Get your stretchy pants ready! Thanksgiving is almost here. Who doesn’t look forward to the piles of food and afternoon naps? It’s arguably the best day of the year. If you are fortunate enough to arrive at someone’s home, get fed, and be sent on your way hours later with a bag full of leftovers, we’re happy for you! You don’t need to worry about place settings and napkins. But for those of you who host, the way the table looks and which dishes you’ll use is probably something on your mind leading up to Turkey Day. We’re here to help with four Thanksgiving table settings to inspire you!
For the Budget Conscious
Recently graduated college? Still in college? If so, how did you get stuck with hosting?! If you have graciously (and bravely) offered to open your home to a myriad of friends and family this Thanksgiving, there is a way to do it without breaking the bank. Enter your local dollar store. Dollar store super fan over here, y’all. You can find everything you need for hosting a dinner—Thanksgiving or otherwise!
Ok. So you need to buy your pumpkins somewhere else. But they have candles, pretty candle holders, and plenty of decorative dishes. 
The dollar store is also my very favorite place to buy wine glasses. They have real plates, paper plates, plastic cutlery, or the real deal. Truly, you can find everything you need to host a really lovely Thanksgiving—right down to the cranberry sauce.
For the Crafty Queen
I never think about buying real napkins until the day that I’m having people over. On just such a day, I realized I could probably improvise with fabric sitting in my craft closet. And I WAS RIGHT. A $3.99 yard of muslin fabric yielded eight napkins. Feel free to cut to your desired size. And don’t worry about the fraying. (You’re probably going to throw them away afterward anyway.) If the unfinished edges bother you, you can use a no-stitch anti-fray product, or iron over and sew the edges down relatively quickly. 
For this table, I bought cute fabric for napkins and a table runner. I did sew the edges of the napkins; but for the runner, I just cut it with good scissors. No sewing necessary.
The plate chargers were a nice touch for added texture, and the plates and silverware were our every day dishes.
See those wine glasses? Yep. Dollar store.
For the Minimalist
This table setting turned out to be my favorite of the bunch, which I did not see coming. For the greenery, I walked outside and clipped stems from the yard. The fabric in the center of the table was some of my leftover muslin, and can you guess where the wine glasses came from? This was the easiest and lowest maintenance of all the table settings. It looked clean and uncluttered, and cleanup was a breeze. 
For the Fancy Pants
The days of people registering for wedding china seem to be waning. I, for one, did not ask for any when we got married. No crystal glasses were chosen, and I certainly didn’t pick out any real silver silverware. However, when my grandma did a massive clean out of her home a few years back, she sent me some treasured items from her kitchen. And guess what I ended up with? China, crystal glasses, and silver silverware.
Initially, it didn’t hold much meaning for me. But it was important to my great-grandma who somehow got it here from Denmark. And it was important to my grandma that I have it, so why shouldn’t I use it? Many of you reading this have some treasured glasses or plates tucked away. Use them! Get them out of the attic or the cupboard or the basement! Someone who loves you gave those to you. And there is no better time to break those bad boys out than right this minute.
I have no idea how to set a formal place setting and don’t own an actual tablecloth, but WHO CARES? The food will taste just as good, and the wine will go down just as easily. (Definitely not dollar store wine glasses.)
Find inspiration in one of these table settings? Wonderful! But, really — those of us at Nashville Moms Blog just want you to enjoy Thanksgiving surrounded by those near and dear. So whether surrounded by crystal and candlelight or eating off the coffee table while you sit on the floor, take the day to eat, rest, and laugh. We know we will. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tag us in pictures of YOUR Thanksgiving tablescape and decor on Instagram! We’d love to see and share it.
