The Thanksgiving Table

It was my first time hosting Thanksgiving this year. We were only having my parents and sister over, so very low-key no pressure. But I still wanted the table to be festive - without spending a penny. Very doable with these two ideas!

First, I had seen the cutest Thanksgiving place cards over on Kimba's DIY Day. Turley Times made these adorable place cards for Thanksgiving and I knew I had to recreate (a.k.a copy!).

These were so easy to make. Turley Times did a great job on the step-by-step. I basically followed it but skipped the leaves (just because I didn't have them and was too lazy to get them). Here is my version:



Cost for this project: $0.00. I had the ribbon, vellum paper, card stock, pine cones and of course a printer.

Next, the Thanksgiving centerpiece. Again, this was super easy to make and costed $0.00! Here is what you will need:

1. Drinking Glasses
2. Beans, lentils, any dried food
3. Card stock paper
4. Tree branches
5. Ribbon
6. Vellum paper
7. Printer
8. Hole puncher

Here is what I did. I printed my Thanksgiving message (THANKS) on vellum paper. I cut circles of card stock paper a little bigger than the vellum paper. I hole punched both vellum paper and card stock and tied a ribbon through to attach them together.

I picked out some tree branches and tied the tags to them. I filled my drinking glasses with bird food (yes, bird food - I had no other dried food!). I cut out circles of card stock and placed them over the bird food - just so that we don't smell it! Hehe, so obviously this step is optional :)


I then stuck the branches through the card stock and the bird food - and voila! One of the easiest projects ever!

And here is the low-key and extremely casual (and cheap!) Thanksgiving table.

Love it!

Another Tablescape

I love neutral colors - and I have seen many Fall neutral decor. It is interesting since my first tablescape could pass more as "Fall", but breaking away from the greens, oranges, deep reds and browns is totally okay when you decorate for the Fall.

Again, I worked with what I had around the house, with the exception of getting new napkin rings and scented pine cones from Walmart and new napkins from Burlington Coat Factory (they have a great home decor/furniture section!).

A Happy Ending and Tablescaping

Thanks for every one's opinions on the table makeover. I decided on the "all black" for a sleek and classy look. To recap...
Table before:
Table after (last week):

And the table now!

I am loving it all black! I decided to use the three chairs I purchased at a thrift store recently instead of the chairs that came with the table. They gave the table height and matched perfectly. But now I am on the hunt for a fourth chair, grrr! Note to self: purchase chairs in even numbers next time!

So as I was setting the table for a dinner party, I stepped back and realized that I had created my very first tablescape! I didn't realize how using simple things from around the house can transform the look and feel of the table. Here are some close-ups:





I used my fine china and stainless steel silverware over silver chargers, but to counter-balance the elegance, I used sisal place mats and quirky glassware. I added variations of candlelight for coziness and mood, and a centerpiece with fruit to give the table life. I placed a basket to hold the extra silverware for a rustic element. And the sunflowers add color while complimenting the earthy tones.

If you haven't tuned in to the art of tablescaping, you are definitely missing out on letting your creative juices flow. You can scape whatever you fancy - rustic, elegance, chic, quirky. The possibilities are endless! Can't wait to do some tablescaping for the holidays :)