Your Thanksgiving tablescape can be elegant, but cheap!
You want a lovely Thanksgiving table, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money.
We challenged Studio 5’s Creative Contributor Michelle Crowley to create a tablescape worth talking about with only $50.
Idea #1 – Enlarge the table
Serving more people than are going to fit at your dining table, but don’t want your guests to feel like they’ve been relegated to the “kiddie table?” Create a faux table top that seats 10 comfortably and still leaves room for table decorations and serving platters in the center.
Foam Insulation board (from any hardware store) laid over the top of the table increases your seating capacity and gives you room to decorate the table with centerpieces! It’s light weight so it’s super easy to transport and move around. And, it’s the ideal table top size of 8’ x 4’. Simply lay the foam board over the top of your folding table and cover it with a table cloth.
Tip: Here’s how you know how many you can seat at a table. Every person should ideally have 2’ for space at the table. So an 8’ table seats 8 people, a 6’ table seats 6 people, etc. If your table table top is 4’ wide you can potentially seat two additional people, one at each end.
Idea #2 – Create interest with a table runner
Create interesting tablescapes with layers of pattern and texture. An inexpensive way to add this layer is with a roll of wrapping paper.
Find a roll of wrapping paper in colors and patterns that will enhance the look you’re going for. Cut the roll in half (or in a square for a round table) and lay it down the center of your table.
Allow enough length on a runner for the paper to flow over the edges of the tabletop. Fold the ends into points (secured with tape).
Tip: To make it fast and easy, cut wrapping paper runners in half down the middle on a miter saw!
Idea #3 – Plates for a crowd on a budget
Pretty plates can be expensive, particularly if you’re feeding a lot of people. It’s not very practical for most of us to feed 20+ people on fine china. New china for dozens of people is not in the budget for most of us. There are many options available for paper plates that look nice and are sturdy.
Another idea is to actually pull out the china! If you don’t have china, or enough nice plates to use, borrow from family to help display their collection or thrift some pretty plates.
Lastly, to make whatever plates you’re using more elegant, use a charger!
Idea #4 – Create impressive but inexpensive napkin rings
Whether you’re using linen napkins or paper napkins, a dinner feels more upscale and special with napkin rings. But they can be an expensive indulgence. So make your own!
Craft stores, party and dollar stores, and Amazon all sell inexpensive plastic napkin rings. Alone, they might not be as impressive, but you can wrap them in a pretty ribbon that matches the table theme. You can add florals or beaded baubles to make them even more special. They are quick and easy to put together. If serving a lot of guests, Michelle suggested paper napkins for practicality and budget purposes. Even the paper napkins feel special when circled by a pretty napkin ring.
Idea #5 – Gilded Florals
Cut some dried-up hydrangeas and branches of fall leaves, mix them with some faux floral picks, and spray them all gold to add into the table’s centerpiece arrangements.
Find more inspiration from Michelle on Instagram, @michellesdesignlife, or at michellesdesignlife.com.
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The toile plates… where? Love them!