With Thanksgiving only a few days away, I’m ready to create a home that evokes intimacy. After all, you bring together friends and family for this celebration, so what better time to impress your guests with lovely decor?

This year I’m going all-natural. My decor scheme features earthy colours and soft textures, encapsulating a pure sense of wellbeing.

Rustic wooden elements combined with homey blanket ensembles, hanging leaves and specially themed lighting ideas all contribute to a cosy sense of nostalgia. Here are some practical, yet inspiring suggestions on how to add this feeling of gratitude throughout your home, from a color palette to dinner table centers, living room decor, to the guest bedroom.

The 16 Best thanksgiving decorating ideas

1. Harvest Pumpkin Centerpieces

When I am shopping and baking for Thanksgiving, I also create a pumpkin centerpiece for the dining table. I take a medium-sized pumpkin, remove its insides and use it as a vase.

Then I fill the inside with local sunflowers, chrysanthemums and sprigs of wheat or dried grasses to add some height. Outside of the pumpkin, I add little gourds and colorful leaves to the width of the table.

This is a quick DIY autumn dinner centerpiece that brings the season in for an inviting and warm holiday table setting.

2. Autumn Leaf Garlands

Autumn leaf garlands meld the beauty of the season into my home. They can transform the most ordinary space into a festive one; brilliant crimsons and oranges, vibrant yellows, and washed-out browns.

Those of you who have noticed my photos on Instagram might have seen the garlands before. They are incredibly easy to make.

I either use fallen leaves or fake leaves (no time to wait for the real thing to dry out!) and I string them up on twine in irregular lengths, with the colors and sizes varying. I sometimes add pinecones or small branches to add some texture.

I love how draping the garland over a fireplace mantel or even on top of a door creates a cosy, welcoming feel. A beautiful statement, albeit a simple and homemade one, to welcome the season.

3. Cornucopia Displays

A cornucopia, or symbol of ‘plenty’, is a classic symbol of thanksgiving and could not be more appropriate for this feast. It is a large, curved hollow horn-shaped basket made from wicker, filled with various fruits, vegetables, nuts and flowers.

Materials needed: Cornucopia basket (available at craft supply stores). Fillings: Choose from a colorful assortment of pumpkins and gourds in various sizes and textures, as well as a fruit or two – think apples, vibrant pomegranates and similar seasonal offerings.

Enhance the display with autumn leaves, such as maple, oak or sycamore. These items will spill out and over the basket’s top, which even if aesthetically pleasing, is essential to the meaning of a cornucopia: plenty. Round out the display with some pinecones and berries that will add texture.

Place the cornucopia at the center of your table or mantled for an immediate, striking festive display and evoke the season’s spirit.

4. Rustic Mason Jar Lanterns

As for me, I can only give my humble opinion: Mason jars make great lanterns for Thanksgiving. With their warm, rustic look, they lend a cozy, homey glow to any setting, which is exactly what my family and I like for this festival of thanks and food.

Anyway, I use jars and twine and ingenuity to make them. First, I stuff them with fairy lights or pop in some tea candles for a flicker.

Then I wrap the twine around to make a bow at the rim, sometimes adding autumn leaves or berries for color. The lanterns are so easy to design; just take plain lampshade jars and dress up their ordinary shape to fit the season.

They look so good displayed on tables or steps.

5. Wheat Bundle Accents

Bringing bits of the natural world into your home decor adds much-needed warmth and rustic style. For the Thanksgiving holiday, bundles of dried wheat are a simple yet refined farmhouse accented.

Their rich gold tones and textural appeal immediately speak of the harvest season. Grab a handful of wheat stemmed stalks and simply bundle them with rustic (or velvet!) twine or ribbon, and display on your mantel or dining table.

Place in a vase or intertwine with the season’s flowers and foliage. The bundles can be left standing or gently laid down as a centerpiece either way, their understated beauty adds something beautiful to the festive setting, transplanting a bit of the fields inside.

6. Pinecone Table Settings

Celebrate your Thanksgiving feast with a delightful pinecone table setting. Collect pinecones from a nearby park or purchase them at a craft store Check the pinecones for any debris/insects.

Place them in an attractive manner on the center of your dining table. Create place settings using handwritten tiny name cards which you can stick on top of the pinecones.

But before attaching them with your silverware, spray paint the pinecones using gold or silver spray paint as mentioned in the original article. Creatively combine the pinecones on top of autumn leaves, small pumpkins and candles.

You’ll be delighted at how simple yet effortless this table setting design looks. Bring a cozy element to your festive table with this natural masterpiece.

7. Thankful Chalkboard Signs

Nothing says Thanksgiving more than a chalkboard sign with a message of thanks. They’re inexpensive, easy to make, and can give any room in the home a festive focus of gratitude.

All you need is a chalkboard surface and a craft store or the hardware section of any store sells them. Or, you can make your own chalkboard by painting the back of an old picture frame with chalkboard paint or painting a piece of plywood and sticking it on the wall.

Simply write ‘things I’m thankful for:’ with chalk markers or any regular chalk, and add some doodles – maybe leaves or pumpkins – around the message. Change the message every day until Thanksgiving dinner, asking everyone to write something down.

8. Cranberry Candle Holders

Fresh cranberries make gorgeous candle holders for your Thanksgiving table. I’ve made these for parties and potlucks.

They’re a super simple DIY that makes a tabletop delicious. Just fill a glass jar or votive holder halfway to the top with fresh cranberries.

The dark red color of the berry looks beautiful with a white or cream candle, and the smooth glass makes the berries look glossy and shimmering. Place the candle on the cranberries at an angle making sure it won’t fall over, and then turn it centrally, so it shines in the middle of the jar.

I like to tie a piece of twine or ribbon around the top of the jar, but this is optional. The cranberries shine nicely as the candle lights up.

At a dark table, it gives a cheerful glow, in a low key way. They are easy and just lovely.

9. Burlap Table Runners

Rustic burlap table runners are the perfect accessory for your Thanksgiving table. They feel natural and have a neutral color scheme that works well for the holiday.

I use burlap because of its simplicity and ease; the coarse texture works so well with the season, but also allows you to dress it up with stencils, lace or fabric paint to match a theme. For a burlap runner that I made myself, I cut the burlap to the length I wanted, and left about five inches for overlapping the edges.

Then I frayed about an inch of each edge for a natural look. Added some cotton lace to the border for a delicate, feminine touch, an easy DIY project that gives character to a holiday spread.

10. Gourd Wreaths

A fantastic Thanksgiving craft is an autumn wreath made of gourds. I start by collecting a few small, brightly colored gourds and weave them around a sturdy wreath form, such as grapevine or wire.

Faux vine leaves or berries adds a finishing touch. I use hot glue to keep the gourds in place.

I like to have a mix of textures and colors for a lively look; orange, yellow and green are wonderful. A little twine or ribbon adds a rustic touch.

It’s a lovely decoration, and a wonderful way to welcome the seasonal bounty and warmth, making a lovely addition on the front door.

11. Plaid Throw Blankets

Plaid throw blankets make just about anything cosy and rustic – and they can do the trick for the Thanksgiving table, too. Rich, woven patterns bring warmth and colour to any room.

Throw them over couches, chairs, or beds for added flair. To make a plaid throw of your own, choose fabrics in autumnal colours, such as red, orange, or gold.

Cut the fabric to size, hem it off and add fringe if you want. Mixing different plaid patterns can be fun.

These blankets can make your Thanksgiving table look cosy, warm and inviting, helping your guests feel at ease as they prepare to enjoy their meal.

12. Acorn Napkin Rings

If you’d like some natural detail on your autumnal table setting, these acorn napkin rings are easy to make. First you need some wooden rings, and of course, some acorns.

Begin by gluing a single acorn at the top of the ring; then add in some small twigs or some leaves on the bottom for a decorative touch. Once you’ve collected your ingredients, you can further enhance the rustic feel by varnishing it.

This little decoration will bring the outdoors directly to your dining room, and each ring will subtly highlight nature’s fine detail. It’s an excellent touch for a cosy dinner atmosphere – small and elegant touches will turn simple cloth napkins into seasonal declarations.

They’re also a simple DIY project you can do in advance to set up your dining space for a special occasion.

13. Plaque Give Thanks

The easiest way to make your Thanksgiving home beautiful is with simple but heartfelt touches. One of my favorite things to do is make a “Give Thanks” plaque.

This makeover DIY project will dress up your house and would add character to your home. For the base of your plaque, I like to use wood.

Paint the plaque with some nice warm autumn colours, for example deep orange or rustic red. Stencil or free hand the words “Give Thanks” in a fancy script.

You can also accent the words with some small, artificial autumn leaves or acorns. Hang it in your dining room or entryway, so that guests will be greeted by a thankful spirit!

This easy DIY project will make your holiday home and heart beautiful!

14. Turkey Feather Place Cards

Here’s an idea for your Thanksgiving menu – Turkey Feather Place Cards. These sweet cards are a perfect way to dress up your dinner table and make each guest feel special.

It’s a warm touch for your table, and a personalized way to give thanks to everyone. Enjoy creating your Turkey Feather Place Cards for any Thanksgiving party.

15. Wooden Crate Arrangements

Wooden crate arrangements make highlighting the season effortless as they exude a rustic, welcoming feel. Set out different-sized crates and fill them with composite elements such as pumpkins, gourds, and autumn leaves to create visually appealing, enticing fall displays.

Start by selecting crates in various sizes – remember, the more varied the dimensions, the more pleasing the display. Inject a professional-quality touch by staining or painting the crates.

Add filler – hay or burlap, for instance – to create texture. Now, arrange your seasonal elements.

Fairy lights add a captivating glow. Stack crates for a layered look or scatter them around your porch or inside for a charming, welcoming aesthetic.

Play with the arrangement until you like it. After all, it’s for welcoming people in and having a great time on Thanksgiving!

16. Maple Leaf String Lights

Drape over a mantle, door frame, or wrap around banisters and bed frames. For the do-it-yourself touch, I weave them in and out of real or faux foliage garlands, adding texture and a little more natural look.

I also tangle them among small pumpkins and gourds to create a table centrepiece, perfect for welcoming fall and Thanksgiving.