Thanksgiving Table Ideas

In a decorating pinch? Here are 10 quick and easy ways to spruce up your Thanksgiving table while the turkey's finishing in the oven.

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Marshall Troy ©2012, Cooking Channel,LLC All Rights Reserved

Pick a Pitcher

Short on vases? Grab pitchers from your pantry and fill them with flowers. They make for even more interesting vessels — and they're easier to carry to the table, to boot.

Fabric Play

Colorful ribbons add an instant pop of color wherever you use them: tied around napkins, tucked under plates or woven throughout guests' chairs. Try mixing textures (like a thick, burlap ribbon) or patterns (a punchy, farmhouse-inspired gingham) and think about complementing a color on your table, in your flowers or even in your dining room's decor.

Shine a Light

Clustering votives is a simple way to add warmth and make your table feel adorned; light the candles for instant ambiance.

Presenting, Thanksgiving

Tuck a ribbon over plates to make guests feel like they're unwrapping a present as they sit down at the table. (And really, isn't diving into a delicious Thanksgiving meal a present, indeed?)

Pick a Pot

Place miniature potted boxwood (or other small plants) at guests' seats and tie paper luggage tags around each with twine to indicate seating assignments. They double to welcome guests to their seats and serve as a great take-home favor.

What a Crock

Supplement metallic vases with some around-the-house vessels, like that stainless steel utensil crock sitting on your stove. (You'll be using your tools to prepare the holiday meal, anyway, and can return the crock to its rightful place once everything has been cleaned.)

Harvest Hues

Mix some seasonal fruits like mini pomegranates and berries into your floral arrangement to nod toward traditional cornucopia imagery (without shoving it down guests' throats).

Shape Up

For a quick and easy way to add visual interest to your table, alternate napkin folds between long, skinny rectangles and squares, then tuck them beneath the salad plates at every other place setting.

Back to Nature

Collect wood from your backyard — or a craft supply store — to bring the outdoors in (and onto your table). A combination of birch discs and logs and pine cones create that log-cabin feel, which makes us want to don thick sweaters and sip mulled cider.

Stretch Those Stems

For a more affordable take on flowers, fill bud vases with single stems and scatter them as you see fit. This spreads color across your table and prevents flowers from getting in the way of passed dishes or beverage dispensers.