Thanksgiving Table Decor

Want to know how to get picture-perfect Thanksgiving table decor? Keep reading, and you’ll find some of the best ways to decorate your table to perfection this season. Simple and easy decor that will have you asking, “Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Thanksgiving time…the holiday where it is socially acceptable to stuff your face and wear stretchy pants. One of my favorite holidays, it not only has food, but it has family, fun, and decorations too. 

When it comes to Thanksgiving table decor, there are many different themes to choose from. From elegant or modern chic to rustic or minimal homes, you can use holiday decor that complements your style.

The best thing? You can do this rather inexpensively, even using decor from your own backyard! I have gathered my top tips for decorating your table to perfection this year without breaking the bank.

Who said you couldn’t have a gorgeous table on a budget? Let’s get started on creating the Thanksgiving tablescape of your dreams for a price you can afford.

Tips for Cheap Thanksgiving Table Decor

Decorating the table for Thanksgiving is a special tradition my family and I do every year. We love to get creative with themes, styles, and decor too.

Lots of thought goes into our decorations each year, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be expensive.

Let’s be honest, the food alone can get pretty pricey for a family of five or more, so budget-friendly table decor is first on my mind.

Here are some of my tips for decorating your Thanksgiving table on a dime.

1. Skip The Traditional Tablecloth

In my family, we have lots of kids running around, which means things get spilled and messed up all the time! I usually skip the tablecloth for this reason alone.

Plus, they are too pricey to have them look good for 30 minutes. Before I know it, there will be food or drink spilled all over it. It’s just not worth the money. 

If you don’t like the way your table looks without a tablecloth, here are a few inexpensive things you can do instead:

Craft Paper Thanksgiving Table Decor

You can easily replace a traditional table cloth with butcher or craft paper. Not only is it trendy, but it’s practical too.

Then, you can do cool hand-lettering on it for the holiday like House of Harper did here. Super simple and perfect for the holiday.

DIY Fabric Table Cover

This is as simple as it sounds. Be sure to measure your table before you go, then head down to your local craft store’s fabric section.

• Choose a solid color or a patterned fabric that you like and have the employee cut it to size (and shape). Remember to leave some length on the sides for it to hang down off the table.
• Take your material home and sew up the edges if you want a finished look.

Drop Cloth Tablecloth

Another way to create a cheap Thanksgiving table decor is by using an alternative but less expensive material for your tablecloth. Drop cloths are a popular option.

Check out how Life ReEnvisioned took a very basic cloth and made it into a way to remember what you’re grateful for during the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s something that you can use for years to come.

2. Make DIY Floral Arrangements

A Thanksgiving table isn’t complete without some floral arrangements, right? But flowers can get awfully pricey.

When decorating your holiday table, you don’t need to spend large amounts of money on arrangements that will get thrown away.

There are a few different ways you can use floral arrangements for your holiday table on a budget. 

Here’s a couple:

Pick Fresh Flowers for a Bouquet

Go outside and look around, and I am sure you can find some pretty fall flowers blooming about. Gather up a few of them and even make it a family fun activity. Purchase some dollar store vases and set them up as decor on your holiday table. 

Sugar and Charm did the perfect example of a fresh flower centerpiece. Cheap Thanksgiving table decor at its finest!

Faux Dollar Store Florals for Thanksgiving Table Decor

Another way to decorate your holiday table with flower arrangements is to go to your local dollar store or craft store. You can find a variety of decorative flowers for no more than $2 apiece.

Choose the colors you’d like to see on your table, pick up a few cheap vases and go home to decorate your table! It’s that easy and costs less than $30, who can beat that?

3. Get Creative With Your Place Settings

If you only decide to decorate one part of your Thanksgiving table this year, it has to be the place settings.

You can’t go wrong with specialized place settings; guests love them. It is the first thing they see when they look at the table. 

You could have only the food displayed on the table, but with decorated place settings for each guest, you have won the decorating medal.

Here are some tips for creating unique place settings for less:

Use layers in your place settings.

At Thanksgiving, we have at least two to three plates. One for the main course, one for the salad/fruit items, and one for dessert.

Take these plates and stack them on top of each other. This will give them more depth for the decor you use on top. 

Add small pieces of decor.

Start with the napkins. Fold them nicely with a pocket in the front. In this pocket, you can put decorations such as small flowers or leaves.

If you don’t want to place anything inside the napkin pocket, you can lay items on top of the napkin, such as an acorn, a large leaf, or flowers.

Add personalized name tags.

If you have some decorative craft paper lying around or if you have a craft room full of items, create name tags for your guests to see where they are to be seated.

This is a fun addition to place settings and adds a personalized touch to them.  

On Sutton Place made a beautiful place setting using sprigs of rosemary on white napkins, with custom nameplates.

You can really get creative with part, and it doesn’t have to be over the top. Simple is beautiful. 

Let Your Host Flag Fly with Cheap Thanksgiving Table Decor

Put your hosting skills on display this Thanksgiving with beautiful and easy decor. We are saying no more to a plain old table, we are getting creative and having fun.

The meal is, of course, the center of attention, but before sitting down to enjoy the food, you can have your guests gawk over the effort and beauty you put into the decor.

Little do they know, this decor is easier to make than the green bean casserole. 

Spruce up your Thanksgiving table decor with these budget-friendly design ideas. Don’t forget to share which tip(s) you used!

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