Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table

Touches for the Thanksgiving Table

"Come to the table." At Thanksgiving, more than at any other day or event, these are words that convey such warmth and anticipation. A year has passed since this holiday was last celebrated, and now, the table set with a feast that befits the harvest, the time has come to gather once again. This year, prepare a memorable table using everyday materials and your favorite things. Each of the four tables here is designed to inspire. Choose the one that speaks to your heart, and using colors and objects you love, find ways to make it your own.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

Transform words that express heartfelt sentiments into decorative motifs for your table. Handwritten script has an inherently elegant appearance that makes it ideal for borders. And applied in golden brown or sepia to linens and goblets, it assumes a warm effect. Try books or online references for Thanksgiving quotations, or make up phrases of your own. As guests arrive, conversation is sure to gravitate to the scripted words of thanks that embellish your table, the simple decoration offering words for what is often difficult to express.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


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On strips of paper, write quotes or phrases. Fasten strip at end with double-sided tape, so it is slightly smaller than the glass's circumference; place on each glass. Invite guests, when seated, to read quote aloud.

Nested Candles: For a warm-looking presentation, fill low wooden or ceramic bowls to their rims with nuts still in their shells. Add pillar candles, being sure to position the flames a safe distance from the centerpiece.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

Napkin Placecard: Practice your script first, then write each guest's name invisibly: try the Prym Dritz disappearing-ink pen. Immediately trace over the name in bronze, copper, or gold with a medium round-tipped ink marker, such as Uchida's DecoFabric Marker; michaels.com.

Corn Centerpiece: Bundle seven to nine ears of dried corn with large rubber bands, arranging until they stand on their own. Then wrap the bundle tightly several times with twine. Knot and trim the ends and tuck in.

No-Sew Cloth: Cut to size linen or medium-weave burlap, leaving an eight-inch drop. For fringe, pull away threads, one row at a time. Write words, as for the napkins, and then press, wrong side up.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

Jewel tones and saturated color heighten the appearance of the Thanksgiving table and celebrate the season's bright foliage against the late-autumn sky. To get the look here, take advantage of the enhanced color attributes of inexpensive faux foliage and rich textile remnants. Present the faux berries and leaves (combined with real leaves, if you like) in a free-form display of pitchers and teapots, sugar bowls and goblets. The burnished finish of the collection will unify the look of the table, and the display lets you enjoy objects you love but don't always have the opportunity to use. Soften the effect with simple white candles; just be sure to set their flames well clear of the berries and leaves.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

No-Sew Runner: Go through your sewing stash or the remnants bin at your favorite fabric store with an eye to reds and golds. Cut fabric to a length suitable for your table, turning under and pressing raw edges.

Easy Tablescape: Gather together a variety of pewter or silver pieces. Their deep metallic tones offer rich contrast to bright plates in autumn hues. Mix candlesticks with open vessels to vary height and shape.

Leaf Placecards: Real leaves curl, or dry and crack, so try this: Snip faux leaves and berries from inexpensive artificial clusters or garlands, and then use a silver gel pen to write each guest's first name on a leaf.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

In the days before Thanksgiving, a sense of anticipation fills the house as preparations begin. Spend an afternoon enjoying this feeling along with some young helpers or friends. This felt tablescape can be crafted days or weeks in advance to suit your schedule. Visit a fabric or craft supply store to buy wool felt, keeping in mind the length of your table and the number of guests. Cut a wide strip of felt in burnt orange for the bottom layer of the runner and a narrower green layer for the top. Wrap the candles and napkins with their lettered bands, and then arrange "falling leaves" along the table's length.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

Candle Bands: From wool felt, cut bands slightly narrower than each candle's length. Cut two of each letter for the "Giving Thanks" display. Secure one letter to each side of the band with spray adhesive.

Lit Centerpiece: Spelled out on both the front and back of these candles, this tablescape can be enjoyed from both sides of the table. Light the slow-burning candles just before guests come into the room.
Felt for crafting comes in both wool and synthetic fibers. Wool will yield more natural-looking hues. For the bands and letters, use a light- or medium-weight felt. For the runner and leaves, a heavier weight is nice.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

Monogram Bands: Easy-to-make napkin rings cue guests to your seating plan. If more than one guest shares an initial, use a different color letter for each family. Let guests keep letters as party favors.

Felt Monograms: With a stencil, trace and cut out each letter shape. Apply to felt band with fabric glue. After wrapping band around a napkin, secure with double-sided tape.

Falling Leaves: Use leaf-shaped cookie cutters or real leaves as templates, and trace and cut out as many as you like. For crisp silhouettes, use the Soft Touch Microtip scissors from Fiskars. Arrange leaves on runner.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan

4. Family History
What better time than Thanksgiving, with everyone gathered at the same table, to learn more about your family? Devising a table setting with photographs inspires everyone present to reminisce and tell stories that can be shared from one generation to another. Ask guests to share or bring photos and to include information, such as names and dates, on the photo backs. And as stories are told, have someone at the table record them, then copy them later to be mailed as gifts. Photos can be duplicated using a photocopier. Consider producing multiples and offer them as favors as guests depart. Slip each into a manila envelope lined with cardboard to prevent creasing, and mark with the recipient's name.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Personal Touches for the Thanksgiving Table


Tria Giovan