Surviving the Holidays: Thanksgiving Tablescapes

One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is setting a beautiful table. True, it will be demolished within about 3 seconds once dinner starts, but your guests will be so impressed with your handiwork. Even if you aren't a budding Martha Stewart (and let's face it, many of us aren't), you can still create an eye-catching tablescape.

Here are some lovely ideas for turning your Thanksgiving table into a piece of art:

Autumn Spice Tablescape

This tablescape features burnt reds, oranges and chocolate browns. Many of the supplies needed for this scape, such as the cinnamon sticks and white charger plates, can be purchased at stores like Walmart, Hobby Lobby and Michael's.

Contempo Tablescape- Warm Colors

Isn't this just adorable? The leaf print and bold fall hues of this scape really put me in the Thanksgiving mood. The square dishes can actually be purchased at Target (I saw them last night!) and the tablecloth could be replicated with any leaf-print fabric.

Contempo Tablescape- Cool Colors

This is definitely a more understated approach to the Thanksgiving tablescape and could actually be used throughout Christmas, thanks to the sage greens and steely grays in the color palette.

Arabesque Tablescape

How fun is this? And don't you just love the purple/burnt orange color combo? Similar placemats in a plethora of fall colors can be found at stores like Kirkland's or Pottery Barn. And the idea of using a simple pear as a placecard holder is so precious!

Persimmon Tablescape

I'll be honest, at first, I thought this tablescape was dreary and kind of spartan-looking. But I think if you added more pops of red or orange, this would be a home run. And, my mom totally owns those forks in that photo!

So there you have it. Some nifty ideas that will hopefully inspire you to create a Thanksgiving tablescape.

Do you have any plans to decorate your table this year? Which of the schemes above is your favorite?

Photo credits: Hostess with the Mostess, Simply Stated, Real Simple and Celebrations