So you’ve got the turkey and the stuffing, but you’ve looked around your home and discovered your Thanksgiving décor is not what you’d like it to be…and you only have a few days left! No worries; last minute Thanksgiving decor can be done quickly, easily and on a budget with help from The Budget Decorator! All you need is a little creativity and your local grocery store.
Harvest Gold
Anything related to the harvest is decorating “gold” during this time of year, so make a quick trip to the supermarket and stock up on food related items. You can use these to create simple, elegant displays for your Thanksgiving décor.
Harvest shopping list:
- Seeds and Nuts (Check the bulk food section for great ideas at a savings)
- Squash and pumpkins
- Apples and pears
- Fall flowers such as sunflowers and mums
- Fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage or thyme
Nature's Bounty
Time for a quick nature walk in the nearest park or greenway! Hey, didn’t you need a break from the kitchen anyway? Gather wonderful fall décor from nature to display at home. Seed pods, colorful leaves, interesting branches, acorns and dried grasses are all good fodder for fall displays. Remember to always be mindful of how you collect natural items; don’t violate park codes or ordinances, and don’t collect things that should be left where they are. Bird nests are often reused by their feathered owners, so unless one has blown down, leave it.
Home Sweet Home
Often, the simple things around your own home can offer the most creative vessels for displaying your harvest bounty! Search cupboards for bowls and pitchers. Gather all your candles around the home to mix into one large display. Find flat sheets from the linen closet to layer over tables. Use pretty pillow cases as slipcovers over the backs of dining chairs, and tie them with a festive fall ribbon.
Effortless Celebration
It will now be an easy and fun task to use your finds to create last minute Thanksgiving décor anyone can be proud of.
Fill clear bowls or hurricane style vases with seeds, cracked corn or acorns and tuck in pillar candles for a great tabletop display.
Carve a pumpkin, squash or turnip and clean out well, then use it as a vase for fall flower bouquets from the grocer.
Pile your produce high into bowls, onto trays or in wooden boxes. Layer in some fall leaves or fresh herbs, nuts and other edibles for an arrangement that can be both a centerpiece and a snack tray! You can even make this arrangement a large Thanksgiving table centerpiece by strewing it down the center of the table. Remember, layer on the luscious harvest!
Go all out setting your table! I don’t mean run to your nearest department store and buy the best china. Nonsense. This day is about simpler things than that. I do mean use what you have, all of it, even if it doesn't match. Set out plates and salad dishes and soup bowls. Use all your glassware. Bring out separate forks for salad and main dish. Fold pretty fabric or paper napkins and place at each setting. Use a metallic paint pen and write your guest’s names on fall leaves to make elegant place cards. Here's a secret: The more generous you are with your table settings, no matter what the nature of the plates and cups and silverware, the more festive and lavish the room appears!
No matter how short your time, last minute Thanksgiving décor can be done in a flash, without having to spend time crafting, sewing, or gluing… Use what you have, and combine it with harvest delights you can easily find to make the most of this holiday…without breaking your budget!
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