How to Set a Pretty Thanksgiving Table on a Budget

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.

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.

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!