Festive Thanksgiving Decorations That Will Steal the Show at This Year's Dinner
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Decorating for Thanksgiving, along with planning the perfect Thanksgiving menu, can feel like an insurmountable challenge. This year, put your creativity and crafting know-how to use to make an inviting, unique fall scenes without a ton of effort. From rustic Thanksgiving table settings to easy Thanksgiving decorating ideas for your living and dining room, there's an idea in here for every host—regardless of personal style or taste. Twirl up Thanksgiving centerpieces to delight all your dinner guests, make charming ice buckets out of fake reusable pumpkins, a table runner out of vintage grain sacks, or string together miniature wreaths with which to decorate your candles. When it comes to DIY decor, the possibilities are endless!
Looking for outdoor Thanksgiving decorations, too? We've got a ton of those: Our Thanksgiving door decorations and fall wreaths are an easy way to refresh your front porch and make a lasting impression on your guests before they even set foot inside. Of course, on Thanksgiving, the dining room table should be considered the crown jewel of your home. That's why we've put so much thought into Thanksgiving decoration ideas that'll delight your entire family—even your youngest kids. Whether you're looking for a fun kraft paper tablecloth, a printable banner, or an inexpensive arrangement, we've got you an idea we know you'll love.
Take It to the Barn
Keep the decorations simple with this casual barn-inspired table. Beautiful flowers, casual linens, and thoughtful place settings establish a relaxed tone.
Put the Dessert First
Find a special spot to create a display for all of the desserts. This nook has a perfect spot for pies among the cake stands and antique serving vessels.
Add an Unexpected Element
Harmonicas do double duty as a placecard holder and party favor for this casual setting. Pair with transferware plates and mismatched linens.
Copper Pitcher Display
A seasonal flower arrangement takes center stage in a vintage copper pitcher. Try clipping your own fresh foliage to get a similar look.
Take the Feast Outdoors
If your Thanksgiving weather will be warm enough, host the main event outdoors on a farm table. The mismatched chairs set a festive and casual tone, and beeswax tapers cast a magical glow.
Decoupaged Plates
Pull out the old family photos for this nostalgic decoration. This photo display will welcome guests and show grandma just how much you love her!
To make: Use original or make copies of vintage photos. Cut out to fit the inside rim of a plate (smaller plates such as saucers or salad plates work with most standard 4x6 photos). Use satin or glossy Mod Podge to attach photo. Let dry, then display on your favorite plate stand.
Display Transferware Plates and Pumpkins
Grab the Mod Podge for this easy project. A simple trip to the color copier is all it takes to “transfer” your collection to a pumpkin.
To make: Simply make a color copy of a your favorite plates and trays, then cut the paper into strips and adhere to a pumpkin or gourd with the Mod Podge.
Simple Tablesetting
Impress your guests with this easy idea. Create monograms out of baker's twine, and place on plate. Decorate the table with paper leaves.
Kids Table Idea
Don't forget the kids on Thanksgiving. For this idea, embrace the butcher paper. It evokes a rustic feel, doubles as a coloring surface, and makes for quick cleanup. You can also add an “I’m thankful for” fill-in-the-blank activity at each place setting and bundle colored pencils with the napkin topping each vintage enamelware plate. Store-bought turkey hats serve up particularly precious photo ops.
Display Family Photos in Cloches
Use vintage flower frogs to hold family photos upright, then place beneath glass cloches and bell jars. If your frog doesn’t have tines, fashion a holder by wrapping craft wire around a 3/4-inch dowel a few times, leaving a 1- to 2-inch tail that you insert into a hole of the flower frog. For a more organic feel, incorporate earthy elements such as moss, rocks, and pine cones.
Embrace the Bird
And not just the turkey! An English dresser makes an ideal display space for a collection of pheasant plates and does double duty as a bar.
Plaid and Wood Table Setting
The hues of fall are on display in this warm and cozy table setting.
To make: Start by cutting a vintage wool blanket into placemats. Drill holes in craft nuts and thread with wire or twine to create napkin rings. Finally, write guests names on new or vintage wooden spoons with paint pens to create sweet place cards.
Grainsack Patchwork Runner
Vintage grain sacks and scraps of fabric make quite a statement when cut and sewn together in a patchwork pattern. Try to pick fall color schemes (reds, oranges, browns, and yellows) that will match your decor.
To make: Cut 4-inch squares from grain sacks and coordinating assorted fabrics, such as gingham, stripes, and knobby linen. Layout in a patchwork pattern mixing the materials; sew together. Fringe the cut edges as desired.
Leaf & Pinecone Napkin Rings
Oak-shaped leaves cut from scraps of fabric get tied up with mini pine cones that have been spray painted gold. Tie around corresponding color napkins with leather cording for an on-point table setting.
Fabric Pumpkin Centerpiece
Craft your own personal pumpkin patch using old quilts and fabric scraps.
To make: Start with a round piece of fabric and a ball of batting (about the size you want your finished pumpkin to be). Gather the fabric up around the batting and hot glue it together in the center. Collect dried stems, or purchase faux stems, and attach with hot glue for a realistic touch. Line the middle of a long farmhouse table with a runner, then pile on your creations and other seasonal greenery. These would be an adorable accent to a mantel or buffet as well.
DIY Rope Cornucopia
Fashion a DIY cornucopia out of just 2 materials, rope and hot glue. For a striking display fill with monochromatic bounty such as red grapes and apples, and pomegranates.
To make: Fold the end of a long length of 3/4-inch manila or jute rope over on itself about 4 inches. Start wrapping the long length of rope around the folded piece, forming the cornucopia, arching it and making it wider as you work, holding everything together with hot glue. When you get to the desired size do one last pass between and on top of the last two rows then add a circle of rope on the bottom to act as a base and keep it from rolling.
Fiery Flowers Centerpiece
Go for bold red and yellow blooms instead of the usual muted fall tones. In a vintage pudding tin or other favorite vessel, add flowers first, then mix in fall leaves, berries, magnolia leaves. Tip: Start with more stiff/branchy pieces to make a strong base, then move to softer, delicate materials. Finish it off with a ribbon tied with dried gourds.
Mini Pumpkin and Nut Topiaries Centerpiece
Gather a grouping of these tabletop topiaries down the middle of the table or on a buffet.
To make the nut topiaries, lightly spray styrofoam craft balls with brown paint. Once dry, hot glue nuts to styrofoam balls in an orderly pattern, as shown. For the walnut topiary, start with a middle equator row and add rows up and down from there. Add hazelnuts to fill any gaps. For the raw almond topiary, start at the top and work your way down, gluing horizontal rows around the perimeter and overlapping slightly for full coverage. Leave space at bottom to rest on top of candlestick bases. Attach with hot glue, as needed.
To make the pumpkin and squash topiaries, remove stems, except for the top pieces. Stack two pumpkins and secure using small wooden skewers or toothpicks. Skewer the bottom piece and place into crocks filled with floral foam. Cover foam with Spanish moss, and finish with grapevine accents.
Turkey Vases
These festive vessels are perfect for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Fill them with rustic wheat for a finishing touch. Check out resale sites like Chairish and Etsy for vintage pieces with extra character.
Leaf Place Card and Acorn Napkin Ring
Nature is the theme of this classically fall hued table. Hot glue acorns to lengths of brown waxed twine and use to tie up rolled napkins. Apply gold leaf to a portion of a preserved maple leaf and use a gold paint pen to mark with guest's initials.
DIY Pine Cone Wreath
Let your guests in on all the festive fun happening just beyond the doorway with this pine cone wreath. You can even make it last-minute with a few pine cones gathered from your own yard.
To make the wreath: Wrap a 16-inch wreath form with burlap ribbon and loop a piece around the wreath form for hanging. Paint the tips of 40 pine cones in fall colors such as orange, yellow, and beige with acrylic paint. Brush the tips of 10 pine cones with matte Mod Podge and sprinkle with gold and copper glitter. Once dry, wrap an 18-inch length of floral wire around the base of each pinecone and twist tie around the wreath form to secure, layering and overlapping them as you go.
Button Napkin Ring
This neutral toned place setting is just cute as a button! To make either buy would buttons or drill small holes into small wood rounds. Thread holes with white twine and tie around napkins.
Turkey Salt and Pepper Shakers & Candlesticks
Feather your table with these turkey-shaped collections. Add fall-colored taper candles for a beautiful centerpiece.
SHOP TURKEY SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS
Wheat Cloches
Make this harvest display by turning a cloche upside down and inserting a bushel of wheat tied with twine. Once it's centered, turn it right side up. You can finish the look with pillar candles and gourds or use leftover wheat to adorn candle holders.
Turkey Platters
Turkeys have graced dinnerware since the late 1800s and these stunning platters make the perfect backdrop for your Thanksgiving feast. Gobble, gobble.
SHOP TRANSFERWARE TURKEY PLATTER
Bowtie Napkins
Beautiful tones of orange and gold make for an elegant Thanksgiving table. And don't forget to give that napkin extra love by forming then into a bow shapes and slipping a gold napkin ring over the center.
Sophisticated Painted Pumpkins
Five minutes and done! Paint a green or tan heirloom pumpkin with off-white acrylic paint and voila. Sophistication!
Ombre Pumpkin Centerpiece
Paint small white pumpkins in differing shades of red and pink to create a lovely ombre effect down the center of the table. Add single maroon flowers in bud vases here and there for a light floral touch.
Go Blue and White
A vintage blue-and-white transferware tureen stuffed full of white and yellow flowers, with hints of greenery, looks great on buffet or as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece. Hang blue and white plates in a wreath shape on the wall and decoupage a white pumpkin with blue and white toile wallpaper (you can use color copies, too).
SHOP BLUE AND WHITE TRANSFERWARE PLATES
Go Classic with Green Gourds
A scattering of green gourds and acorn squash laid down the center of the table and accented with orange and red flowers creates quite a pretty site.
DIY Apple Candleholders
Whipping up one of your famous apple pies this year? Put any leftover apples to good use in this cool and totally unexpected centerpiece.
To make the candleholders: Use a paring knife to cut a 1-inch deep hole in the top of a few apples, slightly narrower than the candles, and wedge the candles in. Display alone or with stacked apples and seeded eucalyptus on a neutral cake stand.
Cinnamon Stick Placecard Holder
Welcome guests with a the scent of warm spices. Wrap the ends of cinnamon sticks in red twine and slip place cards in the stick's natural crevice to create place cards.
Simple Table Setting
Create a simple, yet chic, tablescape with pieces of seasonal fruit topping a linen napkin laid on each plate. Add vases of fresh flowers in vintage trophies down the table too for an effortlessly undone fall look.
Frilly Lace Pumpkins
Not just for wedding dresses! Hot glue lace and sewing trim on orange pumpkins and sprinkle them down the center of the table. An orange flower and bittersweet floral arrangement round out the scene.
Handwritten Menu Cards
Show off your calligraphy skills alongside your cooking skills. Menu cards are not only functional, but can be a beautiful addition to your Thanksgiving dinner, too.
Hand-Embroidered Table Runner
Want to make everyone in the family feel loved? Create a table runner with each guest's name stitched right on it. Use disappearing ink pens to write the names before embroidering them on for homespun decoration. What a fun alternative to place cards!
Natural Wood Cake Stand
It took you a long time to make that Thanksgiving dessert, so you might as well give it the showcase it deserves! Fair warning: These effortlessly chic wooden cake stands might just upstage the edible stuff on your dessert table—unless you use our pecan-pumpkin bundt cake recipe, that is.
Crabapple Arrangement
The best thing about this sort of arrangement? There's absolutely no arranging involved. Liza Lubell of Brooklyn's Peartree Flowers simply stripped the leaves from each limb before putting it in a vase. "This treatment highlights the prettiest feature of the plant—its fruit," she explains. Group several different-size vases for even greater visual payoff. You can also try figs or chestnuts.
Mini Orange Pumpkin Place Card
All it take is a fancy gold push pin and rough torn card stock to turn the cutest mini pumpkin into a greet your guests place card.
Decked-Out Pickup Truck
Take your Thanksgiving feast outside this year! Sure, not every area of the country will allow for an al fresco dinner, but if yours does, we suggest you take full advantage. Serve appetizers out of picnic baskets from the back of a pickup truck, and add freshly picked pumpkins, bold blooms, and plaid throws.
Wheat Horseshoe Wreath
Spruce up plain chair backs with this seasonal embellishment.
Step 1: Cut a 24-inch length of wire and bend it into a horseshoe shape. (We used armature wire, but any wire, including a coat hanger, will work.) Wrap the wire, including any sharp ends, with masking tape.
Step 2: Gather five pieces of dried wheat and trim the stems to 2 ½ inches long. Wrap stems together with white, cloth-covered floral wire to make a bundle. Make 9 more bundles of 5 stems each, for a total of 10 bundles.
Step 3: Attach the bundles to the horseshoe-shaped wire with floral wire. Place 5 on the right and 5 on the left, leaving a 2-inch space at the center. Tie a bow with 1 yard of ribbon in this space.
Plaid Embroidery Hoop Place Settings
Plaid is the name of the game when it comes to Thanksgiving table decorating ideas. Here, personalized plaid place settings, plaid pumpkins, and even diagonal plaid runners add to the memorable holiday scene.
To make the place settings: Use a 3-inch embroidery hoop to frame plaid fabric. Iron on orange fabric initials or affix cutout orange fabric with fusible webbing.
Berry Branch Centerpiece
Free up prime dinner-table real estate by moving oversize arrangements to the buffet. And don't bother with elaborate floral fantasies: Just go "shopping" in your backyard for branches of holly, crab apple, or bittersweet berries. Then bring in-demand items—butter, gravy, cranberry sauce—to the middle of the table.
Pinecone Door Hanging
Not all DIY front-door decor requires a foam wreath form. To make this elegant cluster, we selected 8 four- to six-inch pinecones and 8 two-foot-long pieces of silk ribbon. Use a hot-glue gun to adhere the last two inches of each ribbon to the base of a cone. After the glue dries, collect all the ribbon ends and stagger them so that the cones fall at varying lengths. Tie the ribbon ends together in a knot, trim the tips so they are uniform, and slip the knot over a finishing nail.
Pumpkin Place Cards
These place cards aren't just good looking (and glittery!); they're meaningful too. Within each name banner is a hidden message of gratitude that you can customize depending on your relationship with the guest.
To make the place cards: Cut strips of paper from blue card stock, fold each strip in half. Use a craft knife to cut triangles in the end of each strip. Use a white paint pent to write messages on the inside and a name of the outside of each strip. Display in the stems of mini pumpkins or set directly on the plate.
Spice Tin Arrangements
Decorate your dinner table, dessert display, or kitchen island with these inexpensive arrangements fashioned from wildflowers and spice tins. Feel free to use containers in various heights, sizes, and designs—just be sure they feature autumn's rich reds, bright oranges, and golden hues.
Pumpkin Pie Place Cards
Not only are these pie box place cards simply adorable, but they're also the perfect way to appease your guests' appetites before dinner begins. Just fill them up with nuts or candies!
Get the tutorial at Tatertots + Jello.
Fiery Florals
Get inspired by the fall foliage and create an autumnal display of beautiful blooms in shades of yellow, orange, red, and purple. Use an antique champagne bucket or trophy vase (with a flower frog inside) to give flowers a loose, fanned out look.
Asian Pear Arrangement
"Cut or buy these beautiful branches long," Liza Lubell of Brooklyn's Peartree Flowers says, then balance their heft with an equally sizable container. Start by placing your tallest cuttings in the middle, and fan out with the shorter ones from there. An ideal home for such a striking setup: a low piece of furniture, like a chest or bench. You can also try olives or forsythia.
Vintage Turkey Cloches
A jadeite cake stand, glass cloche, and turkey figurine are all you need to make this quick, easy Thanksgiving decoration idea come to life. Of course, the idea can be adapted for whatever fall-themed figurines you happen to collect.
Get the tutorial at House of Hawthornes.
Autumnal Place Setting
For favors sure to spark conversation, turn acorn caps into adorable mini-candles by filling them with melted wax and inserting short wicks (allow one hour of cooling time). To assemble a complete glow-on-the-go kit, stash the tiny lights, plus a few matches, in a box tricked out with a striker, a.k.a. a strip of sandpaper glued to one side. The final touch: Personalize the lid with a sweet frame stamp and a handwritten note.
DIY Concrete Pumpkins
"Charming concrete" might sound like an oxymoron...until you've seen these adorable pumpkins, that is. Using silicone molds, you can create these modern beauties yourself and use them to decorate your Thanksgiving table.
Get the tutorial at Sugar and Charm.
Corn Husk Wreath
Paint the tips for an elegant twist on this harvest staple.
Step 1: Wrap corn husks around an 18-inch diameter straw wreath, using a hot-glue gun to adhere the edges. You'll need about 35 husks to completely cover the wreath form.
Step 2: Using a foam brush, paint the tips of 48 additional corn husks with gold acrylic paint; let dry (about 15 minutes).
Step 3: Starting with the outer edge of the wreath, use hot-glue to adhere three concentric rings of 16 corn husks each. (Attach the second ring to the middle of the wreath and the third to its inner edge.) For the second and third rings, position the tip of each corn husk between two corn husks from the previous ring.
Go Beyond the Vase
When it comes to centerpieces, vintage wooden spools offer a novel way to display dried leaves or branches. (If using fresh flowers, seek out spools with hollow cores wide enough to accommodate floral tubes.) The vessel that contains our loose arrangement of dahlias and pomegranates? It's a porcelain utensil holder. Bonus: Craft the cheapest candlestick ever: A $3 roll of jute twine from the hardware store! Pop a taper inside, then set it atop a plate.
Gratitude Tree With Acorn Favors
Your guests will be grateful for the acorn favors that hang from this arrangement. Each one contains lip balm for when that cold November weather hits.
Get the tutorial at The House That Lars Built.
Box Grater Luminaries
Create moody ambience on a sideboard with this flickering display. Arrange multiple vintage box graters on a tray. Illuminate with flameless flickering LED votives to prevent the metal graters from becoming too hot to handle. Fill in gaps on tray with acorns and extra candles.
Create moody ambience on a sideboard with this flickering display.
Step 1: Arrange multiple vintage box graters (we found ours on Etsy) on a tray. Illuminate with f
Hearst OwnedDIY Basket Thanksgiving Wreath
Why should Easter get all the woven fun? This rustic wreath will have guests singing, "A-tisket, a-tasket, a Thanksgiving basket."
Get the tutorial at Twelve on Main.
Give Thanks Banner
Save money on decorations with this free printable banner, which you can customize with flowers or greenery of your choice.
Get the tutorial at Homey Oh My.
Grateful Heart Printable Sign
Fill an empty photo frame with this free printable and you'll have a pretty, new decoration ready to go in no time.
Get the tutorial at Bird's Party.
Copper Thanksgiving Table Decor
A green and copper color palette makes for a warm, inviting Thanksgiving table setting, and kraft paper cards at each place encourage guests to jot down their blessings.
Get the tutorial at Bless'er House.
Printable Give Thanks Sign
Download and print this free design and throw in a wooden frame for a Thanksgiving decoration that's as easy as can be.
Get the tutorial at Shanty 2 Chic.
Gilded Fruit Centerpiece
Cover artificial pomegranates with copper leaf for festive decor that will never spoil.
To make the centerpiece: Just insert wooden skewers into artificial pomegranates. Coat each with adhesive size. Stand skewers upright in a piece of Styrofoam; let pomegranates dry until tacky (about 7 minutes). Following manufacturer's instructions, apply sheets of copper leaf until pomegranate is covered (approximately 2 sheets). Repeat with each pomegranate. Display on a tray, in a bowl, or on a cake stand.
Give Thanks Pumpkin
A white pumpkin accented with a faux magnolia leaf and a calligraphed message is the centerpiece of your most sophisticated Thanksgiving dreams.
Get the tutorial at Lolly Jane.
Door Greeting
Greet guests with this charming alternative to a fall wreath. Simply apply a layer of chalkboard paint to the inside of an old tray, then add autumn branches and bittersweet berries for a seasonal finish.
DIY Leaf Table Runner
Let nature take its course with a DIY leaf runner. Crafted from lush blue and green felt, this table topper perks up plain linens and provides a padded path for hot plates. Download our leaf template and use it to cut the shapes out of felt. Create enough leaves to traverse your table, then hand-stitch the edges together in a whimsical, overlapping design.
A feather placecard holder lends a fine finish. More than just a way to denote seating arrangements, this pretty plumage doubles as wearable art—thanks to a bar pin hot-glued to the back. Make the quill stand upright by hot-gluing a magnet to the side of a cork, then sliding the placecard between the feather pin and cork magnet. As for the gorgeous handwriting, we splurged on professional calligraphy.
Kraft Paper Tablecloth
A roll of kraft paper makes a fun tablecloth for the kids' table—make sure to set out terra-cotta pots filled with crayons (and pears, for decoration).
Thankful Wall Art
Here's a project that's perfect for beginner and expert level crafters alike. Prop this DIY sign up on your mantel, use it to liven up a guest room, or frame it on your kitchen wall to inspire your cooking on Thanksgiving.
Get the tutorial at We Lived Happily Ever After.
DIY Thanksgiving Balloons
It doesn't get much more whimsical than balloons in the shape of roasted turkey legs. Whether you choose to add in a few of the Thanksgiving phrase balloons as well or just go all in on on the legs themselves, you're setting yourself up for serious Thanksgiving success.
Get the tutorial at Studio DIY.
DIY Napkin Holders
Stamp a message and design on cardstock, punch holes on either side, and thread with a coordinating ribbon to create custom napkin holders.
DIY Pumpkin Vase
Trade your glass vase for a faux pumpkin to take your Thanksgiving decor to the next level.
Get the tutorial at A Pumpkin and a Princess.
Thankful Tree Leaves
We are definitely thankful for these charming free printables, which you can display on an arrangement of fall branches in your entry way.
Get the printables at Ella Claire Inspired.
Chalk Painted Pumpkins
If you love chalk painting furniture, just wait until you get your hands on some pumpkins.
Get the tutorial at Anderson and Grant.
Mason Jar Fall Luminary
We love a fall Mason jar! These cute versions would look right at home on your Thanksgiving table.
Get the tutorial at Create Craft Love.
Thanksgiving Banner
Remind your dinner guests what the holiday is all about with this simple and sweet fireplace banner.
Get the tutorial at The Frugal Homemaker.
Fall Greetings
Give your porch a a warm autumn touch by adding a cozy fall pillow.
Get the tutorial at Opulent Cottage.
The Thankful Tree
Remind your guests the true meaning of Thanksgiving by presenting this wonderful tree that lists all of the best things in life.
Get the tutorial at Simply Vintage Girl.
Pomegranate Centerpieces
Liza Lubell of Brooklyn's Peartree Flowers says, "Ripe fruit is as lush as any flower." Here, she uses opulent pomegranates for these autumnal centerpieces. Cut each branch to a height that allows its heavy fruits to rest on the rim of your vase. Then fill in with inexpensive foliage, such as the purple shiso leaves here. You can also try apples or persimmons.
Kids' Table
We all fondly recall holidays spent at the kids' table, joking with cousins and passing vegetables to the dog when no one was looking. To create special memories for the next generation, forgo the boring card table in favor of a fun, kid-friendly setup with plenty of treats and activities to keep boredom and squabbles at bay.
Giving Tree: Have the kids write down what they're thankful for this year on stamped tags, then tie to branches of fall foliage.
Sweet Treats: Thanksgiving-themed chocolate turkeys and lollipops make winning favors for tots.
Gift Bags: Fill gift bags with rubber stamps and pads, then lay parchment paper on the table so the kids can play.
Stamped Cocktail Napkins
Enlist the kids to stamp colorful messages and designs onto cocktail napkins before guests arrive.
White Pillar Candles
Arrange a large group of scentless white pillar candles in various heights on a large wooden tray in the center of your dining table. Add wheat stalks, fresh fruit, and gourds for an extra festive display.
Gourd Candlesticks
Hollow out the middle of a couple miniature gourds and pumpkins, then slide in a taper candle for a seasonal DIY candlestick.
Pumpkin Ice Bucket
Transform a pumpkin into the cutest ice bucket with just a few supplies you probably already have at home.
Get the tutorial at Plaid.
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