Thanksgiving Decor: A Guide to Entertaining with Unique Style

In this post: Looking for Thanksgiving decor ideas that express your unique style? This complete guide will help you set up your home for entertaining with individuality.⇒

When you look back at your holiday pictures, does your home and table look the same every year?

Does it look the same as everyone else’s decor?

Sure, there are some common themes we all follow, like pumpkins and turkeys for Thanksgiving and an autumn color palette that mirrors the progression of the changing leaves. But our individuality shines through in the way we put the elements together and also through the specific components we choose.

The easiest way to guarantee a unique style is to use one-of-a-kind pieces around our home. Vintage decor, discontinued items, or rare color ways of more common objects all can satisfy this goal. We can also express our originality by way of an unusual mix of the details.

But where can you find these ingredients that add up to an extraordinary or uncommon holiday display?

For me that answer is easy! Typically my go-to places for such decor are my favorite online marketplaces. Offering both new and vintage items, rare or discontinued ones, or even common things at better prices, eBay is a convenience and a time-saver, as well. You can shop for almost any category and the options are endless. I also check Etsy, a few artisan shops, along with the old standbys.

In today’s guide I’ve included 10 key categories of Thanksgiving decor that will help you entertain with unique style.

Seasonal Plates

The place I always start for Thanksgiving is using seasonal plates for my table. There are several ways to do this, including unique salad plates for the top of your plate stack, pairing your often used top plates with less common dinner plates (i.e. the cheetah plates) or mixing varied but complementary items together.

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Vintage Silver

I use vintage silver throughout my home, with a special focus on the entertainment areas. So you might find antique napkin rings on my tables, as well as vintage pieces like the French cruet set on the kitchen counters. For Thanksgiving, I enjoy using vintage silver serving pieces such as platters, serving utensils, tea sets and more.

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Fall Goblets

Before my guests even get to the table, the first thing we offer them when they arrive is a drink. Hence, exceptional stemware makes an awesome first impression. There are options that convey the season through nothing more than their rich and full color or there are more obvious pieces which actually depict seasonal imagery. Some are hand painted, while others might include three dimensional embellishments, but all say so much more than a simple clear wine glass.

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White Ironstone Tableware

A favorite category to collect is white ironstone tableware. There are practical pieces that you can use for entertaining or you can display your collection in glass front cabinets or on shelves. Appropriate holiday pieces include soup tureens, vegetable dishes, casseroles and gravy boats, and the lovely white palette is as classic as you can get.  Dress it up with flowers or fruits, to add seasonal color.

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Platters and Serveware

If there’s one holiday that’s tailor-made for serving platters, it’s Thanksgiving.  While other holidays may be more formal, with dishes plated in the kitchen and served to each individual guest, many people serve buffet style for Thanksgiving, revealing a spread that shows off the bounty of the harvest. For this occasion, there’s nothing more perfect than a collection of rare and beautiful platters and serveware.

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Pie Plates

The quintessential Thanksgiving dessert is pie.  Any kind of pie. Apple pie, blueberry pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie.  The list goes on and on. And what better way to serve them than on unusual pie plates? Some come covered, while others have fluted edges, many show fruits, and still others are more seasonally themed. The more rare, the more special the confection will look.  So be sure to go all out for this category!

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Wreaths and Garlands

Since decor extends past the table, it’s wonderful to add flourishes that add warmth to all of your entertainment spaces. A garland on the mantel or banister, a wreath on a window or mirror, a swag on the door, or a mix of all of the above draped welcomingly around your interiors. Use them as centerpieces or hang them in uncommon places. 

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Seasonal Table Linens

It’s not just the harder pieces that make a difference to your table, but you can also add interest and flavor with soft linens that are emblematic of the season. I enjoy plaids and tweeds, as well as linens with printed motifs. You can also use burlap and other rustic fabrics. Try tablecloths, runners, napkins and placemats, and layer them together for a richly complex presentation.

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Vases and Centerpieces

Centerpieces on the table are like the icing on a cake, and the more memorable and different, the more exceptional for your guests. A beautiful floral deserves a proper container and depending on what else is on the table, that can mean a vintage garden urn with rugged patina, an elegant porcelain vase with painted embellishments, a fabulous shaped holder in a rich solid color or a crystal carafe with a unique cut pattern. 

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Cookware

My final category is for those whose kitchens are open and would like to display their beautiful cookware to visiting guests. Or maybe you just want to enjoy these pieces for yourself, while you’re getting the meal ready for those you will be entertaining. It might be a casserole that comes in a rare hard-to-find color or a carving set equipped with charming seasonal motifs, or perhaps baking molds that will add whimsy to the dinner you serve or simply a well functioning roasting pan that will be the star of the day.

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If you’re one of those people that loves entertaining for the holidays, you no doubt already have a collection of favorite pieces.  And maybe some of those pieces make an appearance every year, or hold stories the family laughs at over and over.

But wouldn’t it be fun to find new items for this year’s feast, that could maybe even carry with them the family’s legends of the future?

At least your table won’t look like everyone else’s!

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