Are you entertaining for the holiday season? Well, you’re in luck! Welcome Lauren Thomas, author of The Modern Hippie Table, as she demonstrates the perfect, holiday-themed tablescape. Read her tips below & create stunning surroundings for the people you love.

Whether you’re gathering indoors or outdoors this Thanksgiving, there’s one tried and true way to style your table––with a beautiful bounty of in-season fruits and veggies.

LINENS & TABLEWARE

If you have a beautiful wood or rustic table, show it off by using minimal linens and sans chargers. Line the table with a fringed neutral-colored runner with matching or similar-toned napkins. I prefer using natural-looking stoneware plates, as I keep a set of 12 in my kitchen at all times. For larger gatherings, it’s quite ok––and sometimes really beautiful––to mix natural colored stoneware too, just make sure you alternate them evenly. 

For the glassware, this is where you can show off your flare, or you can keep it simple by using traditional clear water and wine glasses. I like to keep some fun jem-toned etched water glasses on hand to sprinkle into the mix since I don’t always have enough of the same color to go around the big Thanksgiving table. You can find these for great prices at your local home goods store.

DECOR

What’s a better way to dress up your table for Thanksgiving than to pay tribute with a cornucopia. To modernize this classic fall decor element for your table, use a large raised vessel or shallow bowl as your centerpiece. On either side of the vessel, drape rustic fresh or preserved greenery in a manner such that they drape over the vessel. Fill your vessel with whole seasonal fruits and vegetables, such as pomegranates, persimmons, mini artichokes, mini pumpkins, pears and figs. 

Keep a color scheme in mind when creating your table and centerpiece. For example, I like to use no more than 3-4 different kinds of fruits so that it looks elegant and intentional. My outdoor arrangement in the photos uses small white pumpkins, persimmons, Bosc pears and brown figs. And bonus, you can repurpose these beauties by chopping them up and incorporating them into your post-Thanksgiving recipes. For the greenery, I like to buy a mixture of whimsical ferns, eucalyptus and natural dried Pampas from Trader Joe’s, which you can do without breaking the bank. 

SIMPLE & ELEGANT TOUCHES

Use some leftover greenery and fruits to scatter throughout the center of the table. In my outdoor table above, I alternated persimmons and small white pumpkins on top of napkins at each place setting to anchor them on a windy Florida November day. If you’re eating indoors, I like foregoing napkin rings, setting folded napkins on top of plates,  and placing  a sprig of the greenery or dried flowers I’m using for my centerpiece on top of the napkin. 

For my Thanksgiving table, candles are a must. Inside I like to scatter taper candles, making sure to arrange so that they aren’t directly in front of two people sitting across from each other. Outside, I use a variety of votive candle holders with tea lights. Either way, you can get creative with your colors and candle holders. Keep in mind that elegance is minimal, so take care not to have a rainbow explosion on display.