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The holidays are right around the corner. As soon as October starts, you’re likely thinking about how you’re going to spend the holidays as they rapidly approach right after one another. Thanksgiving is squished in between Halloween and the winter holidays, so it’s often overlooked. Still, if you want to celebrate the holiday to its fullest, you can find and make plenty of Thanksgiving decor to transform your home for fall.
Outside vs. Inside Thanksgiving Decor
If you have the opportunity to allow your Thanksgiving guests to dine inside and relax and unwind outside, you should decorate both spaces to the best of your ability. Decorations placed outside will have to be more durable than their indoor counterparts because they must face unsavory weather, like wind or rain, and stay in place or hold up without becoming tattered.
When shopping for decor, remember what vibe you want your spaces to include. If you want your outdoor space to be a relaxing environment that your guests can retreat to after they eat, consider using cooler colors rather than warm ones that will likely make them energized and hungrier faster.
Ensure that your home radiates the season both indoors and outdoors. By preparing the front of your home to look like the Thanksgiving season, you can prepare your guests for the autumn wonderland they’ll walk into. It gives your home an effortless feeling that flows from the mailbox to the inside of your home.
Storebought Decor Must-Haves
If you have a budget to build up your Thanksgiving decoration options, frequenting the stores in November and late October is necessary. By just looking at all the options on the shelves, you could come up with excellent ideas to pull your house into the season effectively.
1. Faux Pumpkins
While real pumpkins might rot over time, faux pumpkins will still look as plump as the day you bought them over the years. Whether they’re made of plastic, velvet or something else, having multiple pumpkins around really can bring the charm of fall into your home.
2. Thanksgiving Dining Sets
Having the proper plates and platters to display food on can help you pull your dining decor together. Plates with images of turkeys on them are an absolute must for the Thanksgiving holiday. This Thanksgiving decor is one set you don’t want to miss, whether you plan on having guests over or just want to dine with your immediate family.
3. Scented Candles
What better way to fully embrace fall than to bring it inside your house? By picking out a candle that reminds guests of fall, you’ll always have a presence of autumn in the home. Cinnamon and pumpkin are familiar fall scents that you may think about getting candles in, but anything that smells like fresh-baked goods would be an excellent choice, too.
4. Turkeys
You can’t celebrate Thanksgiving without having at least one turkey decoration. The turkey symbolizes that Halloween is over and that Thanksgiving has finally entered the home. By subtly using a turkey decoration in your home, you can cause your household to have a mental shift toward the next holiday and the end of the year.
5. Seasonal Florals
Sunflowers are a great option because they bring smiles wherever they go and are in season all fall. Mums would fit in with just about any centerpiece and would be a great addition to any indoor Thanksgiving decor.
By putting out pots or baskets of seasonal florals, you can add a breath of freshness to your indoor or outdoor decoration. You can attract people’s eyes with vivid colors and make them look where you want them to.
6. Wheat Bouquets
If flowers aren’t your thing, opt for a solid color vase and stuff it with faux wheat, which you can find at any craft store. A few simple pieces can pull together a whole table and give off a clean and polished look. With enough wheat bouquets placed strategically throughout your home, your house will look like it jumped out of a magazine.
7. Guest Room Essentials
If you have enough in your budget to splurge on a guest room suite, you should. For any family traveling to stay with you during Thanksgiving, seeing the guest room decorated to fit the occasion will add to the joy during the season. You can use warm, natural colors as a base for the room, but you should also insert a pop of bright color to keep it feeling fun.
8. Decorative Pillows
Your living room’s accessories can completely change how a person sees your home. Something as small as a couple of throw pillows or a decorative blanket can change how people see your home. You can go from plain to seasonal with just a few Thanksgiving-style upgrades.
9. Outdoor Decor
Since it’s fall, you should invest in some of your outdoor decorations. If you’re hosting a large party, people will inevitably gravitate outside where there’s more room. If you have space outdoors for seating, consider dressing it up for Thanksgiving, too.
10. Tablecloths
Whether you choose a solid color of tablecloth or a decorative and busy table runner, you need something to decorate the Thanksgiving dinner main stage. Having a gorgeous table decoration will add to the beauty of the food. If you’re worried about stains, make sure to buy something that you can easily wash.
DIY Thanksgiving Decor on a Budget
Sometimes, you can’t spend a lot on Thanksgiving decorations because your budget needs to go somewhere else. Even if money is tight, you can still find a way to level up your decorating skills with decorations you can make yourself.
1. Door Wreath
Many wreaths can be made using items you already own or materials you can easily find. You can find plenty of free or cheap wreath patterns online, and you can make them out of sustainable materials so you can use them year after year.
By twisting colored strips of burlap together, you can make your own sunflower wreath in record time. The great thing about making wreaths yourself is learning new skills while making keepsakes that can withstand time.
2. Pumpkin Vases
Pumpkin vases can allow you to display flowers and centerpieces in an innovative way that will impress all of your friends and family who come to dine with you. Since it’s different from a typical vase, it might inspire discussion between your guests.
Purchase either a faux pumpkin or a real pumpkin and cut it open. If you opted for a real pumpkin, you’d have to clean it out thoroughly before further use. Fill it up with the items you want, and you have a natural-looking centerpiece without much effort.
3. Embrace Flannel
If you have any flannel garments or blankets you’re not using, consider repurposing them into decorations you can use. A flannel blanket can become a flannel tablecloth. You can add flannel strips from shirts as bows or weave them into your bouquets and centerpieces.
4. Yard Sign
Natural wood signs with fall-themed sayings like “Gather” or “Give Thanks” are beautiful when paired with florals and pumpkins, faux or real. Making your own sign out of stained wood and neatly painting a word or two on it can be a game-changer for the outside of your home. A fall-themed setup like that can work great alongside some other decor in your yard or right beside your door.
5. Dry Foliage
The trees have changed their color, and it would be a shame to leave all that vividness outside! Bring in a couple of leaves and pinecones. Dry out the leaves, and you can place them together in a vase that would go perfectly on your entryway table. You can place pinecones just about anywhere they’ll fit to spice up your fall decor. The best part about using natural items for decoration is that they’re free.
6. Paper Leaves
If real leaves aren’t your favorite thing, consider making some leaves out of colored paper. If you have children, have them help you cut out and decorate leaves. You can then fashion these paper leaves into a garland to hang up or even a makeshift table runner. It’s a charming and cute decoration that can be saved for years or recycled after you’re finished with it.
7. Gratitude Pumpkin
Pick a pumpkin from a patch. You can paint this pumpkin or decorate it any way you like, but make sure you have a permanent marker. Have everyone in your family take turns writing what they’re thankful for on the pumpkin.
After most of the space is filled or everyone in your family has had a turn, you can display the pumpkin proudly, either outside or inside. Though you may throw out the pumpkin eventually, you can repeat this tradition for years to come.
Just make sure you encourage your household to write different things on the pumpkin and get creative with it, else you might see the same gratitudes repeated numerous times.
8. Recycled Placemats
If you don’t have place settings for all the guests you’re expecting this Thanksgiving, consider this year the perfect opportunity to create your own sustainably.
Using a type of thicker paper that matches with the rest of your decor, you can create a placemat that urges your guests to think of things they’re grateful for. You can create a space for guests to fill in what they’re thankful for or allow them to play a word search or crossword puzzle game of your design.
9. Hanging Menu
If you have guests over for Thanksgiving, you might consider making your menu for all to see. You can make a meal menu out of construction paper or a sturdy material and write all the dishes down in your neatest handwriting. Hanging it up alongside some other Thanksgiving decor can transform your kitchen entirely for the season. Plus, hanging a menu up early will give your family something to look forward to.
While turkey may be a no-brainer on your Thanksgiving table, you should think about listing it out, along with the sides you anticipate having. Fan-favorite sides vary depending on geographical location, but mashed potatoes reign supreme, so don’t forget to include them on your menu.
10. Personal Calligraphy
If you love your handwriting and want to practice calligraphy, the holidays are a perfect time to try your hand at personalizing your decorations. Take decorations from years past you thought would never see the light of day again and spice them up with fall-themed words.
You can breathe new life into an old decoration passed through your family for generations with this trick. Plus, if your handwriting is neat enough, you may have other people wanting to try out your services.
Finding the Right Thanksgiving Decor for You
The type of Thanksgiving decor you want for 2021 will depend on whether you want to spend a significant sum of money. Decorating for the holidays can be exciting, but what’s most important is that all of your pieces work together to create something cohesive and charming. Make sure that you choose a color palette and stick to it if you want your designs and items to match. Then, as the years go on, you can find even more decor that will fit with your arrangement!
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About The Author
Rose is the managing editor of Renovated and freelance writer with over 5 years of experience.
She's most interested in researching topics on sustainable construction, such as new technologies and innovations in the built environment. She also loves sharing home projects and inspiration for the most novice of DIY-ers, values she developed growing up in a family of contractors.
When she isn't writing, you'll find her baking something to satisfy her never-ending sweet tooth. For more articles from Rose, you can follow her on Twitter.
