Easy Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas for Inexpensive Decorations!

Easy Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas on a Budget!

Use these easy Thanksgiving table decor ideas to decorate your Thanksgiving table on a budget.

Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays when family and friends get together to share a feast and enjoy one another’s company.

If you are hosting that Thanksgiving dinner you know that you are going to go out of your way to make the perfect turkey and mashed potatoes, make sure that sweet potato casserole is at its best and that the salads are crisp and fresh.

So it is only natural that your Thanksgiving table be as beautiful and elegant as the feast you have prepared.

When many people think of table decorations their thoughts go to the centrepiece, but a truly well decorated table starts from the ground up so to speak.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure here.

Easy & Inexpensive Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas

Choose Your Table Linens with Care

A nice set of table linens for those special dinners are an absolute must. If your budget allows for more than one set of table linens, then you can purchase linens in a nice fall color for your Thanksgiving feast.

However, if budget restrictions only allow for one set of table linens then go with white linens, linens of a neutral color or ones that match your dining room (or kitchen) deco.

Your table linens should include a table cloth and napkins. You can also use a table runner for down the middle of the table (these you can pick up for cheap often at the dollar store.)

If you use a table runner with a table cloth, your runner should complement or contrast your table cloth.

Benson Mills Harvest Splendor Engineered Printed Fabric Tablecloth, 60-Inch-by-104 Inch Benson Mills Harvest Legacy Damask Tablecloth (Rust, 60

Use Napkin Holders

Napkin holders add a special elegant touch to your dinner table (alternatively you can place napkins in the wine glass.) You can buy sets of napkin holders, or make your own. If short on time, simply rolling your napkin and tying it with a cute ribbon can do the trick.

Dress Up Your Dishes

Many people have a set of dishes that they only use for special occasions, and those will likely be the dishes they choose for the Thanksgiving feast.

However, if you only have your everyday dishes, don’t panic since there are several ways that you can dress up everyday dishes to make them look more elegant for your holiday table.

One way to dress up your dishes is to purchase chargers for under them. For example, if your everyday dishes are simple and white and you have a white table cloth, then putting a gold, orange or even black charger under your dishes will add a touch of color to your table and dress up those plain dishes nicely.

Chargers are much cheaper than buying an entirely new set of dishes.

Richland Charger Plate Beaded Round 13 DISPOSABLE ROUND CHARGER PLATES – 20pc

Choose Your Glassware

Glassware is an important part of your table decorations and the meal itself. You should have two glasses at each place, one for water and one for other beverages should that beverage be wine, pop, punch or milk.

Even if your family does not drink alcohol, a wine glass will add sophistication to your dinner. (You can often find simple clear wine glasses at the dollar store for a dollar each)

Choose Your Serving Dishes

Even if you have a set of fancy dishes for special occasions, chances are the set didn’t come with enough serving dishes for that tempting food that you are going to be putting on the table.

Since you will likely have to mix and match those serving dishes, opt for dishes that are clear, white, or metallic in color such as silver chafing dishes.

CorningWare French White Round and Oval Bakeware Set (12-Piece)Spode 1606364 Woodland Turkey Cranberry Dish with Slotted Spoon

Make Your Centerpiece Your Crowning Jewel

Now that you have all of your table settings it is time to think about your centerpiece. Your centerpiece should be eye-catching and the crowning jewel of your table.

However, your centerpiece doesn’t have to be expensive. You can create a centerpiece out of something as simple as a bowl full of fresh fruit with those tissue turkeys on either side.

Pumpkins, Sunflowers, Leaves and Berries Centerpiece Lighted with LED Lights Pumpkin Table Centerpiece Bowl Set Thanksgiving Harvest Fall

If you are planning on ordering flowers for your centerpiece make sure that you order them early.

Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas – Setting Up a Buffet Table

If you have a huge family, then you may need to set the food up buffet style and save the dining table simply for people to sit and eat.

When decorating a buffet table, keep in mind that you can use plastic table cloths with a real Thanksgiving theme.

Arrange the food in the order it is meant to be eaten. Salads first, then meat, side dishes, and condiments, and dessert.

Try to arrange the dishes in a way that you can still set cute decorations up on the buffet table. Decorations for this table can be small and scattered around. Tall candles in single holders, Small ceramic turkeys or pilgrims, etc.

Use pretty serving dishes and if needed, set them on nice underpieces. (They make cardboard type pads for hot dishes in silver and gold that can add a touch of elegance to your buffet table.

Easy DIY Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas

DIY Napkin Rings/Holders

If you are interested in making your own Napkin rings/holders here are a couple of simple, but elegant napkin rings you can make.

Beaded Napkin Rings

Materials Needed

Elastic string
Nail glue
Beads (wooden beads in light and dark wood are nice, so are pearl and gold beads)

Directions

Thread a needle with the elastic string
String beads on elastic string (You can tie a small knot after each bead to create a small bit of space.)
Alternate colors of beads.
The number of beads for each ring will depend on the size and shape of beads you use. After you are done stringing the beads tie both ends of the elastic string in a double knot and then use the nail glue on the knot to make sure it does not come undone. Trim off any extra string.
Make enough rings to have one for every table setting.

Cloth Covered Cardboard Napkin Rings

Materials Needed

Scissors
Cardboard cut into strips 1 ½ inches wide and 6 inches long
Fabric cut into 3 inch wide strips or slightly wider and 6 ¼ inches long
Fabric glue
Sturdy needle and thread

Directions

Cover one side of the cardboard with fabric glue and then place the cardboard into the center of the strip of cloth. Press down and hold or place a book on the cardboard until the glue dries.
Glue down the center of the cardboard that is not covered and then fold one end of the cloth over and hold onto the glue until dry.
Then place a line of glue over the edge of the material, glue down and fold over the side of the cloth and hold down until dry.
Fold over two ends of the cloth and glue down.
Using the needle and thread, sew the ends of the cardboard covered cloth to make a ring.
If you want, you can then attach a small cloth flower or other decoration to the center of your napkin ring for an added touch.

DIY Thanksgiving Center Pieces

Here are a couple of great ideas of Thanksgiving Centerpieces

Pumpkin Vase and Candle Holders

Materials Needed

Medium to large size pumpkin and two small pumpkins
2 short pillar candles
Bouquet of flowers or branches with colored leaves (can be real flowers or silk flowers and leaves.

Directions

Hollow out the pumpkins
Place flowers or branches of fall colored leaves inside of the large pumpkin
Place small pillar candles inside of the small pumpkins
Arrange on the table with the large pumpkin in the center

Thanksgiving Tree

Materials Needed

Bare tree branch
White spray paint
Maple leaves cut from craft foams
Tall round narrow vase
Nuts in shell

Directions

Spray paint the tree branch white
Write the name of each diner on a leaf and attach to the branch in various places
Fill the bottom of the vase about 1/3 full with nuts and anchor the branch into the vase using the nuts.

If you keep in mind the wonderful colors of autumn when decorating your Thanksgiving table you can’t go wrong, so use your imagination and enjoy your Thanksgiving feast on a beautifully decorated table.