How to Decorate a Thanksgiving Table on a Budget

This year, we are getting to host Thanksgiving at our house, and I am so happy to have most of the family joining us. Normally, we are all about the paper plates and whatever is easiest, but not this year! As I have been seeing different posts with beautiful tablescapes, I got the decorating bug.

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I knew what colors I wanted to use, and they were not typical Thanksgiving colors. Therefore, I would need to purchase several things, but I wanted to keep everything within a tight budget. Some may call me tight (my husband), but I like to refer to myself as frugal. You will not believe where I got some of these items!

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Take Inventory

I have collected things over the years, and I rarely get rid of things, because you just don’t know when you will need them. So the first thing I did was take inventory of what I already had. I had several placemats and charger plates of different colors and designs.

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I have had these charger plates for years and have rarely used them. I just bought the woven placemats last summer on clearance.

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Look for Deals

I started looking for simple white plates. I found some at Wal-Mart, but I couldn’t get as many as I needed. You will not believe it, but I found plenty of them at Dollar Tree. I would have never guessed. They were definitely in budget.

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When I found out that Hobby Lobby was having their 75% off sale on all Fall items, I made a trip and found linen napkins and dessert plates. I couldn’t decide, so I bought one of each and started mixing up the choices.

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I found so many options and couldn’t decide what I liked best. I narrowed it down to five choices and put them on Facebook to get a little help from my friends.

These were the top three choices:

I really wanted the blue and green color scheme, but the gold napkins were throwing me off a little. A couple of people suggested getting bluish green napkins. I went back, and they had them. I found white pumpkins, a table runner, and a light green colored swag which were also all on sale. Then I added the brass candlesticks that I got at a garage sale for almost nothing. Now I am on the lookout for flameless candles and a set of matching silverware (after all these years, they are very mismatched). These are the candles I am watching.

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Put it Together

Tonight came the fun part – putting it all together. The steps were easy:

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I will need to do two more tables for Thanksgiving Day, but thanks to my Facebook friends and Hobby Lobby, I am prepared. It was actually fun being on the hunt for these items. I thought I was going to have to do a lot of mismatched sets, but I was able to stay within a pretty tight budget and get enough place settings.

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On a side note, the green table and chairs matched pretty well with the color scheme. The table and chairs, along with a hutch was Jay’s grandmother’s furniture. She painted it many years ago, and we have left it as it was when she had it. It is chipped in places, but it shows character.

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TIP – Look for great deals at the end of each season. Hobby Lobby is one of the best places to find these deals. They start running the deals at 75% off, and then they go to 90%! They actually start the deals before the season is finished. Thanksgiving is still a week away, and the deals are 75% off right now.

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The recipe Traci Suits shared with me many years ago for Pumpkin Delight is perfect for Thanksgiving. To see the recipe, click here.

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Fascinations & Finds

Michelle at Vintage Home Designs shared a post a few weeks ago with beautiful tables. She also shared a hostess gift and recipe. You can see it by clicking here.

Renae at Peacock Ridge Farms shares practical tips for decorating your Thanksgiving table here.

Kate at Southern Home & Hospitality shares a green, silver, and white table. It is beautiful, with many great tips. See her post here.

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I hope you enjoyed this mid-week post. I love seeing other table settings. Please share your pictures in the comments below. I would love to see them. Please share any thoughts or ideas you have with us all.

Have a Grace & Joy-filled day!

Susan

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“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19