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!
This Old Colonial Home 