In just one week, we will gather with family and friends to give thanks for the blessings in our lives and sit down to what is — in my opinion — the best meal of the year!

Even though we aren’t hosting Thanksgiving, I wanted to create a tablescape nonetheless because it simply makes my heart happy 🙂I decided to create and share a sort of “makeshift” Thanksgiving table. Some of us might not have the ideal setup — maybe you don’t have a formal dining room, maybe your table isn’t big enough to fit everyone, maybe you don’t have fine china. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice a welcoming place to eat.

All it takes is a little improvising.

Jamie and I have a formal dining room, but not a big, formal dining room table. So I chose to set up a folding table in our living room where we could have more seating and better ambiance. I moved the coffee table out of the room in order to have enough space.Since we don’t have a big table that means we also don’t have a big tablecloth. But not to worry — I just used a full-sized flat sheet.  To give the table some more texture and color I added a plaid throw (which by the way I found at an estate sale for $4!)I then assembled each place setting. We don’t have charger plates or fancy china, so I just used our everyday plates (the ones that aren’t chipped) and our Oneida flatware that we also use daily.I love the pattern on our salad plates. The brown goes nicely with the dinner plate and the blue pairs well with the throw. I then simply put a folded linen napkin on top of the plates and added a pine cone to each setting.I love bringing in a little bit of nature. It adds such a sense of warmth, don’t you think? Plus it’s free!!

As for the centerpiece I used a wooden box that we had, filled it with a faux leaf garland (though you could certainly use real leaves if you like), and inserted brass candlesticks of varying heights.I used our dining room chairs for seating and incorporated our living room accent chair for the head of the table. I also used my new, no sew placemat pillow. I like how they both add to the color palette and even tie in nicely with our plates!The only other thing I did was add a few pieces to the mantel and hearth. I brought in a pumpkin and mums from our front steps to make it feel more rustic. And of course I lit the fire. Now we have a cozy and inviting Thanksgiving table!I love creating a special place to eat, but what’s really important is not the table, but those gathered around it.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled … er stuffed with blessings!