Midwest Living
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Thanksgiving
35 Ideas for Easy Thanksgiving Decorating

35 Ideas for Easy Thanksgiving Decorating

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

Updated July 18, 2020

Decorate your home for Thanksgiving with our ideas for centerpieces, mantel displays, Thanksgiving craft projects, wreaths and more.

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Message board

As family or guests arrive for Thanksgiving, have them write what they are thankful for on a paper leaf and pin it up. This frame was constructed using a linen-covered foam core and an old frame. Cut paper leaves from old books or scrapbook paper in different fall shades.

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Creative candleholders

Use repurposed candleholders for easy fall displays of small pumpkins and gourds. Look for inexpensive candleholders in varying heights at a garage sale or antiques store, then spray-paint black for a unified look.

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Harvest mantel

The focal point of this harvest-inspired mantel is a collection of inexpensive melamine plates attached to the wall with easy-to-use adhesive disc hangers. Casually arrange an assortment of pumpkins and gourds between two bundles of dried wheat on the mantel. Include a blackboard or two where you can write an inspirational quote or even your Thanksgiving menu!

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Leaf tags

A pair of holly leaf shapes-one cut from kraft paper and one from metallic paper-make festive drink or gift tags. Tiny bells stand in for berries.

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Thankful wreath

A "Give Thanks" wreath sets a welcoming Thanksgiving tone at your front door. Decorate a homemade or purchased evergreen wreath with roses, pinecones, hypericum berries, champagne grapes and hydrangeas (keep flower stems in water picks).

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Cloche encounter

Pile miniature white pumpkins into a cloche or bell jar, top with a plate and then turn it over so the plate sits on a tabletop. It's easy and elegant!

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Cozy glow

Wrap glass votive holders in textural flair. Tie raffia around three or four overlapping moistened corn husks trimmed to fit. A spotted guinea fowl feather (available at crafts stores) adds a flourish.

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Bottle display

Show off bittersweet berries in gold, green and clear bottles on a windowsill or shelf. Tiny gourds between the bottles add another shape to the seasonal mix.

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Cornucopia

Small pumpkins and gourds spilling out of a cornucopia create a lush seasonal look on your tabletop.

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Feathered thanks

This thankful turkey can be a decoration all month long or constructed just before your Thanksgiving dinner. To create this project, begin with a large pinecone. Cut feather shapes from scrapbook paper, crease them in half lengthwise and fringe the edges with scissors. Construct the turkey's head by cutting out an oval and a circle and adding googly eyes, a beak and a wattle. Have family or guests write what they're thankful for on the feathers and tuck feathers into pinecone.

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Thanksgiving card tray

These simple cards send seasonal messages or identify where guests sit. Cut cardstock with pinking shears and decorate with rubber-stamp designs and handwritten messages. Choose tone-on-tone or metallic ink for a sophisticated look.

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Thankful tree

Invite family or guests to write messages of thanks on paper ornaments. Tie ornaments to tree branches anchored in sand in a pitcher. They make a memorable keepsake if guests sign and date their ornament.

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Hues of autumn

Footed glass containers show off ribbons, beans and nuts in fall hues. The copper tray adds shiny sophistication and makes the arrangement portable.

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Nut votive

Place these pretty votives on your Thanksgiving dining table, mantel or coffee table. Just gather unshelled nuts and layer in a glass cup around a small candle. Save a few nuts to scatter near your display.

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Bucket of color

For a casual seasonal look, place an eclectic mix of deep-tone and long-lasting plants in a galvanized bucket or vintage-style vessel. We used dark red carnations, juniper branches, plum-colored calla lilies and purple millet ornamental grass in this pretty fall display.

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Layered look

Make a pretty centerpiece or mantel decoration by layering seasonal materials in clear glass cylinder vases. We started with corn kernels, then added burgundy cockscomb celosia, orange bittersweet, pale green dried hops and brown oak leaves. Top with a rust-color pillar candle. Change candles if the flame gets close to the dried material, or use a battery-powered candle for safety.

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Moss and rocks

This table arrangement works perfectly for a quick and easy Thanksgiving decoration. Arrange rocks and bits of moss around small candles in tiny flowerpots. Switch in tiny ornaments and sprigs of evergreen to keep it on your table into December!

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Cuffed vases

Add Thanksgiving flavor to a tabletop or mantel with cylinder vases filled with nuts and flowers. Roll coordinating scrapbook paper into decorative cuffs that slip inside the vase. Vary the look by substituting wheat, branches or snips of any pretty leafy plant for the flowers.

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Acorn tree

A coat of paint transforms acorns into tiny ornaments. Hang them from a branch with twine loops glued to the caps. The long serving tray, filled with more acorns and a bowl, visually balances the display. Adjust the colors of the paint to coordinate with your table linens.

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Bountiful tabletop

Create a beautiful table display that shows off the bounty of the season. Cylindrical vases filled with birdseed provide a sturdy base for branches from which small pumpkins dangle on bits of twine. Between the vases, hollowed-out gourds hold candles as well as berries. Finish the look by arranging berries, pinecones, gourds, branches and moss around the vases.

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Flower ring

Fashion flowers from corn husks for seasonal napkin rings. To create the flower, cut a freehand spiral from a soaked corn husk so it has at least four rings. Starting from the outside, roll up the spiral. This will form a rose shape. Let dry; the rose should hold its shape loosely. Secure with gel glue. Glue a circle to the base. For the ring, cut out a rectangle and fold to form a loop. Hot-glue ends. Glue flower to the top, and you're ready!

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Natural display

A pumpkin "basket" makes an imaginative centerpiece for a fall table. Hollow out the pumpkin, then place a block of wet floral foam inside. Position a pillar candle in the foam and surround with fall blooms and berries to complete this DIY fall decoration.

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Nature's artistry wreath

Embellish a square store-bought magnolia wreath with color-coordinated real and faux materials, including twigs, seedpods, nuts, berries, wheat and leaves.

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Appreciate your ancestry

Holidays are the perfect time to teach youngsters about their heritage. Make it an activity by cutting out copies of vintage baby photos and arranging them on the wall in a "family tree." Family members can guess who's who.

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Bountiful bouquet

Turn a tall glass vase into a feather-filled display. Arrange wheat, green Hypericum berries and purchased feathers in a vase filled with birdseed.

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Pinecone tree

This pinecone tree is worth showing off until winter is past. Stand branches in a clear cylindrical vase, adding small pinecones and glass or plastic balls filled with greenery to support the branches. Hang small pinecones and tiny snowflake ornaments from the branches.

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Pen your thanks

Make the holiday meal more meaningful by giving each guest a personal note of appreciation. Present the notes in envelopes as place cards. Or turn them into keepsakes: Print each message on colorful paper and wrap it around a candleholder. (But don't leave lit candles unattended.)

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Corks and candles

This super-easy centerpiece showcases the rustic, natural texture of wine corks inside a footed clear-glass candleholder. For more fall color, add leaves or berries among the corks. Make sure any flammable materials are protected from the candle, or use a battery-powered candle for safety.

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Center of attention

For a bountiful centerpiece, cover a cake stand with fanned out corn husks. Then pile on gourds, leaves and ornamental corn.

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Flowers under glass

Just flip unused flutes and wine glasses over flower buds for this easy last-minute centerpiece. Place on top of a decorative charger or tray. For a long-lasting arrangement, use artificial flowers.

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Give thanks

For quick and easy homemade place settings, start with brown craft paper and create space for each guest to write a list of things they're thankful for. The lists will make great dinner conversation, too!

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Stacked gourds

Bring autumn to your table or mantel by showing off gourds in cylindrical vases. Use containers of different sizes, and stack varying numbers of gourds. Add a pretty curving touch with a length of fresh pumpkin vine or another fresh or artificial vine.

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Natural tones

For a wreath that lasts from fall through Christmas, try this brown and gold arrangement.Wire dried artichokes, lotus pods and pinecones to the bottom of a grapevine wreath. Tuck brown- and gold-tinted magnolia leaves (from a crafts store) between twigs. If needed, secure leaves with hot glue. A glittery bird ornament perched on a pinecone (and secured with wire) adds shimmer.

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Corn and leaf wreath

Red silk leaves give a color pop to this fall wreath. Start with a premade twig wreath. Fluff husks and arrange ears around the center of the wreath (mini ears work best). Attach corn with wire or hot glue, then add silk leaves with a dab of glue.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com

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35 Ideas for Easy Thanksgiving Decorating

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Message board

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Creative candleholders

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Harvest mantel

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Leaf tags

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Thankful wreath

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Cloche encounter

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Cozy glow

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Bottle display

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Cornucopia

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Feathered thanks

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Thanksgiving card tray

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Thankful tree

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Hues of autumn

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Nut votive

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Bucket of color

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Layered look

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Moss and rocks

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Cuffed vases

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Acorn tree

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Bountiful tabletop

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Flower ring

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Natural display

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Nature's artistry wreath

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Appreciate your ancestry

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Bountiful bouquet

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Pinecone tree