Decorating for Thanksgiving with Fall Decor

​Such is the rush to get into holiday mode that many of us take down the Halloween decorations to replace them with Christmas decor, skipping over Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not just about Pilgrims, food, and shopping…Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for what you have and share that bounty and thankfulness with friends and family. There is enough time to embrace the Christmas season during December and part of January. So why rush into Christmas before the Thanksgiving turkey even goes into the oven?! I love sitting down to a delicious Thanksgiving meal, surrounded by the people I love and beautiful Autumn decorations!

My decorating season for this time of year starts mid-September, after a good fall house cleaning. The basic Fall-themed decor goes up—leaf garlands, pumpkins, gourds, faux fall flowers, fall-themed or rust colored fabrics, and scented candles with Autumn aromas. By the end of September or the beginning of October, the Halloween decor gets woven into the existing Fall decor, staying up until the week following Halloween. Then, it’s a matter of simply removing the Halloween-themed decor. It can be as easy as just leaving up the original fall decorations or splurging by adding a few new Autumn items to give your home a fresh feeling for November.

Anybody who knows me knows that Autumn is my favorite time of year! The Fall season is the perfect excuse to bring the essence of nature into the home. Nature’s colors—red, orange, yellow, green, and rust—are vibrant and festive, providing a simple and natural way to brighten interior spaces with gourds, pumpkins, corn, apples, multi-colored leaves, and straw. Isn’t it amazing how everything matches in nature? Grab a bowl, vase, tray, basket, plate, or cornucopia, and create gorgeous organic centerpieces for your Thanksgiving tables!

Image from Pixabay.

The cornucopia is an ancient symbol of plenty and a bountiful harvest, so it makes sense that this decorative horn with overflowing fruits and flowers would make its way onto our tables in the Fall! A simple way to create a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table is to use a cornucopia. And if you don’t have a cornucopia, a decorative fruit bowl or cake plate will make a convenient substitute. Whichever vessel you choose, fill it with fruits, gourds, vegetables, and flowers—live or artificial—and you will add a colorful, organic feel to your tablescape.

And what better way to share our Thanksgiving meal than with friends and family gathered around a beautiful tablescape, surrounded by the festive hues of Autumn! Using natural elements and decor inspired by nature, you can create centerpieces and creative groupings for your tables and horizontal surfaces. The latest trends use a combination of candles, gourds, leaves, garlands, herbs, and flowers with carefully chosen fabrics and containers. (Greenery is a huge trend right now!) The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination! I wrapped a fall-themed faux garland around a grouping of simple cream-colored pillar candles (seen below) to add a little Autumn color to a corner of my living room. I spent about $14 and ten minutes of my time. Other options can be equally as simple—filling baskets with real or faux flowers or taking the minimal approach by just arranging several miniature gourds in a bowl.

Some of the most eye-popping tablescapes I’ve seen online are the ones that use a simple green garland or vine spread across the table, accented with repetitive colors or objects, such as candles or fruit. What a beautiful way to enjoy a meal!

Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2017.

And don’t forget the windows, doors, and walls! The hanging elements in your interior space create opportunities for colorful decorative backdrops to your Thanksgiving gathering, creating a fully immersible experience for your guests. Wreaths and garlands—live or artificial—are a relatively inexpensive way to add the right touch of autumn nature to your vertical space. I love to string Autumn leaf garlands over my window fabrics (see below) as a simple way of introducing the color and textures of the season into my space. If you want to splurge a little, attractive autumn-themed artwork on the walls wouldn’t hurt either.

Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2017.

Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2017.

Finally, let’s talk about lighting…Create multiple levels of lighting for your interior space for task-oriented activities and the desired mood and ambiance for your gathering. Candles, fairy lights, small lamps, and wall sconces work well for creating soft and intimate settings with low light levels. On the other hand, decorative chandeliers bring a touch of elegance to a space, filling the room with bright light and energy. Make sure there are dimmer switches for light control, just in case you want to tone things down a bit!

Still stumped? Read this article for a few expert tips from designers to help you with last-minute, budget-friendly Thanksgiving decor ideas…

So keep those Autumn decorations up just a little bit longer! Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a dress rehearsal for Christmas. It is an important holiday in its own right, creating an opportunity to appreciate life, family, friends, good food, and cozy nature-inspired spaces!

And postpone the Christmas music and decorations until the day AFTER Thanksgiving! (Imagine spending the day creating beautiful interior spaces for your holiday season instead of dealing with the craziness of traffic and crowds…But that’s a whole other conversation!)

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Related blog posts you may want to read:
Ode to Autumn
Finding creative inspiration from nothing