Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to share food with family and friends. Many people like to decorate their home seasonally, and decorating for Thanksgiving is no exception. Whether your style is traditional or modern, colorful or muted, over the top or subtle, you can decorate your dining room to suit your personal style. Here are some ideas for decorating a dining table for Thanksgiving. Form Follows FunctionThink about what food items, dishes, glasses, and other items you want to put on your Thanksgiving dining table before you start decorating for Thanksgiving. Will the food be put on plates in the kitchen, on the dining room server, or will the platters of food be placed on the table? If you have a large decorative centerpiece and want to serve food on the table, make it easily removable so that it doesn't get in the way when dinner starts. If you wish to keep the decorations on the table instead of the turkey, make sure the decorations are low enough that everyone's sight lines to each other are not blocked. You can even create a basic dining room tablescape and add some items to it for fall, then add a few more items for Halloween, then remove those items and add some items to it to transition into Thanksgiving. Tablecloth or PlacematYour table cloth or place mat is the ideal place to create a color scheme for your Thanksgiving dinner table. You can even use a decorative scarf or accent fabric on top of a simple tablecloth you already own. Using the fabric as a jumping off point, you can select a traditional color scheme of fall colors using orange, yellow, and burgundy, or you can select a more modern color scheme using less color and more metallics. If you like pastel colors, then go with that. Don't be afraid to be a little unconventional and unique. For a more classic look, a white tablecloth is almost always appropriate. A textural neutral tablecloth adds warmth the dining table and serves as a calming element for a bold centerpiece. CenterpieceAn array of fall vegetables is a nice option for a Thanksgiving dining table centerpiece. You can use different sized pumpkins, gourds, and ornamental corn in a bowl, on a platter, or in a cornucopia to add to the Thanksgiving mood. A floral bouquet is always a nice touch, especially if the flowers incorporate the colors of your color scheme. Fall colored leaves are very popular as well as old family photos and bouquets of twigs or wheat. Pine cones and acorns add a nice texture to dining room tablescapes. Fine ChinaDon't forget to use your fine china and crystal during Thanksgiving dinner. Consider using a decorative charger to add color to your basic white china. A woven bamboo charger or another textural material makes plain white china look more interesting. CandlesCandles are a nice addition to the Thanksgiving dinner table. Make sure to keep fire safety in mind, especially if there will be young children passing plates at the table. Consider using non traditional brown metallic candle holders or orange candles to add color to the table. You can also use a hurricane glass filled with decorations and a candle (be careful the decorations don't catch on fire). The hurricane glass can be filled with small pumpkins, colorful leaves, pine cones, or most anything else you can think of. For a classic look, antique brass candlesticks with white candles is a timeless choice. Consider mixing and matching different candlesticks or different candle sizes for a more unique Thanksgiving tablescape. Napkin RingsNapkin rings on cloth napkins are a nice touch to add extra flair during Thanksgiving. There are many different styles to choose from. The napkin rings can even coordinate with your candle holders. If you want to be creative, you can make your own napkin rings with fall themes of pumpkins, corn, feathers, turkeys, and orange colors. Napkin rings can be all the same, or you can vary them slightly in color or pattern, but try to keep the shape and size consistent so your tablescape feels cohesive and well designed. Place CardsFor a more formal Thanksgiving dinner, consider using place cards with everyone's names on them. For an added special touch, you can add a personalized note on the place card saying why you are thankful for that particular guest. Instead of place cards, consider personalizing napkins with the guest's name on the napkin using paint or embroidery. Kids TableIf you have a separate kids table for Thanksgiving dinner, make sure to give just as much thought (if not more) to the decorations of that table. Make it feel less like a secluded table in the kitchen and more like a table that is better and more fun than the main dining table. Here are some dining room images for decorating inspiration.......
