While turkey is typically the main attraction, no Thanksgiving dinner is complete without an artfully decorated table and home for celebrating with family and friends.
If you don’t have time to scour Pinterest for the latest Thanksgiving decorating trends (and honestly, who does?), don’t worry — we chatted with a handful of interior decorators to give you these nine easy and beautiful Thanksgiving table and home decorating ideas. Your kids will love getting in on the decorating action, too!
1. Thanksgiving tree
Since Thanksgiving is traditionally considered a “boring” holiday by kids (no presents like Christmas!), get them involved in a fun decorating activity, suggests Mark Cutler, who owns Mark Cutler Design, an interior design firm in California.
About a week before Thanksgiving, Cutler and his kids search for a large, leafless branch. They stick it in a vase and place it in the middle of the dining room table. As the week goes on, each family member will write what they are thankful for on a label and tie it to the tree. When Thanksgiving dinner rolls around, they read through all the labels together.
“This way we create a great conversation starter for Thanksgiving dinner as we all discuss the various things we are all thankful for,” he said.
2. Eye-popping table runner
Another way to engage the kids is to take a morning walk on Thanksgiving. Task them with collecting leaves in various shades of green, yellow, red and orange, suggests Justin Riordan, founder of the design agency Space and Archer.
Then, organize the leaves by color into a beautiful ombre pattern on the center of the dining room table.
“It costs nothing, lasts for only a day and looks absolutely beautiful,” Riordan says.
3. Indoor wreaths
Wreaths aren’t just for the front door anymore, says Bee Heinemann, an interior decorating expert at Vant Wall Panels.
Hang a row of wreaths on an empty wall or hang one from an oversized mirror, she suggests.
Want to make your own Pinterest-inspired burlap wreath? This YouTube video shows you how in less than two minutes. When you’re done, decorate it with fall-inspired baubles and ribbons!
4. Festive frames
Another way to display those gorgeous fall leaf colors is to pick up a few inexpensive frames from the craft store and let the kids go to town making their own “leaf art,” Heinemann suggests.
If there aren’t any leaves where you live, grab a few pieces of fall design paper from the craft store instead and cut out Thanksgiving-related sayings to frame.
5. Rustic decor
For decorations you can repurpose all year round, consider rustic items that can be updated for each season.
Old coffee cans, antique pots, mason jars and wood crates can be filled with gourds, acorns, pumpkins, mums or cranberries, says Heinemann.
7. Pumpkins galore
You don’t have to put away the pumpkins just because Halloween is over, says Felicia Ramos-Peters, a holiday expert and the brains behind the Holiday Happy blog.
She turns mini pumpkins into candle holders or uses them to fill a large glass vase for a centerpiece. Add a few cinnamon sticks to make your home smell warm and cozy.
8. Kids’ placemats
Let your kids decorate their own placements for Thanksgiving dinner. Set out bright orange, red and yellow paints for them to get creative with on large sheets of white paper (within reason, of course).
With your help, they can use a hot glue gun to stick on acorns, cranberries, leaves and other fall objects that will make their placemats 3D.
9. Thanksgiving banner
Buy or make your own Thanksgiving banner to hang from the fireplace or from the back door.
If you’re going the DIY route, grab some twine or ribbon for hanging your banner. Then, cut festive paper or felt into triangles and tack on letters or shapes. You could spell out “Happy Thanksgiving” or make each triangle look like a slice of pumpkin pie.
