Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas You Can Easily Steal

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, meaning it’s literally on Thursday and I didn’t realize it. Luckily for me, I don’t pre-plan my Thanksgiving tablescape (I just go to the flower mart that morning , buy what I like, and work it out later). Even more lucky for you, I’m going to post pictures of Thanksgiving tablescapes past that you can easily steal and claim as your own.

I want all my tables to say Thanksgiving without saying THANKSGIVING LET’S BE GRATEFUL WITH TURKEYS AND PUMPKINS AND REALLY ON THE NOSE FALL DECOR. The tables read as holiday festive without putting the words “give thanks” anywhere.

These past two Thanksgivings were hosted by my parents at their home in Malibu. I cannot cook so I contribute my one and only skill of DESIGN (*jazz hands*). For each Thanksgiving I used Vastly different florals and accessories to create two unique tablescapes. One table gives a rustic glam vibe that uses greens and metallics, and the other is a maximalist dreamland with jewel tones and over the top florals. I’ll show you both designs, and give you some easy tips and steps on how you can create them for yourself!

STEP 1 in any tablescape is to take stock of what pieces you already have.  In the case of my rustic glam look, I already had the green, gold and white plates,  classic silverware, linen and lace napkins, crystal ware, and some select candle votives and holders.  

STEP 2 is to decide what you need to complete the table.  Right off the bat I knew I needed a table runner, candles, florals, and placemats.  The rest I would just improvise in store, and hope for the best. What’s a holiday without some self-inflicted stress, amiright?

When shopping for holiday decor I prefer to go to stores like World Market and Target. They aren’t too expensive, have no shortage of home accessories, and you can talk to yourself in the aisles with hardly any stares. The only items I don’t buy at either stores are the florals. I wake up early the day of Thanksgiving and head downtown to my local wholesale flower mart. At a flower mart you will hands down get the widest selection of stems for the best prices. If there’s not flower mart near you, beautiful and affordable stems can be found at Trader Joe’s.

STEP 3 means it’s time to put together the table. When I set up a table I like to think of it in layers.  The first layer is always your necessities (i.e. table runner, place settings, etc.).  The second layer is centerpiece florals, the third layer is centerpiece candles, and so on.  With each layer you put on the table take a step back to see what you're missing.  Whatever you’re missing is your next layer.

If this makes sense to you, great, if it doesn’t, here’s a translation: just put stuff on the table and keep adding until it looks good.