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Setting
the Thanksgiving Table
By Lori Garcia, editor-in-chief
and Heather Hales, associate editor
  The
perfect autumn table would not be the same without the proper
table setting. The dinner plate should be placed in the
center of the place mat with the napkin in the center of
the plate. Forks should be on the left and the knife and
spoon on the right. The salad fork (the smaller one) will
be on the outside, while the dinner fork (the larger one
with longer tines) will be on the inside right next to the
plate. On the right side of the plate will be the knife
(on the inside) with the blade facing the plate; the spoon
is next on the outside. A salad plate/bowl (or soup bowl
if that is what you are serving) should be placed at the
lower left of the dinner plate (off of the place mat). Directly
above the forks (also off of the place mat) will be a butter
plate and knife, this is only if you intend to give each
guest their own piece of butter. If you do not intend on
giving each guest their own butter then the plate may be
used for rolls or bread. The dessert fork or spoon is placed
above the plate horizontally, with the tines facing the
right. The drinking glass or goblet should be placed off
of the place mat and directly above the spoon. If you use
place cards they may be placed in three spots, 1. On top
of the napkin 2. Above the forks (as we have done with the
table on the right) or 3. Directly above the middle of the
dinner plate.
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 A
Special Thanksgiving Treat
Jeannie
McClure of Lawrence, KS, sent us this picture
of her Thanksgiving table. Jeannie said that
Thanksgiving is a special time for her family.
She takes time to decorate her table with china,
stemware stuffed with beautifully fluffed golden
napkins, a warm autumn centerpiece adorned with
candles and sprinkles confetti around the place
settings on her table for added fun and whimsy.
We think this table is beautiful and makes for
a warm, inviting Thanksgiving or fall celebration.
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Cranberry
Tea lights
 Be
creative and use real fruits and cords in your centerpieces.
In the example below, fresh cranberries are placed
in an inexpensive glass bowl purchased at a local
discount store. Place a few tea light candles in the
center for a warm glow.
To achieve a frosty
look, chill the bowl of cranberries in the freezer
for an hour.
This is perfect
for a centerpiece that will remain on the table during
dinner. The tea lights are so short that when you
are passing food across the table there is no need
to worry about burning your sleeves, which would be
a concern if you use taller candles.
Pumpkin
Vases
A pumpkin vase is another
great idea for a centerpiece. Cut and hollow out a
hole in the top of a small pumpkin or gourd. Once
the insides of the pumpkin are clean, place a square
of pre-watered florists foam (found at any discount
or hobby store) in the bottom of the pumpkin. Stick
autumn flowers such as mums into the foam until you
have achieved an arrangement, making sure the stems
are long enough so the flowers rise above the lip
of the pumpkin.
Pumpkin
Candle Holders
Use miniature pumpkins
as tapered candle holders. Using a sharp knife, cut
off the pumpkin stems so the tops are flat. Hold the
tapered candle to the top of the pumpkin and trace
around with a pencil. Trace the circle and cut out
a whole that is 1/2 inch deep. Place candle into the
hole and the minute pumpkin holds the candle perfectly.
Place several of these in a line, perhaps with a table
runner for a fun centerpiece.
Bobbing
Apple Tea lights
A
tub of bobbing apples with tea lights embedded in
them makes for a warm, glowing centerpiece that has
just a touch of nostalgia. To make them, sort through
apples to find ones that are relatively flat. Place
tea light on top and trace with pencil. Crave out
hole that is the same depth as the tea light Place
the tea light in the hole. Place apple tea lights
in a bowl of water and light. |
More
Fun Centerpiece Ideas
 Sugaring
Fruit
Holding
fruit by stem, lightly dip fruit into beaten egg
whites. Sprinkle fruit with superfine sugar and
place on wire rack to dry (3 or 4 hours). Place
in bowl or with other decorations on table as wonderful
fall centerpiece.
Cornucopia of Gourds
Place miniature gourds, pumpkins, squash
into a cornucopia for a traditional Thanksgiving
centerpiece. Garnish with leaves, corn husks, and
stalks of wheat.
 Chicken
& Candles
Combining fun pieces like this chicken made
from straw with some dried fall flowers can make
for an centerpiece that will rival with the other
bird on the table--the turkey.
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Name/Place
Cards are used to indicate where
a guest should sit at the table. Here are some fun and elegant
ideas for your fall festivities:
Turkey Tags
Make your own turkey place cards for a fun, informal table. They
were made by cutting a circle out of construction paper in either
white or brown. Cut feathers in red, orange, yellow and green,
using your pinky finger to get the width and length right. Glue
feathers to the body and write guests' names onto the turkey's
body.
Hand Turkeys
Get your children involved with this place card. Trace their hands
onto a piece of white cardstock, each of the fingers will be the
feathers, the thumb will be the beak and comb. Color the body
and the feathers (the wilder the better). When they are finished,
use a black magic marker to write the name of each guest on the
turkey's belly.
Apple, Raisin& Marshmallow
Turkeys
Use toothpicks, apples, mini marshmallows, & raisins to make
the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. You know the ones....every
child has made in grade school. For a new twist, attach a little
tag around each turkey's neck with a name of your guest written
on the tag. This is a fun place card for the kid's table during
Thanksgiving.
Colorful Leaves
Go on a nature hunt outside for festive fall leaves in an array
of autumn colors. Using a gel or paint pen, write each guests'
name a leaf for a natural place card. You can also do this with
pretty river rocks and stones.
Simple Ribbons
Tie a ribbon in rich shades of auburns, butters or terracottas
around each of your guests' salad forks. With a fabric pen, write
name of each guest on the tail of the ribbon. For a more rustic
twist, use raffia or twine.
Embossed Leaves
Using a rubber stamp in the shape of a leaf, stamp some cardstock
with gold pigment ink. (Style Chic Note: It must be a pigment
ink pad or the embossing powder will not stick. You could also
use a clear embossing pad and gold embossing powder.) Sprinkle
clear embossing powder over the ink while it is still wet. Using
an embossing heat tool (or a very hot hair dryer), run the hot
air over the imprint. Within a few seconds, the leaf will pop
out and be embossed. Using a matching gold pen, write each guests
name next to the stamping. Fold the card in half to make mini
table tents. Simple, yet elegant.
Embossed Velvet Leaves
Place a leaf-shaped rubber-stamp on a flat surface with rubber
part facing up. Place the velvet right-side down so that the good
side is facing the rubber-stamp and the backside is facing you
(up). (Style Chic Note: It's important to use real acetate velvet
and not velveteen or a substitute.) Using the water bottle, spritz
the fabric (the wrong-side) lightly to moisten it. Place a heated
iron directly on top of the fabric and count to five, applying
light pressure. (Style Chic Note: Make sure you have the iron
on the highest setting without steam. Also, make
sure to place the iron so the holes are not directly on top of
your rubber-stamp The holes will leave their own embossing.) Remove
the iron and pick up the fabric to see the embossing you've created.
Cut out leaf with scissors
or pinking shears and attach to small card. Write each guests'
name on the cards.
(Style Chic Note: Make sure
the stamp can stand up to the heat of a hot iron. After much embossing,
the glue from the rubber-stamp could lose its hold and causing
the rubber to slide around on the wood block. Be careful not to
ruin the stamp or your project. If you want heavy-duty rubber
stamps, check out HotPotatoes.com
who sells rubber-stamps just for this purpose.)
Pumpkin Spice Sashes
Gather all potpourri with smells of pumpkin, cloves, oranges,
apples, or cranberries. Cut a square of soft fabric and place
a bit of the potpourri in the center. Gather the fabric in a bunch
and tie with a piece of ribbon or raffia. Before you make the
bow, add a small tag with a guest's name on it to the string.
Finish the bow. Now your guest has a nice smelling place card.
Simple Flower
A simple stemmed flower with a ribbon and name tag tied around
it is a wonderful way to inform a guest of their place setting.
It's simple and very sophisticated.
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