Thanksgiving Decor on a Dime

According to the American Farm Bureau, the average cost of Thanksgiving dinner for 10 in 2009 is $42.91. Even though this is an average decrease of about 4% from last year, other costs can quickly eat up your holiday budget.  Decorating is among the chief culprits.

Before you head off to Party City and dish out wads of tons for tacky, flimsy leaf plates and plastic orange tablecloths, you need some new direction for adding class to your meal at minimal cost.

1. Always buy generic fall decorations.  Do you really to swap out Halloween and Thanksgiving for just three weeks?  Indulge in the rich-colored, tawny decorations now while they're on sale and plan a fall scheme rather than two distinct holidays.  Especially go for the mini pumpkins, gourds, and squash sold at the entrance to most grocery stores.  They last forever and encompass the fall mood for cheap.

2. Buy butcher paper to use for table covers.  Those pure white linens Mom passed down to you will only make you nervous as the family engorges on sweet potatoes and cranberry slop.  Tape a simple layer of butcher paper, white or brown, to your table and invite your family to write what they are thankful for on it with fall-colored Crayons or metallic pens.  Kids will especially enjoy the freedom to scribble on the meal table.  

3. Find a teacher friend who is willing to die-cut leaves for you.  Some scrapbook stores have a free die-cut machine, but the ones at schools are far more industrial--it only takes five minutes to cut leaves out of card stock, construction paper, or metallic paper.  Lay the cut leaves along the middle of your table for a homemade runner with votives on top or use for place cards.

4. Bring the outdoors in.  Gather a bowlful of colorful leaves from the front lawn and place corn, squash, acorns, and gourds inside the bowl for a natural centerpiece.  Plants as simple as cattails buried in a vase of river stones will dress up the table with a decidedly fall flair.  Better Homes and Gardens has a variety of outdoors-in decorations to spruce up any table.

5. Candles are always a hit, especially in neutral colors like cream.  Buy some raffia (it looks like crinkly straw ribbon) to wrap around several times and tie with a small die-cut leaf in the middle.  

6. Reuse those pumpkins!  Carve out the inside and use for a soup bowl.  Or, if you have fresh or silk flowers, cut off the top 1/3 of the pumpkin and use as a planter.  Candles also look great inside a natural pumpkin bowl.  Rather than carving a face, cut out leaves for the light to shine through.

7. Dress the part!  Kids will enjoy donning pilgrim and Native American wear for the special day.  Ladies hats, boys top hats, and headdresses will make great memories for years to come.

Some creativity and planning in advance can put inject some wow ambience into a predictable yearly meal.  Getting started now will only give you more time to focus on the grub as Thanksgiving approaches.

Photo by leshoward