Hi Friends!!
I asked over on Instagram what you wanted the most help with for your Thanksgiving table, and it was a tie between centerpieces and tablecloths! So today we’re starting with centerpieces. I went back through some of the Thanksgiving tables I’ve set over the years and pulled out five ideas I’d happily use again, including the table with pumpkins scattered down the middle that’s still one of my all-time favorites.
When I think about Thanksgiving growing up, I remember the table leaf coming up from the basement at my grandmothers house and extra chairs being pulled in so everyone could squeeze around the table. I loved seeing all the places set and knowing there was a seat waiting for me. I think that’s still my favorite part of setting the table today, getting to make someone feel that way before we’ve even sat down to eat.
If you’re wondering what to put in the middle of your table this year, come take a look at a few of my favorites ~
1. Scatter pumpkins and squash down the center of the table
Of all the Thanksgiving tables I’ve set, this is one I’d recreate in a heartbeat. I started with one large pumpkin in the middle and set it on a couple of wooden cutting boards to give it a little height. Then I worked my way out in both directions, adding medium-sized pumpkins and squash first, then filling in with little white pumpkins and baby butternut squash. I tucked in dark green tapers to pick up the color of the buttercup squash.
If you have a few pumpkins left over from decorating for fall, start there. I like mixing shapes as much as sizes. A long butternut squash tucked next to a round pumpkin makes the whole thing feel a little more relaxed. On a narrow table, you could use the same idea with just a handful of small pumpkins and leave room for the serving dishes. See my 2023 Thanksgiving tablescape 2023 – Rooms For Rent blog
2. Mix dried hydrangeas with pears and fall leaves
Last fall I wanted something soft and cozy on our dining room table, so I pulled together dried hydrangeas, autumn leaves, pears, and a few gourds. I love how the faded hydrangeas look alongside the pears. It feels like fall in that quieter way I’m always drawn to this time of year.
If you have hydrangeas tucked away from the garden, pull out a few stems and see what you already have to go with them. A shallow bowl or your favorite serving dish is a good place to start. Keep the flowers low enough to see across the table, then tuck a few pears or small gourds around them. This is one of those centerpieces where a little goes a long way. See my neutral fall tablescape Rooms For Rent blog
3. Make a fall arrangement with grocery-store flowers
If you love fresh flowers on the table, this is the one I’d try. For my 2020 Thanksgiving table, I made an arrangement with flowers I picked up at Trader Joe’s. The next time you’re grabbing groceries, look for one bunch that catches your eye to create a similar arrangement with. I like bringing home stems with a little movement, too, so a few stems can reach out from the sides and give the arrangement a looser shape. You can find a step-by-step tutorial for how I assembled this tablescape HERE.
Use a vase or vessel you already love, and before you call it done, sit down in one of the dining chairs and see how it feels from there. Sometimes all it takes is trimming a few stems to make it easier to see the person across from you. See how I made my Trader Joe’s fall floral arrangement 2020 – Rooms For Rent blog
4. Make a faux fall centerpiece you can set out early
For my 2022 table, I wanted softer fall colors and lots of texture. I used a thrifted vessel and filled it with mostly faux stems in muted shades of cream, tan, and rust. I even tucked in a preserved banksia stem from that Trader Joe’s arrangement a couple of years earlier. I love that little bit of crossover between the two tables.
To get that loose shape, I started with my two longest stems angled out to either side, then worked my way in with shorter stems, wheat, and pods. If you’re someone who likes setting the table a few days early, this is a good one to make ahead. You can enjoy it right through Thanksgiving and bring it out again next fall. See my faux fall floral arrangement tutorial 2022 – Rooms For Rent blog
5. Fill a roasting pan with pumpkins and brass candlesticks
This one takes me back! It grew out of a fall table I set ten years ago and became a centerpiece I shared in my first book, The Gift of Gathering. I used a dark copper roasting pan, put an orange pumpkin in the middle, and leaned a green squash up against it. Then I added two brass candlesticks and tucked little white pumpkins into the open spots.
A tray or shallow basket works here, too. My favorite thing about having everything gathered in one pan is that I can pick it up and move it in one trip when it’s time to make room for the food. See the DIY pumpkin centerpiece tutorial · See the 2016 table that inspired it Rooms For Rent blog
If you’re setting your Thanksgiving table this year, I hope one of these gives you a place to start. Sometimes that’s all I need to get going, one pumpkin, a favorite bowl, or a few stems I forgot I tucked away last fall. The rest comes together as I go.
And if you voted for tablecloths, I’ll be sharing those next! I’m pulling together some favorites, including a few plaid blankets I’d happily use on the table.
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