Decorations for Your Thanksgiving Table: Decorate With a Centerpiece and More

The rolls are hot, the gravy steaming and the plump turkey is letting off a mouth-watering aroma. But in spite of all your hard work with the food, your Thanksgiving table won't be perfect unless you have the decorations to match your wonderful food display. Read on below for some quick and easy tips on how to make your dinner table bright and festive this Thanksgiving without spending hours on the effort.

You can quickly throw together a beautiful centerpiece for your dinner table by purchasing a few small gourds at the store and adding some leaves, pine cones, twigs or even berries to liven it up with more textures, shapes and colors. These can simply be arranged on the table itself or placed on a plate. Add a couple small candle holders with bright candles in shades of gold, orange or yellow as finishing touch.

Another simple centerpiece option involves placing a bouquet of sunflowers in a clear glass vase. Tie a wired gold ribbon around the vase and place this on beautiful tablecloth or runner for instant simplistic elegance.

If you plan on having a separate table for children, don't forget to decorate for them as well. Have your children hand paint a smaller vase or pot and fill it with construction cutout sunflowers. Glue the flowers onto popsicle sticks. Place some clay in the bottom of the pot to hold the flowers. Let the children write what they're thankful for on the flowers for a personalized touch.

Another idea is to provide at each child's place setting the materials required to make a cutout turkey with colorful feathers. To cut down on the mess, have the pieces pre-cut and provide a few glue sticks at the table. Each child will need a turkey body, some feet, a beak, a wattle, eyes and six to ten feathers. On each feather, children can write something for which they are thankful.

These "decoration" ideas will keep children busy while waiting for dinner to begin or if they finish early. Parents will appreciate that their children have something to keep them busy.

By now, you have the centerpiece along with some decorations and activities for the kids. Now you just need to pull everything together. Use your best china, drag out the silverware and fill the wine glasses. Use colored cloth napkins and take the time to fold them properly, placing one at each setting.

For large gatherings, consider place cards to help guide guests to their seats. Cut heavy card stock into four pieces per page. Fold each piece in half and use craft scissors to add scalloped edges. Tie small colored ribbons into bows and place in the upper corner of each card. Write each guest's name on the card in cursive with a colored marker. Other options include drawing a small picture in the corner or, for the less artistically inclined, placing a small Thanksgiving-themed sticker in the corner of each card. Stickers are also a good option on place cards for children.