Whoa! To begin with, let’s talk about last-minute table decorations. Today is Thanksgiving, one of the most celebrated holidays of the year and I am just now posting about how to decorate your holiday table. I am sure many of you are in the same boat. You’re busy with life and the holidays snuck up on you. You’re trying to get the house ready for guests, cook the turkey, boil the potatoes, all of the good stuff….and you forgot to decorate the table. Well, I hope this post will help those of you in need of last-minute table decoration ideas. Don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple. In fact, let’s do it in 5 easy steps.
1. Shop Local for Last Minute Table Decorations
I often try to shop local to support small business, and this project was no exception. Fortunately for me, we have a beautiful, artsy local home decor and vintage shop in town called Fox and the Hound of Fayetteville. Sharon has a shop full of unique gifts for the home, ladies apparel, locally made accessories and hand-poured candles. She is always decked out for the holidays. As a result, I knew that she would have everything I needed to pull together my table decorations this Thanksgiving. If you are ever in Fayetteville be sure to check out her store. For those of you not local, she has an awesome shop on ebay where she sells many of her one of a kind finds.
The day I decided to decorate the table for Thanksgiving, I wandered into her shop. Of course, she had everything I needed. We paired up together to bring you this post on how to pull together easy last-minute table decorations. I also took a some expert design advice from Joanna Gaine’s on this project.
2. Joanna says, Start Minimal and Add Texture
As we all know, Joanna Gaines knows how to do it right! In the process of researching holiday table decorations, I ran across her beautiful Thanksgiving Table post. A few of her tips got me started on my own Thanksgiving table decorations.
I really believe the table should be a reflection of the celebration, and I love dressing up my Thanksgiving table with pieces both old and new. I typically like to start with a minimal table and incorporate a lot of texture on top—usually in the form of a runner, napkins and the centerpiece. – Joanna Gaines
3. Gather Items from Around the House
This leads me to my third step. Use items new and old. If you are a design lover like I me, you will have items lying around that you can use time and time again in your table decorations. Gather up old candle sticks, votive candles, natural greenery from outside, sticks, fall leaves, pretty cloth napkins, etc. Once you have gathered your local finds and items from around the house, it’s time to pull it all together.
4. Now Tie it Together
Just like Joanna recommended, I started with a minimal table and began layering texture on top.
I kicked off the tablescape with simple burlap placemats that I had lying around. Burlap adds a nice, natural texture to the table. It is quiet and understated. Next, I contrasted the rustic burlap texture by layering classic white porcelain plates on top. I then finished off each place setting with plain, pewter napkin rings and a neutral Faux Bois napkin from Pottery Barn.
Once the place settings were in place, I moved on to the centerpiece decorations. Just like when designing a room, start with a focal point. I chose to use a large, metal galvanized pumpkin and a smaller gray flannel pumpkin with feathers from Fox and the Hound as my statement pieces for the table. Everything else was designed to complement these two pieces.
For height, I brought in 3 unique glass vases. Two of them were filled with tall pheasant feathers and the third I added cedar and sage greenery to contrast the feathers. Finally, I added natural elements in the form of small gourds and pine cones that I had lying around the house and a few Mercury glass votive candles, which adds shimmer to contrast the natural, rustic feel of the tablescape.
5. Add Natural Greenery
Now that most your table is decorated, finish it off with fresh greenery. I feel that fresh greenery adds soft, natural element to any tablescape. It helps to add movement and helps bring the table to life. For my Thanksgiving table decorations, I used sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden. The smell it brought to the table was earthy, and delightful. It provided a bit of unexpected to the table and made it feel fresh and alive.
When it comes to design, I believe in keeping it simple and understated. Decorating your holiday table is no exception. No need to get frustrated or stressed about it. Pick up a few items locally if needed to freshen up your design, but also use what you have lying around the house. Get creative. You can easily create beautiful table decorations last-minute. Have fun with it! I hope this guide helps you this holiday season.
Happy Holidays!
