Thanksgiving Table

We're hosting Thanksgiving this year and are counting down the days to the food! Its the one time of the year where I don't feel guilty for eating too much, which obviously makes it my favorite holiday of the year! I finished decorating the table today and I thought I'd show you the process.

Below is the before. We don't normally have the table set but we have our house on market (any buyers out there?) and I wanted the table to look inviting.



Next, I opened the table up to make for more seating. My husband and I love our dining room table. We live in an old house and the dining room is only 10 x 13, so we had to find a clever table. We usually have the table set up to sit 4 but on special occasions the table flips open to sit 6-8. The nice thing about it is there is no leaves to store. (Crate and Barrel stopped carrying this table a year ago.)



Then I plan on paper what I want to do. Decorating brainstorming! I make a list and get to shopping for my supplies! My inspiration was my china.



The chandelier is from Ikea but I added shades from Ballards to make it look a little more traditional. I added grapevine wreaths and gold berries to the candle part of the chandelier for some Thanksgiving bling.



Next comes the table setting. My china is from Williams Sonoma Home. They are my high end for the design. I have been collecting the china over the last few years when I would have some extra money. Unfortunately even though WS promised me the pattern would never go out of production, 6 months ago what do you know the pattern is out of production. Luckily I'm only missing a few pieces and am hoping to pick them up on Ebay. I used my regular white cloth napkins but put a piece of burlap over it to give it some texture and simply placed a brown ribbon and feather in the middle.



I also used the burlap as a center runner going down the table. The burlap was purchased for $2.49 a yard. I frayed the ends and a $5.00 table runner sure beats the $50.00 one at Pottery Barn!

Next is the wine markers. They are just gift tags with stickers from Martha Stewart's line and brown ribbon I found on clearance for 29 cents!



On the back of the chair I once again used grapevine wreaths and glued peacock feathers and a piece of pumpkin potpourri in the middle, strung the same brown ribbon I used for the napkin holders and attached it to the back of the chairs.



Finally looking at the end result you'll see I used a silver tray and put walnuts in it, placed pumpkins and gourds I sprayed copper on a glass cake stand. I used my rule of using high end (my china) and low end (virtually everything else) and something sentimental (my grandma's candlesticks) to pull together the look.



Let's hope my turkey turns out as nice as the table!