Thanksgiving Decorating Ideas

We all know that Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and giving thanks. But sometimes when you live in an homogenized, bland apartment, it can be a little hard to get into the spirit. So how can you lift your spirits, make your apartment feel more homey, and get in the festive mood? Short of setting out an incredible good spread on the day itself, how can you make your surroundings tastefully and subtly show some Thanksgiving spirit?

We all spent our childhoods surrounded by the traditional elementary-school Thanksgiving décor, created in classrooms by ourselves or our siblings: turkeys made from traced hands, leaf rubbings done with crayons on construction paper (in fall colors, of course), Pilgrim cut-outs, or coloring book cornucopias. Alternately, we may have spent the Thanksgivings of our youth at grandma’s house, which was spruced up with tacky fake fall leaves, loudly colored plastic turkeys, and wart-ridden gourds. So how can you show some holiday cheer without letting your home morph into an elementary school? Here are a few tips for decorating your apartment to show some Thanksgiving cheer and autumn spirit in unique and sophisticated ways, making yourself and your home anything but ordinary.

Spatial intelligence

When decorating your apartment, it’s always important to keep in mind the demands of a small space. A giant inflatable turkey might be exciting, but it will likely also fill up the majority of your living space. Thinking about alternative approaches to decorating your space, like hanging items from the walls or ceilings to save floor space, is a good way to start. This fall hanging vase project from Better Homes and Gardens is a great way to incorporate seasonal décor into your apartment without taking up table space. Contemplate ways to creatively arrange other decorations in a vertical or hanging capacity, so as not to overwhelm your apartment.

“Leaf” it up to nature

Vines, suggestive of the fall harvest, are perfect for the autumn season, and they can be used intelligently to decorate without dominating a room. For Thanksgiving, choose leafy vines, ideally in fall colors; for Christmas or winter, evergreen garlands are an obvious choice. Vines or stems with dried berries are effective, natural decorations all fall and winter long. Vines are an especially good decorating option for apartment-dwellers because they don’t have to take up much space, but can simply be arranged around the edges of tables, on lamp poles, and so on. Try dusky-colored grape clusters and grape vines, too. Arranging vines or leaves around centerpieces or lamps is always a festive gesture.

Incorporate color

You can spruce up your vines or garlands with other flowers or berries, or perhaps intertwine them with exciting items like these pinecone lights from Plow and Hearth. Ribbons are always festive decorations; consider tying fall-colored ribbons (warm oranges, yellows, darker reds, browns, and golds) on garland or around vases or candles for Thanksgiving. You can transition to red and green Christmas ribbons, or silver and blue winter ribbons, as the season progresses. Think about candles, too; they can provide both appropriate color and scent (pumpkins for Thanksgiving, peppermint for Christmas). Scatter your candles on tables around the house (if you’ll be lighting them, make sure they’re on sturdy and preferably fire-resistant surfaces) or build creative wall hangings for them. The dreaded fake fall leaves are an autumn decorating staple; if used properly, they provide a subtle hint of color, not a garish mockery of the autumn splendor outdoors. You want to re-create nature in your home, not make a blatant caricature of it.

Center yourself, and keep it natural

Even if you’re trying to save table space in a small apartment, centerpieces are a holiday staple. You can, however, reject a bulky cornucopia of old gourds and fake fruit in favor of more creative and adult centerpieces like attractive dried fruit and vegetable-based options. Using pumpkins (or gourds) in centerpiece arrangements can work well, as long as you do it creatively—perhaps by turning the pumpkin into a vase or a candle-holder. As noted, incorporating natural items is crucial in making your home seem autumnal; fall is the harvest season, after all, and it is most effectively evoked with representations of the fruits of that harvest. Use the aforementioned pumpkins, or go with colorful corn or nuts. Here’s a great article on decorating with found objects. If you’re looking for a fun fall activity, go on a nature walk and hunt for items to use in your apartment’s décor.

Change is good, but not too much

Seasonal decorating is at its best when the items are small, subtle, and easy to change. Unless you’re going for garish, stay away from the light-up decorations, particularly in the house. You’ll also want to decorate in ways that are easily changed; for example, consider adding new slipcovers or throw pillow to your couch to make it fit with the season. Obviously, don’t choose slipcovers that will clash with your existing décor, but do choose a color or two that will stand out. Depending on your style it can also be nice to display a seasonally appropriate figurine or two, although venturing into the land of Hummel can involve getting sidetracked at Tacky. It can be a fine line, but never sacrifice sophistication in order to incorporate more turkeys, snowmen, or Easter bunnies into your holiday décor.

Think different—and think ahead

Even colorful Christmas ornaments can serve as fall or Thanksgiving decorations. If appropriately colored, Christmas ornaments will brighten your home with autumn cheer while also pointing to the holidays to come. The red and yellow components of an ornament set can easily be used to decorate for fall; add blue and green for the winter/Christmas season. You can even modify existing Christmas ornaments to make them more or less seasonal. Don’t go overboard, though—a little ribbon and a few sequins go a long way.

We’ve seen that your ability to decorate creatively for Thanksgiving and fall is limited only by your willingness to put some money, time, and thoughtfulness into your decorating project. Use the links provided, do a Google search or two, and get out into nature in order to whip your home into a picture-perfect fall landscape for Thanksgiving dinner. Your guests will appreciate the effort, and you’ll enjoy living surrounded by the warm glow of fall colors.