a lot of added expense, using items you already have around the house along with a few small purchases from the grocery store, farmers’ market, craft store, and even the dollar store. I’m going to show you how.

Think seasonally. Use nature and the harvest as inspiration – pinecones, acorns, fall leaves, fresh cranberries, tiny pumpkins and colorful gourds make great table decorations.

Use what you already have. Inventory your belongings. Simple bowls, hurricanes, baskets, and even mason jars all make great vessels for centerpieces. Think outside the box. What do you have sitting around? Fill with inexpensive seasonal items like the ones listed above, and you have an easy and elegant centerpiece. What table linens do you already have? Is there something you can use? Can you mix and match cloth napkins you already own?

Add candles. Nothing adds ambience to a dinner table as easily as candles. A pair of tapers, some floating tea lights in a vase of water, or a simple pillar all look wonderful. They don’t need to be expensive – they’re meant to last one meal.

There’s no need to buy fine china. Simple plastic chargers from the dollar or craft store can dress up plain dinner plates. If you don’t have enough dishes for the crowd you’re serving, mix what you have with some plain white or patterned open stock plates from Crate & Barrel, IKEA, or a discount store like Home Goods.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up. Not every place setting needs to look the same. If you are using borrowed dishes or linens, just intersperse them in a logical way so that it looks intentional. The same goes for place card holders, silverware, and glassware. Also, don’t be afraid to mix vintage and modern items for an eclectic look.

Have fun! Be creative. Little cloth gift bags from the craft store make great utensil holders. Tiny pumpkins can hold place cards.

I’m going to show you three table settings below, just to give you some ideas. I already had most of the items I used on hand, but I’ve noted for you where it all came from, to give you an idea of where to find similar things.

This table setting uses taper candles, an artificial oak leaf garland, and a pie pumpkin as a centerpiece. Metallic gold plastic chargers from the dollar store dress up plain white dinner plates. Cloth favor bags proclaiming “Give Thanks,” act as holders for silverware. Colorful paper leaves add a pop of color to each place setting. Tiny pumpkins hold place cards in slits in their stems.

Dishes and glassware: Crate & Barrel
Gold chargers: Dollar Tree
Taper holders and gold tapers: Target
Table runner: Target
Cloth favor bags: Michaels
Paper leaves: Hallmark
Napkins: Home Goods
Pumpkins: grocery store

This next table setting uses fresh cranberries as inspiration for both the centerpiece and the color scheme, which has a richer look. This idea could easily be used again at Christmastime. Real pine cones act as place card holders. Silverware is placed alongside the plates and napkins are creatively folded into little envelopes. For easy napkin folding tutorials, check out marthastewart.com.

Pine cones: Michaels
Napkins: Bed Bath & Beyond
Glass hurricane: Dollar Tree
Fresh cranberries: grocery store
This third table setting uses a mix of plates, incorporating an old transferware pattern with the plain white for added texture. I’m using the favor bags again here, this time with the pine cones, showing you how it’s possible to use the same items in different combinations. The fresh cranberries are acting as centerpiece again here, this time in three smaller vases, with some sparkly maple leaves scattered around their bases. You could fill the vases with water and float small candles on top for added ambience. 

Johnson Bros. “The Friendly Village” plates: Home Goods
Square vases: Michaels
Artificial maple leaves (from a garland): Michaels
Here’s one more centerpiece, using pumpkins and gourds in a basket, with a set of shorter tapers in the same holders. The basket is actually from my kitchen countertop, and usually holds my salt cellar, pepper grinder, and olive oil bottle. A great example of how to re-appropriate things you already have around the house.

Basket: World Market
Orange tapers: Target
Pumpkins and gourds: grocery store

I hope this gives you some idea of the variety you can achieve with just a few simple items to mix and match for a great-looking Thanksgiving table!

Happy planning!

Tweet

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.