Thanksgiving is steadily approaching, and if you’re hosting the feast in 2021, you might be feeling a bit of pressure. With all the baking, flower arranging, and pumpkin carving ahead of you, that’s an entirely understandable reaction, especially if you want to create something unique.
With that in mind, let us suggest some Thanksgiving decoration ideas to help you make this holiday even more memorable.
Top 18 Decor Ideas for Thanksgiving
Below, you’ll find some of the most unique and lovely Thanksgiving decor ideas for your dining room table, living room, front porch, and other areas of your home. Without further ado, here are our top ideas for 2021.
1. Get Inspired by Halloween Pumpkins
Fall is pumpkin season, and for this year’s Thanksgiving, we recommend taking inspiration from your Halloween door decor. One of the coolest Thanksgiving decorating ideas is lining up pumpkins of all shapes and sizes on your porch.
However, for a better Thanksgiving feel, we suggest keeping the pumpkins whole instead of carving them.
2. Coordinate the Colors
Orange looks good with yellow or red. So, go with these fall staple colors for this Thanksgiving, and make sure to coordinate your color palette.
For instance, if you bake a rich golden pumpkin pie, place a light orange fabric underneath it. You can also add a miniature orange pumpkin or two for decor.
Additionally, you can get inspired by Thanksgiving food decoration ideas and coordinate colors and shapes on the pie itself. For example, cut out pieces of the crust into fall-inspired shapes (like leaves), and place them on top of the pie.
3. Make the Pumpkin the Centerpiece
Without a doubt, the turkey is always the centerpiece on any Thanksgiving table. However, for this year’s one, consider making a pumpkin the main attraction. For the best effect, choose a giant, uncarved pumpkin. Alternatively, carve it into some interesting (but not spooky and Halloween-themed) shapes.
4. Decorate with Homemade Greeting Cards
If you’re looking to host several people, you’re likely searching for some Thanksgiving party decoration ideas. This year, make things memorable and create thoughtful holiday greeting cards for your guests.
The theme of your cards should match the overall aesthetic of the table, but there are no hard rules – remember to have fun!
5. Add a DIY Accent Piece
Previously we mentioned the importance of the turkey and pumpkins. If you’re looking for an alternative, more creative idea for an accent piece, try making the decor yourself. There are millions of decor ideas on the internet that you can look at for inspiration.
For instance, get a clear cup or an old glass vase, place it on an antique plate and decorate both with acorns, mini pumpkins, and mini yarn or wicker balls.
6. Light Some Candles
Bring some light to your Thanksgiving table with some lovely pillar candles. You can mix and match different types, such as container candles and festive candlesticks.
We suggest choosing white or neutral-colored candles for an authentic Thanksgiving feel, but you can also go for warm autumn tones that will fit in with the rest of your decorations.
7. Decorate with Fall Elements
If you’re a detail-oriented person, here are some interesting decoration ideas for Thanksgiving that rely on playing around with the smallest details.
A beautiful way to make your Thanksgiving table pop is by using fall-inspired fruits and nuts such as apples or walnuts.
Keep the walnuts in a clear container but also sprinkle a few on the table. You can also add a cup of hot cocoa or some delicious cold brew coffee for an extra touch.
8. Play Around with Different Materials
Fall is a perfect time to start getting crafty, and for this year’s Halloween, you can create a unique Thanksgiving decor for your tablescape. Choose earthy materials like burlap fabric, chenille fabric, straw, and wicker.
Wicker looks fantastic in any setup, and it’s one of the best materials to use if you want to channel a bit of a boho aesthetic for Thanksgiving.
9. Go Minimalist
You may have a ton of ideas this year, especially after reading our guide. That’s by no means a bad thing, but moderation can also serve you well when creating the perfect Thanksgiving decorations.
For a minimalist approach, put a centerpiece for your dining room table (like a wheat bouquet), a simple pair of candlesticks, and some miniature pumpkins.
10. Mouth-Watering Pastries on Display
One of the sweetest decoration ideas for Thanksgiving is placing your homemade pastries and baked goods on a vintage plate for display.
Although you’re free to decorate however you please, we recommend choosing a light plate with darker colored pastries for contrast.
11. Go Bold with Unique Colors
If you want your personality to shine through and you’re tired of neutral tones, we recommend choosing vibrant, bold colors this Thanksgiving. You can paint some pumpkins deep burgundy, a rich plum purple, or even go for teal.
According to feng shui, teal symbolizes family life and new beginnings, making it a perfect color for this time of the year. If you want to go all-out, consider painting some of the furniture. Just make sure it’s a color you’ll be happy with even after Thanksgiving is over or that it’s a piece you won’t really need later.
12. Mix and Match
Another one of our favorite Thanksgiving table decorating ideas is arranging several pumpkins on a decorative tray. The main thing to remember with this idea is that there are no hard rules to follow, and experimentation will yield the best results.
We highly encourage you to mix different shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns. For instance, an elongated pumpkin will look great when combined with a rounder vegetable.
13. Group Some Elements Together
With all the different elements and versatile decorating ideas for Thanksgiving, you might be thinking there’s no way to decide on a decoration style.
To make things simple and sweet, we recommend choosing a couple of staples (such as pumpkins, candles, foliage, and clear containers) and arranging them together in unique ways. For instance, miniature pumpkins look great with tealight candles.
14. Beautify the Table with Flowers
If you love flowers, here are some table decoration ideas for Thanksgiving that involve natural bouquets. We recommend choosing flowers that go well with the autumn season, such as lilies, orange roses, red carnations, and yellow sunflowers.
For a creative twist, substitute the vase for a hollowed-out pumpkin. If your bouquet lacks volume, add fall staples such as leaves and small branches.
15. Consider a Lighter Color Palette
Deep red, orange, and brown are typical fall colors, but you can also choose lighter shades. In fact, if you want to infuse Thanksgiving with modern decoration ideas, try a softer backdrop such as beige fabric. This way, whatever you put on top of the table will stand out more. You can also go for lighter shades of traditional autumn colors such as orange and yellow.
16. Decorate the Windows
Next up, we have one of our top Thanksgiving window decoration ideas. First, gather your favorite miniature decor items (such as pumpkins, plants, and candles) and place them on the window sill. Next up, upcycle the fairy lights from Halloween or last year’s Christmas, and wrap them around the decor. And voila, you now have perfect windows for Thanksgiving, and the entire decoration process took less than ten minutes!
17. Make Adorable Tray Arrangements
If you’re short on time, do the following. First, find a unique, vintage-looking tray large enough to fit all of your decor items. Next, gather anything that reminds you of fall and Thanksgiving.
Our favorites are pumpkins, candles, walnuts, and pine cones, but you can certainly get more creative if you wish. The only thing that’s left to do is arrange the items on the tray, and you’re done. Remember, there are no rules – just get creative!
18. Put Wheat in a Vase
Speaking of unusual Thanksgiving craft decoration ideas, how about making a personalized wheat bouquet? Doing so will give your home a homely farmhouse vibe and bring an essential element of the harvest season into your decorating style.
Conclusion
We hope that with our decor ideas, you will have a memorable Thanksgiving celebration this year. Remember to stay creative and don’t be afraid to experiment with whichever ideas you choose to implement. Have fun and happy Thanksgiving!
FAQ
What are common decorations during Thanksgiving?
Typical decorations include squash, gourds, pumpkins, corn, acorns, walnuts, wreaths, candles, and anything that will remind you of the harvest celebrations.
One of the most traditional decor items is the cornucopia or the horn of plenty, symbolizing nourishment and abundance.
How can I decorate my front porch for Thanksgiving?
There are many ways to decorate your front porch, including pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, wreaths, wheat garlands, and fairy lights. Luckily, the internet is flooded with beautiful and unique ideas to inspire you, so just take a look at sites like Pinterest and Reddit.
What is the traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece?
As mentioned, the classic symbol of Thanksgiving is a cornucopia. It traditionally consists of a horn of a goat overflowing with corn, fruit, and flowers. This centerpiece symbolizes abundance and wealth.
When should I put up my Thanksgiving decorations?
Although there are no rules as to when is the best time to decorate your home for Thanksgiving, we suggest doing it in early November. That way, you’ll have enough time to wrap up everything before the celebrations begin.
With that in mind, it’s good practice to have your Thanksgiving decoration ideas written down for future reference. There are plenty of great options out there, but you should jot down your favorite ideas, so you don’t forget them next year.
