Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is a big job to take on. You’re in charge of all of the main dishes; you’re the go-to goddess of entertainment; you’re the one mediating turbulent table topics; and on top of all of that, you still have to make your home look festive and presentable!

If the thought of cooking turkey and creating a Thanksgiving tablescape that rivals Martha Stewart sounds overwhelming, you’re in the right place. We’ve found the ultimate Thanksgiving decoration ideas to help make hosting a breeze. From stunning centerpieces to quick crafts, we have plenty of decorative solutions you’ll love.

Natural Elements

One of the best parts about the autumn season is the beauty of the outdoors. From the changing colors to the crisp fall breeze, there’s something really special about nature during this time of year. As you prepare your tablescape for Thanksgiving dinner, take inspiration from all of the natural beauty around you! Fall leaves and Thanksgiving flower centerpieces are both excellent ideas to help you bring the magic of the season right into your home.

In addition to plants and florals, you should also include other natural accents in your Thanksgiving home decor. Pumpkins, gourds, a burlap runner, and picked wheat all make for lovely fall-themed accents that will take your tablescape from Pinterest-y to stunning.

Menu Display Ideas

Show off your hard work in the kitchen and display your artistic talents by creating your own menu display for Thanksgiving dinner. With some fancy script (or decent penmanship), paint, and a canvas you can make a simple and informative decoration to complement your autumnal decor. As far as the canvas goes, you can really use anything, but pumpkins are a really fun and festive choice!

Festive Place Cards

Thanksgiving place cards are the perfect accompaniment to your holiday decor, especially if you don’t have much time between basting the turkey and mashing mashed potatoes. Plus, you can have a little say over who sits where in case you need to separate any grumpy relatives.

Thanksgiving Cookout

If you’re lucky enough to live in a region with enjoyable fall weather, why not enjoy the great outdoors this year? Set up a long dinner table, bring out some cute blankets and lanterns and celebrate while you marvel at this unique setting.

Minimalist Design

There’s something about minimalist design that’s just so elegant. If your home decor is already pretty simple, you’ll probably want to follow the same trend when setting your Thanksgiving table. But remember, simple can definitely be classy! Here’s how you can get the look.

• Use gold flatware to easily elevate your minimal (but romantic) table settings
• Tie a rosemary sprig to each guest’s cloth napkin
• Place white pumpkins throughout the table
• Give each guest a card to have them fill out what they’re thankful for

Have the Kids Craft

If Thanksgiving dinner has you all tied up this year, why not have the kids take care of the decorations? It will keep the occupied—and out of the kitchen—and they’ll have fun doing it!

Some easy Thanksgiving crafts include:

• Painted pumpkins
• Construction paper hand turkeys
• Paper wreaths
• Weaving
• Painted rocks and leaves
• Mason jar turkeys
• Pine cone turkeys
• Turkey place cards

Rustic Tablescape

Rustic is a cute and thematic way to go when it comes to decorating for Thanksgiving dinner. Using elements from the outdoors like leaves, flowers, wood, and decorative gourds, combined with rich textiles like burlap or wool, you can create a tablescape that looks like it’s right out of a magazine.

To take it a step further, pick out your dinnerware from a local thrift shop to create a mix and match table setting that your guests will surely marvel over.

Friendsgiving

Over the last few years, Friendsgiving has become a popular trend among friend groups across the U.S. Besides getting to have Thanksgiving dinner twice, it’s also a fun excuse to get dressed up and have fun with your friends. When it comes to Friendsgiving decor, why not celebrate your friendship for all to see? Print out photos from your favorite memories and display them throughout your tablescape for a fun trip down memory lane.

Final Notes

Use these decorative tips to help you make your Thanksgiving dinner—and design—a surefire hit!

This tart has a pesto base and is topped with sliced tomatoes and cheese. To cut down on time, use your favorite jarred pesto. This tart is great for a quick and light dinner, and works well as a Thanksgiving side, too! Take a look at the recipe below!

Tomato Pesto Tart Made from Puff Pastry Dough

Yields 9

This tart is great for a quick and easy light dinner or snack!

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry dough
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 3 large plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup Quattro Formaggio Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
• basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Prepare your work surface with flour. Unfold thawed puff pastry onto the surface. Roll it out, then place onto the baking sheet.
4. Poke a few holes in the pastry using a fork.
5. Spread pesto onto the pastry, avoiding the edges.
6. Arrange the tomato slices in rows.
7. Sprinkle tomatoes with cheese.
8. Bake for 12-13 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
9. Add basil leaves on top (optional).

Photos and recipe: Today’s Creative Blog.

If you’re unsure of how to decorate your mantle this fall, take a look at this one! It’s simple, festive, and you can put it together on the cheap! Scroll down for more pictures!

The first thing we noticed about the mantle is the neutral backdrop. The mantle itself is a crisp white, which makes the fall accessories pop! For your mantle, choose fall shades that stand out. The bright oranges work great against the white, and if your mantle is more of a beige color, choose contrasting, but similar tones. Since the crisp white of the mantle is a cold tone, the fall accessories are as well. Choose what fits your mantle best.

The rustic crate makes the perfect stand for these flowers. To fill up the crate, a pumpkin nestled on top of leaves works great. The mini pumpkin, squash and pinecone look so cute inside, too!

One of the easiest ways to accessorize is with pillows! You can use slipcovers if you don’t want to buy new ones. For festive but cheap pillows, check your local Wal-Mart or Target.

Add warmth to your mantle with candles! Grab cheap candleholders and candlesticks at the thrift store and spraypaint them to match your mantle.

The top of the mantle is kept simple, with a salvaged piece of fence painted white, a leaf wreath, and more mini pumpkins. The garland adds a cute touch to the mini shutters, which can easily be replicated at a larger scale, if you like. You can make a large garland covering the entire mantle with burlap, which is a great choice for those on a budget.

Photos: The Frugal Homemaker.

We guarantee that this will be the tastiest pumpkin pie you’ve ever had! Impress your guests this Thanksgiving with this traditional pie, and finish off your feast with a bang! This pumpkin pie uses canned pumpkin and ready made pie crust, making it a snap to put together!

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Easy pumpkin pie made with canned pumpkin and ready-made pie crust.

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
2. Whisk pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.
3. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and continue baking 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Allow the pie to cool and garnish as desired.

Photos: Picture Perfect Meals, Buzzfeed.