Festive Gratitude: Thanksgiving Tablescape Inspiration
This post may include affiliate links in which we earn a commission, as we are supported by our users. All opinions expressed are always our own and any commissions earned are of no cost to you. Thanks for your support!
It’s almost the holidays! It feels so surreal to be fast approaching both our first holiday season as a family of three AND our first back in the States in three years, but upon seeing the stores already switching from fall decor to jingle bells, I realize we are there! While part of me will always miss the international potluck styled Thanksgivings we have enjoyed these past few years with friends in Munich, I am excited to dive into all the delicious heirloom recipes of family around the table and soak in this wonderful gratitude holiday on American soil. Most particularly to share with our daughter. But it got me thinking, though I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year (and by extension am only reminiscing on our recent expat Thanksgiving adventures in which I biked our giant turkey home to make it up the four flights of stairs to our apartment to strategically fit it in our small oven!), what would I want our Thanksgiving to feel like this year?! Of course, we would incorporate our gratitude conversation prompts as they have become a bit of a Thanksgiving staple when Charlie and I host (you can find more on those HERE!), but what would I want it to look and feel like? Cozy, of course. Bountiful. Festive. Full of gratitude. Fun. Lively. Delicious. Dreamy. Simple, yet stylish…. After envisioning this tablescape and turning it over in my mind these past few days, I thought I might share some of this Thanksgiving tablescape creativity with you too, should you be starting to plan and want a bit of inspiration.
Festive, Yet Subtle
I love festive designs! And designs with a theme… but less of an obvious, everything reusing the same symbol kinda theme and more of a subtle, stylish, implied theme. A theme that is implied with the right colors, textures and mood of items. I sought to really embody that in this Thanksgiving tablescape in a few key ways:
Color, Color, Color
If one hasn’t already decorated for Christmas, Thanksgiving often invokes warm colors with brown, orange, copper, ivory, purples etc. as a final combination of rich fall tones. This year, should I be creating my own tablescape, I would involve color for sure, but in some unexpected ways. First, I would start with these salad and/or appetizer plates as my launching point as their floral and fall details create the perfect palette of brown, green, blue, white, yellow, plum and orange to pull from. These plates are fall inspired for sure with their floral, pumpkin, leaf and acorn details, but still are transitional enough to be festive for Thanksgiving or another fall gathering. From here, I would use creamy beige plates, blue napkins, and a green tablecloth to create a refreshingly colorful base (which also can be repurposed for other times of year!) while adding in the luscious brown bows to the candles, the multicolored wine glasses and black accents in the charcuterie slates, Le Creuset dish and candle sticks to provide a well rounded Thanksgiving coziness.
Texture
Once achieving a balance of color, I aim for a mix of appropriate textures. While summer calls for light linens, rattan, seersucker and wicker, fall and winter seem to beckon for more natural heavy textures of stone, wool, wood, velvet and greenery. These textures are integrated through the marble and wood cake plate, slate charcuterie board, velvet bows and greenery swag to be hung on the mantle, draped on the table or adorning a side buffet.
Bounty
There is nothing quite like the bounty of a Thanksgiving table. At our last international Thanksgiving, a friend from the UK, who was experiencing an American Thanksgiving celebration for the first time, remarked that it seemed that “it was much like Christmas festivities, just with less gifts and better food!”. And honestly, it’s kinda true! Thanksgiving food, with all the toppings and fixings and family recipes, is dreamed of throughout the year. Knowing this, why not make it part of the decor? Display your pies, cakes, charcuterie and other goodies throughout your table to allow them to become a centerpiece of your tablescape. Not only will this be delicious, but also allow family and friends to linger before and after the meal, snacking on the charcuterie and savoring the dessert throughout your bountiful display.
Final Thoughts
While every Thanksgiving looks a little different whether from location, decor or people, I believe the sentiment behind this joyous holiday reflecting on God’s faithfulness throughout the year remains the same. I may not be sitting around one similar to this above, but I am SO grateful for those I will be sharing the table with and reminiscing on the celebrations this year has brought. I hope this tablescape might inspire yours but even more so, I hope you are able to hold your friends and family dear with all the gratitude your heart can give.
Happy preparing!
