Last Thanksgiving was our first time to officially host a big family dinner. It was pretty special, after years of going to others’ homes to celebrate the holidays, to have people come to our home. One of the things I was most excited about was decorating our Thanksgiving table.
If there is one thing I have learned about decorating, is that if you turn to Pinterest, you’ll have 5,000 ideas about how to complete your project. Chances are you will stare blankly at the screen with no idea how to narrow it down or what you should do to proceed. You will also wonder how you can round up $200 to replicate that centerpiece.
You don’t have to scroll through 5,000 ideas, stare blankly, or spend $200 for a beautiful tablescape. By shopping your home and buying a few pieces to finish it off, you can have an amazing table for your holiday dinners. I spent less than $20 to create the Thanksgiving table in these photos. Keep these steps in mind the next time you are hosting a dinner.
Step 1: Make a list
Make a short list of what you have on hand for your project; in this case, a tablescape and work from there. I was most excited about finally using our wedding china after nearly nine years of it staying packed away in the box from our wedding. As a side note, I was pretty sure when I got married that I didn’t need fancy dishes as a wedding present, and it was my husband who convinced me that we should have a set of beautiful dishes. He was right and I was so happy to have them and finally use them! I also had gold chargers that I got from my grandmother when she downsized her home, and glasses from my mother and my husband’s grandmother. I found a five foot strip of burlap that I dug out of my drawer of fabric. You’ll be surprised what you have; shopping your home first will save you lots of money and time!
Step 2: Research ideas
Now is the time to consult Pinterest. With my list of items I already had on hand, I could search Thanksgiving tablescapes and instantly narrow down the photos to ones that matched what I had on hand. Knowing what you have to work with will draw you to ideas that have similar looks and make it infinitely easier than starting from scratch and feeling like you have to make 10 trips to Hobby Lobby to complete your look.
Step 3: Treat yourself
Buy a couple of new inexpensive items. Because first of all it’s just fun to buy something new, and second, if you have saved the money by shopping your home first, it’s easy to spend a few extra dollars on the finishing touches. My whole tablescape idea actually began with $3 eucalyptus branches I saw someone use on Instagram. I bought white mini-pumpkins on clearance and a few eucalyptus branches and that’s about it! Okay, don’t tell anyone, but I also bought the plastic forks, knives and spoons that resemble the fancy metal ones. They looked beautiful and saved $.
Step 4: Inject your Personality and creativity
Give it a personal touch and be creative! Instead of spending $10 on namecards, I spent $2 on a four-pack of gift bags and cut them up to print my own name cards. Don’t have matching dishes or 
drinkware? That’s okay! Joanna Gaines says it’s ok to mix it up, and that it gives it a vintage look.
Step 5: Start early
I started setting my table a day or two before. This allowed me to see if I liked how it was all coming together, rearrange, and I was also able to consult outside sources if I needed more ideas. This also saves time and stress on the day of the holiday.
As a last step, find someone else to do the cooking! Kidding but not kidding. My husband happens to love cooking and so he took on the majority of the food prep and cooking. Between him taking care of the food and me taking care of the table, we were like the Thanksgiving dream team. But don’t be afraid to delegate the food.
Those beautiful tables we see on Instagram and Pinterest may seem far-fetched and out of reach, but with just a little planning, they aren’t! Cheers to all of the holiday dinners and parties coming; you can do this!
