Can you believe that Thanksgiving is here in almost exactly a week? It is one of my favorite holidays, other than Halloween and Christmas because I enjoy just being with the family and having a nice dinner and conversation for hours. It is also the start of the Christmas holidays too which I get really excited for. I am not one that decorates before Thanksgiving though. I actually still have some of my Hocus Pocus decor out right now and I don’t feel bad about it at all. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that if you are hosting it or just attending, you are going to need to bring a food item. I am actually going to a Friendsgiving on Sunday and am going to bring a salty sweet potato dish that should be interesting and yummy! Figuring out what you should bring or cook should be one of the hardest decisions, and creating a simple Thanksgiving table should be the easiest.

My Tips for Creating a Simple Thanksgiving Table

• Keep it Simple with Neutrals: You don’t have to buy any new plates, bowls, or serving ware for this holiday. If you have a standard everyday plate set that you use, I would take these and dress them up a little. Stocking your supply of entertaining ware with neutrals of either white, cream, or grey work the best when swapping them out for the holidays. I have several key pieces that I always have on repeat for book club or for holiday dinners like this. You can do so much with neutrals, instead of having orange or green plates for instance. Whites especially are always in style, and if they are a little embellished with silver or gold like I have then even better.
• Add a Fun Print: Having all neutrals is a great overall theme, but create a little more uniqueness to your table by adding a fun print. This could be in placemats, a table cloth, or simple cloth napkins like I did here. I have several sets of cloth dinner napkins for occasions like this, and feel like it’s an inexpensive way to change up the total vibe of the dinner. These are one of the entertaining staples that any hostess needs to have on hand. It is a quick fix that makes even your everyday casual dinners seem that more dressed up.
• Add a Personalized or Staple Piece: You can create place cards on fun items like leaves or miniature pumpkins to personalize them, or have a staple piece on everyone’s place setting. I have several of these ceramic white pumpkins all around my place for a fun decor item.  Adding them to everyone’s place setting gives it an even better look and a second use for them too. Sometimes it is all about taking items that you already have and seeing where you can reuse them in places that you wouldn’t have thought of.
• Use Candles As a Centerpiece: I love pretty candle stick holders and candelabras, and actually have a vintage silver one in my bedroom. When I spotted these gold candle stick holders, I had envisioned just scattering them in the middle of the table for an easy and glamorous way to add some depth to the focal point of the table. I find this to be a romantic look for a dinner when all of the candles are lit, instead of having a fall floral arrangement or another pumpkin themed centerpiece. Also with this centerpiece you can keep it out for Christmas and all throughout the year too.
• Bring Out Your Best Drinkware: Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to bring out all of your fancy and best drinkware. I know that I am always excited to use my crystal wine glasses for the holidays. They are always on display on bar carts or on shelves, so actually utilizing them for your family and guests is an elegant way to dress up your dining table even more. If you are like my family, then no family festivity is complete without some wine. When giving a toast, it just makes your whole drink seem better if it is in a nice glass.
• Keep to Tradition and Serve Your Favorite Family Recipes: Everyone has those key family recipes that are served at every Thanksgiving. You might have your brother always bringing the meatballs, or your mom making her famous stuffing that always tastes better than everyone’s! Whatever your favorite traditional family food is, I would serve or bring that. It takes the guessing out of some of the planning, as you know what to expect. I wouldn’t try anything new at this holiday dinner unless you are going to bring the new with the favorite traditional item 😉 My favorite food that I always have to have at holiday parties is cream cheese with pepper jelly on top served with crackers. I could eat this whole thing before dinner even starts! Keeping to your family food traditions brings a little more excitement to this day because you can’t wait to have all of the yummy favorites.

These are easy tips to make your Thanksgiving table festive and more stress free so you can enjoy what matters most during this holiday. Whether you are traveling and visiting family or having family come to your house, planning with some of these simple tips will make your day even better. It is all about family, laughter, great food, and just being with one another. Everything else can be items that you have already with just a few little touches here and there. I hope you all enjoy this great day and let me know any tips you might have!