You put endless hours into making your Thanksgiving menu just right and ensuring your home is ready to welcome guests—but don’t overlook the power of a tablescape during the biggest meal of the year. Creating the perfect centerpiece is a more delicate balance than you might expect. You want it to be warm, chic, elegant—but not overwhelm either guests’ conversation or the food.
How to do it? We’ve put together some fantastic centerpieces to inspire you, plus tips from Anastasia Baker, owner of Hackensack-based florist RSVP By Anastasia. With some careful curating and an eye for design, your table can be just as special as the meal itself.
Look outside
Mother Nature in her late-autumn guise can be your ally in fashioning a centerpiece. “How can you not use fruits, pumpkins and gourds?” Baker asks. “One time, for a good friend’s Friendsgiving party, I laid out a bed of preserved moss on the table, created a zigzag pattern with her candles and filled in with different-size pumpkins, pomegranates, grapes, figs, nuts and squash. I tucked in pieces of dried hydrangea and roses to fill in any gaps.”
Size matters
An attractive centerpiece need not be tall or grandiose. You can, for instance, simply weave branches and leaves from the yard (be sure to clean them off before bringing them inside) between brass candle holders and highlight them with bright fruit. “The proper height of a centerpiece can make your guests remember and appreciate the beauty of what’s on the table— versus popping their head over and around your décor like a meerkat popping out of a hole,” quips Baker. Going too large here, she explains, “is like having furniture that’s too big for a room. When it doesn’t fit, you really notice.”
Warm and rustic
When it comes to decorating a table for fall, there are seemingly countless styles, colors and pieces you can use. You can achieve a cozy, rustic look by filling each compartment of a vintage metal caddy with fall flowers, pumpkins and candles. “Seasonal elements give a composition a time, a place and an identity,” notes Baker. “Roses, orchids and other classic popular elements can be used any time, but playing with the colors and textures from the natural elements found at this time of year can create the rustic, warm and inviting feeling we want.”
Food for thought
No matter the season, a fruit-and-floral combination can lighten any tablescape. For a runner-covered table, fill a clear vase (or use several mason jars in varied sizes) with sliced, dried fruit and your favorite flowers, store-bought or straight from the yard. You can even use dried flowers or branches, or whatever else you have around that looks interesting. Again, just make sure the arrangement doesn’t tower over the table. “My favorite flowers to include are Dutch antique hydrangea, hellebores, viburnum berries, garden roses and Amaranthus,” says Baker. “Colors I gravitate to are butter yellow, olive green, aubergine, copper, espresso brown and smaller pops of mustard yellow or orange.” Baker’s rule of thumb when it comes to height of florals: “The person you’re talking to should be framed by flowers, not hiding in a bush.”
Fall foliage
Bring some of the vibrant beauty of the outdoors into your home and onto your table. Natural treasures such as colorful leaves, pinecones, acorns and even rocks can create the foundation of a centerpiece when arranged in a woven basket or a wooden tray. “For Thanksgiving,” confides our expert, “I often gravitate to velvet accents, vintage silver serving pieces and cut crystal containers, making plentiful use of candles and leaning heavily on seasonal flowers and non-floral ingredients like moss, acorns, pheasant feathers or produce.”
Filled to the brim
A dough bowl is another kitchen vessel that can be used for a table centerpiece. For an unexpected yet chic arrangement, mix classic fall colors such as yellow, orange and brown with a pop of lively, peach-tinged roses. Another surprising centerpiece idea? Try “using plants in terra cotta pots and fall leaves and pinecones instead of traditional greenery,” Baker says.
Have a tablescape or centerpiece worth showing off? Remember to tag us on Instagram @njhomemag in all your best creations.