At our house, we serve dinner buffet style (setting out all the food in the kitchen so people can pile their plates high) which means I get to have some fun with the table since it doesn’t have to accommodate a million platters and serving bowls. And I figure that even though Thanksgiving is typically a holiday full of orange, red, yellow, gold, and wheat tones when it comes to table decor, who says that’s the only way to do things? Methinks there’s more than one way to skin a cat cook a bird, so I had some fun with a rich green and blue palette thanks to some free wine bottles I’ve been working into our home’s decor for a while (topped with some simple taper candles inspired by a recent Pottery Barn catalog).
The addition of some cheap-o clearance napkins from Crate & Barrel and our regular everyday plates, cups, bowls, and silverware along with my funny ceramic squirrel (for a splash of quirk) completed the picture.
Oh and that stuff on the cake stand? Pumpkin bread. So delicious. Although it’ll probably all be gone well before Thursday rolls around. One downside to working at home: constant eating. But that’s also an upside.
The result is still pretty festive and inviting, even if it doesn’t scream Thanksgiving (although it does seem to whisper it thanks to the mixed nuts, the tan runner, the ceramic squirrel, the woven glasses, the gold place cards, the wheat tones in the napkins, and the big plate of pumpkin bread).
Here’s a source list, just for fun – white plates: Linens N Things thanks to our registry, patterned fabric napkins: Crate & Barrel on clearance, cups: Sur La Table on clearance, yellow & green bowls: gifts from a friend (but we’ve seen similar versions at TJ Maxx), cake stand: TJ Maxx, silverware: a wedding gift from my mom from Crate & Barrel, ceramic squirrel: West Elm, bottle candlesticks: various already owned wine bottles & Pellegrino bottles soaked to remove the labels, white taper candles: Target, tan runner: Target, table & chairs: Target, floating shelves: Ikea.
So that’s the state of our table right now. Any practice place-setting going on at your house? What are you guys doing for T-giving anyway? Anyone else hosting family? Or traveling in the name of face-stuffing? And while we’re on the subject, what’s your favorite Turkey Day fare? Mine is stuffing. John’s is pumpkin pie.
Update: You can check out all of our favorite holiday decor finds here – many of which are under $15!
Lovely! I was just shopping for silverware/flatware/whatever you call it last night at Crate and Barrel. Is that, by chance, the “Oona” pattern? Any issues with rusting or otherwise not holding up well?
That sounds right, although admittedly we’re not 100% sure of the name. But we do love the silverware. No issues with rusting or anything else after over three years of everyday use!
xo,
s
Love the simple, festive look…the napkins are wonderful!!
Love that you incorporated some other colors for this holiday. I hate the red/orange/brown combo, so this is feeling nice and fresh. I think when you add new colors to the holiday, it perks things up. I’ve got some deep pinkish-purple going on for Christmas, and I love it.
Also love the idea of keeping food in the kitchen so there’s actually room to decorate the table. But still, doesn’t it seem crowded once people sit down to feast? And what will Clara be feasting on for her first Thanksgiving? :-)
We’ll probably take a few of the bottle candlesticks out of the way after we actually sit down, but we like to decorate the table so it at least looks festive when everyone arrives and mills around in the kitchen for a while. We’re used to our house feeling crowded in general (it’s a small casa with a small dining table, so even when it’s bare it’s still an “intimate” dinner, haha). As for Clara’s T-giving meal, she has some steamed carrots and a little bit of turkey to look forward to. Lucky lady.
xo,
s
I just went shopping last night and picked up some much needed runners at Pier 1, as well as a bunch of goodies at Michael’s. I have no clue what I’m going to assemble yet, I’m pretty much going to wing it on Thanksgiving and take loads of pictures! It’s our first time hosting Thanksgiving (and our first family gathering in our new house!) So I decided to have a go at a tablescape :)
Looks great! Do you have any tips for getting the stickers off the wine bottles? I’ll soak and scurb for hours and still can’t get all of the residue off the bottles.
Hey Kristin,
Here’s a post all about it (with more reader tips in the comment section): https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/10/super-soaker/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love the break from tradition in colors for your Thanksgiving table! (and of course the ceramic squirrel!)
Beautiful! I just love the bottles.
Love the bottles with tapers! We used some yellow dried beans/peas for our centerpiece. Super cheap and has that Thanksgiving/harvest feeling.
I love your table setting and the color scheme. I also added nuts to our setting for a natural touch.
http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/thanksgiving-table-settings/
I really like the bottles as taper candle holders. Do you have any issues with the bottles falling over with the candles in them? Just wondering if I should put anything in the bottom of the bottles to ditribute the weight evening so no lit candles topple over.
Hey Christin,
No issues at all, actually. We lit them all last night for dinner (and to burn them down a bit, since I like them to look not-new, kind of like white sneakers). They were really pretty but not tipsy at all. But you could add sand or stones or something heavy in the bottom of the bottle if you’d like to weight them down a bit more. Of course our obligatory safety warning is to never leave a candle burning if you’re not in the room.
xo,
s
I love the bottle idea. I am going to start saving up some wine bottles and give it a try!
Love the wine bottle candle holders!
What is the easiest way to get the labels off cleanly?
Hey Witty Wife,
Scroll back a few comments for a link about that. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
What a beautiful spin on the usually boring Thanksgiving table setting. By this point in the season I’m over fall colors. I lucked out and am going to dinner at my parents! Score! Really looking forward to some stuffing…and hot turkey sandwiches all weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love it!! The squirrel is perfect.
We are hosting, but not making any food. With two small children my Mom took pitty on us and is doing all the cooking. We will be using our $60 craigslist antique dining room table for the first time! Inspired by you guys! (I’ll have to wait till Spring to refinish, but with your tips, I can’t wait!) Happy Thanksgiving!
love the colors! Stuffing is the best BY FAR! ;)
I never noticed the burst stain on your table, I really like that! And I’m glad you worked in an animal to your table setting :)
Sherry,
I love your table and so look forward to the day when the hubby and I can have people over to our place for Thanskgiving. I think it will still be another few years of driving to all the relatives…
What is the large framed picture on the top of your floating shelves??? It looks so intriguing!
love the blog,
Lins
It’s a botanical print from Ikea. It’s a wood tray with two branches of greenery. We got it super cheaply in a pack of three prints (the others are also hanging around the living room and one used to be in the guest room).
xo,
s
Sherry,
I so love simple and uncluttered. The bottles w/candles are quite cool. Do you have room for one more setting? I can be there by tomorrow.
Love the candles in the bottles! So cheap and easy. And kudos to you for continuing life as normal while getting ready for your move! We’re living with my parents temporarily, waiting for our new place to be ready, and it feels impossible to celebrate the season the way we normally do. Glad your still able to!
Quick question about the pumpkin bread (I am almost 9 months pregnant & can only think about food it seems…lol). Did you make it yourself? If so, did you use canned pumpkin? I know you are conscious about BPA in can linings & I was wondering if you had a brand you used or just used any brand for some wonderful pumpkin bread. Thanks so much!!
P.S. The table setting is wonderful! :)
It was actually a bagged powdered mix given to us by John’s sweet mom, so we didn’t have the BPA can issue. We are conscious about that whole debacle, although we’ll admit that we do occasionally use canned items, we just try not to overdo it and rely on them all the time.
xo,
s
If you don’t want to soak the bottles and only have a few minutes, get a bottle of Goo Gone. It takes labels off in seconds.
My parents are hosting T-Day this year. Hopefully in the future we’ll be able to host one year! I have a pumpkin bread recipe that is to die for. I’m making pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie this year. Mmmmmmm…
Jennifer
Great idea – nice, refreshing touch! I wonder if I’d eat less if I had to get up and go into the kitchen to get the food vs. it sitting right in front of my face on the table? LOL…Happy Thanksgiving to you guys!
I love the idea of incorporating food items into a place setting/centerpiece, like the nuts in the bowls – so cute! I am going to do a fruit/veggie centerpiece from my local farmers market – an idea our italian family seems to always embrace! Food on top of more food!! like the ideas shown in the link below:
http://olivesanddaisies.blogspot.com/2010/11/farmers-market-thanksgiving-table.html
Love it! hmmmmmm pumpkin bread…
http://jannsboutique.blogspot.com/
Ok, your tablescape is pretty and all but you seriously have a friend/family member named Carie-Ann with only ONE “R” ? You have no idea how much this excites me as I too only have ONE “R”. I have never met another person (still haven’t MET but whatever!). So thanks for making my day.
Yes! Just one R!
xoxo,
s
Looks great! It’s got a nice casual vibe. Wine bottles also make nice vases:
http://birdhousefamily.blogspot.com/2010/06/wine-bottle-vase.html
Heading out of Richmond for Thanksgiving. 29 people in a small farmhouse. Good times! And it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without the mashed potatoes!
The wine bottle candle holders…. LOVE! They seem like such and obvious candle stick alternative. Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to set my own up! Oh, and your quirky little squirrel… LOVE him too :)!
Can’t take any of the candlestick credit- that was Pottery Barn all the way. Love their catalogs for inspiration!
xoxo,
s
Good for you!! Despite being so busy with your new baby and the upcoming move, you are still paying particular attention to making the upcoming holiday special.
We have been hosting Thanksgiving for 9 years at our house. Can you believe I have NEVER had a centerpiece in all those years? I always just set out our regular place settings and leave the center of the table bare (we also do buffet-style serving). It’s embarrassing, really, because I’ve simply never thought of having a centerpiece before. I have been uber-inspired by blogs such as yours this year, though, so I’m going to put forth the effort this year and come up with something … even if it is last-minute!
Love that green bottle look…I need to go chug a few bottles of pellegrino so I can do it up.
We head out locally to our family’s on Thanksgiving but I’m hosting my little immediate family for dinner tomorrow night and my table has been set for days…pics on the blog of course should you be interested. I made sweater coozies for the silverware. I clearly have too much time on my hands :)
If it looks like a carb, smells like a carb, and sounds like a carb (I guess that sounds like “eat me”), then I’ll eat it–stuffing and mashed potatoes especially.
Love the ceramic squirrel!
Man! I love your squirrel. Especially considering the wedding invites that I’m hoping I can talk my guy into!
http://www.downloadandprint.com/invitation-templates/printable-pocket-fold-template/
We are hosting, and I am making most of the food. I have it all scheduled out, like a battle plan, and I started making food last night. We don’t do centerpieces, b/c my family tends to get into intense debates and gesticulate wildly, so I figure they would just knock things over.
We’re hosting and I’m going with a blue, silver, white theme to the table (using candles, candlesticks, a beautiful bowl, dried flowers and some Moroccan cups re-purposed as votive candle holders), with maybe a deep pretty purple runner (if I can find one in time). It’ll just be six of us, and I’m looking forward to a lovely, intimate affair.
My thanksgiving table setting is a wee bit traditional, with some unexpected splashes of blue, and a lot of lovely damask patterns. I painted pumpkins, gourds, and pinecones in a champagne gold color, I have peacock feathers in a lovely bamboo vase, and I made my own table runner. Oh, and I also loved your idea of the Thanks Glassing jar (although since I’m pregnant, I couldn’t do any etching because I’m worried about the chemicals), so instead I tied a ribbon around the apothecary jar and attached some mulberry paper leaves to give it that festive autumn look. That’s not really in the centerpiece though, but I do have it in the dining room as part of the decor.
I’m going to sew up some napkins next, and then polish the silver ware (ugh). My 2 older kids are going to make little pinecone turkeys by gluing feathers and eyes and a felt beak onto a pinecone, which I am going to have on display too, because I love little crafty homemade touches, especially by my kids! My oldest is 4 and he is at that age where he LOVES to do art projects! I love finding ways to display them.
Love the white for Thanksgiving! We used cranberries in the bottom of our vases and put sunflowers in them (The post is up tomorrow) as well as fruit with nametags tied to them for a festive touch. I think you could use fruit for any type of holiday!
Lovely table setting!
My favorite isn’t really part of the meal…it’s all the snack foods that are sitting out all day. My favorite are the peppernuts! Yum.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/peppernuts-recipe/index.html
I love the wine bottle taper holder idea and that squirrel is too cute!
My mom is hosting Thanksgiving this year and I’m hosting Christmas so I won’t have my table set until late December and I’m honestly kind of happy about it since it gives me more time to plan!
Where did you buy the drum lamp above your table? I have been looking for one everywhere!
That’s from CB2 a while back.
xo,
s
Looks great! Did you take one of your floating shelves down?? Or is it just the angle of the pic? Just curious!
It must just be the angle. They’re all staying up because they convey to the new buyers.
xo,
s
We’ll be eating with my family (who lives about 2 hours from us) this year.
We may host Christmas at our place for the first time, so I’m excited about that.
Oh, and my favorite is definitely sweet potato casserole!
Looks great! I saw that same candle idea, and I’m glad you were able to replicate it with items on hand. Did you carve out the bottoms to fit the bottles? Did you find it time consuming?
We are traveling for Thanksgiving, going to a friends house about two and a half hours away. Which may seem far, but it’s closer than our families, which are 2700 miles away!
I just shoved them in and turned them a few times each to get them sunk a bit so they’re nice and snug. Probably took 5 minutes to do all five. I did them over the sink though, to catch the small candle shavings from pushing and spinning them to get a tight fit.
xo,
s
It’s unrelated to this post but I had a dream (nightmare?!) that you guys posted that you weren’t going to get the house you wanted after all. You were like “I guess we shouldn’t have gotten ahead of ourselves”. Eek. I also dreamed about Zombies taking over though so there ya go. ;)
Ah, that’s our nightmare!! Everything seems to be going well so far, but these days it’s not all said and done until closing- so we’ll rest a lot easier after that fateful day in mid-December!
xo,
s
Did your Sur La Table glasses come with the woven holders already on them? I love those! I wonder if you can buy just the holders somewhere…
Hey Ashley,
Yup, they came with the woven sleeve. We’ve also seen similar versions at HomeGoods and TJ Maxx.
xo,
s
I’m feeling very fancy because that’s very similar to my daily look. I like it a lot, but it’s a little pared down for a holiday meal.
Just a thought: I know that you guys are all about great DIY when it comes to remodeling and decorating, but do you think at some point you might add other home-related topics such as favorite recipes, etc. to your blog? It might be fun for readers to swap family recipes too.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!
Hey Kathy,
That definitely could be fun! We generally stick to more decor and home improvement related topics, but who knows what we’ll do in the future…
xo,
s
If you do not mind me asking, how many hours a week do you each work?
I cannot imagine how you can work full time in your own business (not your “9-5 and then I don’t care” type job), care for a baby and have the time to decorate your place with all the detail that you do (not to mention baking…lol)
I can barely manage keeping the place clean, never mind decorating!! :)
Congrats on managing so well!
Hey Busy Person,
There definitely aren’t enough hours in the day to tackle everything that we have on our to-do list, but since there are two of us it helps. For example, we usually put in ten hour days during the week (and work at least 8 hours on the weekend, combined between Sat & Sun) but while one of us is blogging or taking on a project, the other one can be on Clara-duty (which often involves fun projects like baking or even holiday decorating since Clara’s is such a good sport about being in on that fun).
For example I was holding her when I set the Thanksgiving table (while John wrote a blog post) and John was holding her when he made pumpkin bread (while I answered comment questions) and we both took turns with her while we decorated the tree this year. I guess without each other we never would get anything done (I would be a full time mom and this blog would probably grind to a halt) so I’m so thankful to have John around to switch off with when it comes to everything from caring for Clara to tending to the blog. Someday when we figure out how to clone ourselves we’ll share that tutorial!
xo,
s
Yes, I did a “practice” thanksgiving table setting. :-) Fun stuff! I love to play with our plates (we use vintage fiesta ware…) very colorful for thanksgiving!
Love the tree; I can see why you did it early due to moving.
YHL!!!!
I am in the market for a new couch (preferably a sectional). Do you have any resources for non-toxic sofas, that are affordable? I might get a leather just because of my 2 furry friends. But everything that I have found is just out of my budget ($6,000). Help!
Thanks!
We love Ikea, Room & Board, and Rowe (we got two sofas from a local retailer who sells Rowe and we love what we ended up with). Much more affordable than PB sofas by the way!
xo,
s