Holiday Planning & Ideas Thanksgiving 29 Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas for a Set-Up Just as Stunning as Your Meal Your tabletop will be the talk of the night. By Alexandra Kelly Alexandra Kelly Alex is the senior home editor for Martha Stewart. She has over 10 years of experience producing digital content in the home and lifestyle space, ranging from cleaning and organizing to etiquette and home design. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 7, 2024 Close Photo: Ryan Liebe What makes a Thanksgiving table stand out to guests? While the turkey and holiday fixings certainly play a major role, it's the atmosphere that can truly woo and wow. Despite what you might remember from helping your mom set the table when you were a child, your Thanksgiving table setting doesn't necessarily have to be traditional nor overtly formal. Instead, your Thanksgiving table setting can highlight your personal style. Choose varying colors and textures to set the scene in a welcoming homecoming for family and friends. Mix and match patterns and pair modern with traditional. Supplement store-bought with some handmade and add some autumnal flower arrangements, of course. Get inspired by Thanksgiving table settings below and your own is bound to be the talk of the night. 25 Unexpected Thanksgiving Desserts Your Entire Family Will Love 01 of 29 Knit Table Runner Carography Studios Opt for an unexpected, cozy fabric for your table linens this Thanksgiving. Here, a chunky knit table runner is strewn across a long farm table for the ultimate fall vibes. 02 of 29 Cool Copper Table Setting Leo Patrone Copper detailing, like the chargers and flatware here, lends warmth to a table setting. Play up the metallic hue with florals in complementing tones. 03 of 29 Mystical, Magical Accents Corbin Gurkin This autumnal table took on a mystical air with the addition scattered geodes and midnight-hued tapers. 04 of 29 Leaf-Printed Thanksgiving Table Setting Alpha Smoot DIY an on-theme table runner: Coat foliage in fabric paint and then press them onto a linen runner. Place paper on top and run a brayer along the fabric to be sure you properly imprint the leave's details. 05 of 29 Hand-Drawn Menu Table Setting Erin Kunkel Personalize each place setting with a printed menu that showcases the delicious dishes of the holiday. With a setting this special, you need only some in-season fruits and vegetables scattered about. Hosting Your First Thanksgiving? See Our Menu Ideas for Beginner to Expert Cooks 06 of 29 Apple Orchard Thanksgiving Table Setting Hot Metal Studio While traditional blooms are always beautiful, stalks of wheat in simple vases have a rustic, autumnal aesthetic. Pair them with apples as table accents for a straight-from-the-orchard feel. 07 of 29 Bountiful, Beautiful Thanksgiving Table Setting Emma Barrow Your cornucopia runneth over! This autumnal arrangement is complete with pomegranates, apples, plums, blackberries, and nectarines. These 17 Thanksgiving Centerpieces Will Be the Talk of the Meal 08 of 29 Moody Hues Thanksgiving Table Setting The Edges Wedding Photography Posey Floral + Event Design created this tabletop work of art. Take their cue and work with a deeper, darker color palette for a dramatic effect. 09 of 29 Feather Detailing Table Setting Michael and Carina Photography Opt for unexpected accents throughout your Thanksgiving table setting, like the golden foliage and black-striped feathers seen in this floral display by Côte Designs. 10 of 29 Natural Pumpkins and Gourds Table Setting Ngoc Minh Ngo A mixture of gourds and mini pumpkins running down the length of your table makes for a charming, autumnal table display. Flank your pumpkins with navy blue plates, linen napkins, and natural wood-accented silverware for a different take on Thanksgiving tablescapes. 11 of 29 Metallic Mini Gold Pumpkin Table Setting Maura McEvoy Spray paint mini pumpkins in metallic gold and center one on each plate, complete with a name card attached for a seasonally appropriate place setting. Larger metallic gold pumpkins can line the middle of the table to tie the look together. 12 of 29 Terra Cotta Table Setting Addie Juell For a more natural and earthy look, use terra cotta serving ware for Thanksgiving. Terra cotta isn't just limited to your favorite flower pots—it can also serve as beautiful and simple tableware that can be dressed up or down for the holiday. 20 Thanksgiving Quotes to Work Into Your Holiday Toast 13 of 29 Botanical Potted Table Setting Nico Schinco To deck out your table for the feast, add botanical accents to plain terra-cotta pots, and they'll blossom into an elegant, one-of-a-kind display. All you need is silicone baking molds (designed to make fondant details on cakes), white air-dry clay, and craft glue—here's the full how-to. 14 of 29 Indigo Table Setting Johnny Miller Take a break from fussing with formal floral centerpieces and display wispy dried branch stalks in different vases instead. For a snow-kissed look, lay them on paper and spray them with white floral paint before arranging them. Block-printed linens are costly to buy but surprisingly simple to make using little more than textile paint, muslin fabric, and woodblock stamps. 15 of 29 Dried Flowers Table Setting Ryan Liebe If you didn't have time to traipse through a meadow to forage fodder for your tabletop, this dried flower setup is the next best thing. The key to its breezy but modern feel is to stick mostly to one variety per vase (the mashup of white stoneware also stands out nicely on a rust tablecloth), and line them up loosely. The spare palette will work all winter; for a change of scenery, just swap out the vessels. 16 of 29 Fall Harvest Table Setting Alpha Smoot You'll feel thankful well before the holiday if you prep an easy yet eye-catching, wilt-proof centerpiece. Simply place candles on small glass dishes and cover them with curvy lamp chimneys (which you can find for dollars at hardware or antiques stores). Fill in spare spaces with fruit and foliage, and when guests arrive, light the wicks and bask in the glow. 17 of 29 Cozy Rustic Table Setting Lennart Weibull Our take on a pared-down Scandinavian scene (no flowers necessary) gets its warmth from raw linen and the glow of beeswax candles. An informal arrangement of mottled gourds, leather-trimmed hurricane lanterns, and whole nuts ready for cracking makes a casually gorgeous centerpiece. 22 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes That'll Save You Time on the Big Day 18 of 29 Soft Metallics Table Setting Martyn Thompson Glints of gold and silver play off soft pinks and yellows at this inviting table. Positioned on and around the mantel, arrangements of carnations, mums, scabiosa seed heads, and grasses bring natural beauty to the setting—without crowding the table. 19 of 29 Barn Table Setting Anna Williams The Nordt family of Charles City, Virginia, host their Thanksgiving feast in the barn. In lieu of 20 chairs, the Nordts arrange bales of hay along their table and drape them with handwoven blankets, which offer warmth and softness. The main table is set with various candles and glasses and antique 1920s Theodore Haviland china that Dianne Nordt, matriarch of the family, has collected for years. Nut wreaths (made by drilling holes in pecans and sweet-gum seeds and stringing them onto wire rings) adorn a reclaimed barn door. Above the buffet, there's a leaf-threaded magnolia wreath that hangs on the wall. 20 of 29 Gilded Thanksgiving Table Setting Aaron Dyer Give your table the Midas touch: With a little paint, fallen leaves become a rustic, elegant centerpiece. Find leaves and bare branches and make an arrangement. (There's no need to press the leaves; the beauty is in their natural form.) Spray the leaves all over with gold paint; let dry. Hot glue them to the branches, then arrange them in a vase. 21 of 29 Pattern Play Table Setting Roland Bello Botanical dinner plates were the starting point for this table. A fresh color palette pulled from the floral pattern—yellow, lavender, brown, and gray—ties everything together. 22 of 29 Richly Colored Table Setting Johnny Miller Sometimes, simplicity is key. This was the thematic vision from former Deputy Creative Director Ayesha Patel on this Thanksgiving table, which incorporates natural materials and textures: burlap for place mats, a leather tie for the carafe, and block-printed napkins. How to Fold Turkey Napkins for Your Thanksgiving Celebration, Step by Step 23 of 29 Bright Yellow Table Setting Johnny Miller We worked with a golden yellow palette and anchored the look with a table runner made with metallic glazed linen. The old and new pieces of ceramic vintage dinnerware are all shades of creamy white, which makes them easy to mix. To add some more intense bursts of the golden color, a few spider mums and Craspedia globosa are placed in shallow bowls and porcelain cups. 18 Bite-Sized Thanksgiving Appetizers Your Guests Will Adore 24 of 29 Foraged Table Setting Johnny Miller Look to earthy, natural, and plant-based elements for this holiday table, such as a few of these lichen-covered blueberry branches and velvety red spikes of staghorn sumac. Forage for centerpiece materials in your own backyard. Sculptural twigs and branches provide a surprising alternative to flowers and convey a natural beauty that's in keeping with the season. 25 of 29 Silver-Coated Table Setting Don Freeman Set a beautiful table with lustrous decorations in serene colors, all made with the simplest supplies. Dress up plain woven bread baskets by painting them a single, glistening shade and fitting colorful fabric inside. For a lush centerpiece, insert a plastic liner and fill it with a mix of neutral, silvery-leafed plants along with flowers in deep purples and soft magentas. 26 of 29 Glittered Corn Table Setting Maria Robledo For an eye-catching centerpiece, turn a glass compote into a horn of plenty with glittering Indian corn and squash. The trick is to vary the intensity of the sparkle by covering some ears completely and using the glitter sparingly on others. The squash needs nothing more than a glittered stem to shine. 27 of 29 Gold Thanksgiving Table Setting Erin Kunkel Any flower, no matter how basic or lowly, looks more beautiful when grouped. For this tablescape, we placed clusters of mums, carnations, amaranth, wheat, and grasses into fluted glasses and small vases. To keep the look uniform, we limited ourselves to amber hues—yellows, golds, rusts—for the flowers, the vessels, and even the beeswax candles. 28 of 29 Baskets Thanksgiving Table Setting Linda Pugliese When Thanksgiving rolls around and the harvest bounty is on our minds, baskets make a particularly lovely motif for the table. A centerpiece that's stylish, simple, and affordable? Check, check, and check. These baskets, filled with apples, pears, and walnuts, are reminiscent of an abundant cornucopia. You can use several to create a display that runs down the length of the table. 29 of 29 Prioritize Tabletop Lighting Christina Block Photography A duel parade of glowing taper candles is the main event of this Thanksgiving tablescape where mood lighting takes top priority. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit