Elegance on a Budget

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Fall is a wonderful time to bring the outdoors in, and this certainly holds true for Thanksgiving.

— Cathy Hobbs, owner of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes

Cost-Friendly Centerpieces

Thanksgiving is a time for family and entertaining. Achieving an affordable, elegant look for your dining room table takes a little creative thinking and careful planning. According to Cathy Hobbs, owner of Cathy Hobbs Design Recipes, creative centerpieces can set the tone for an elegant yet affordable celebration. “Centerpieces should celebrate the fruits of fall,” she said. “Fall is a wonderful time to bring the outdoors in, and this certainly holds true for Thanksgiving.”

Hobbs recommends placing long branches in tall cylinder-style vases and using fall leaves to accent the table runner to spruce up the dining room table. Acorns in a simple glass jar also make for a festive Thanksgiving table. “One of my favorite design ideas is to fill a clear glass vessel with acorns and then add a pumpkin-colored candle on top,” Hobbs said.

Pumpkins left over from the Halloween season can also make for festive table centerpieces. “They make perfect vases for adorning a table,” Hobbs said. “Fill them with acorns, fall leaves or pine cones to create the perfect centerpiece.”

Chasworth suggests arranging a few different sized pumpkins surrounded by smaller pumpkins on your table. “Use the little miniature pumpkins as nameplates by carving or writing the intended guest’s name on the pumpkin,” she suggested. For another elegant touch, "You may want to try using a large pumpkin as a soup tureen,” Chasworth said. “Just empty it like you would for Halloween ... but don’t carve the face.”

Budget-Friendly Decor

Because Thanksgiving is a day filled with family and close friends, why not involve the entire family in decorating your home? If you have children, get them involved cutting out paper pumpkins as place mats or give them markers to draw pictures on paper place mats, suggests Chasworth. “It will be something unique, and it will give them something to do while you are cooking,” she said. “Have them do cutouts of pilgrim hats or turkeys."

Chasworth recommends cotton-stenciled linens for napkins or table liners, too. “Stenciling is such an easy way to create pretty decorative prints,” Hobbs said. “Using a paint for fabric, stencil directly onto white cotton napkins. Prints such as leaves, pumpkins or acorns are all great ideas.”

If you have rope lying around the garage, put it to use by wrapping the interior of a jar with it for a rustic look, says Hobbs. “You can also make custom plate chargers and wrap thinner rope around candles for a beautiful and organic fall look.”

Walnuts and twigs can add an elegant and a natural touch to your table, Hobbs says. She recommends using twigs tied with twine or a sprig of fresh cotton as napkin rings. Walnut nameplates will leave your guests feeling welcome, too. “Cut a slit on top of the walnut and slide the place card on top,” she said. “Then place your walnut place-card holder on each napkin. Your guests will love the extra touch.”

Affordable Feasting

Thanksgiving is about family, tradition and gratitude. These things should cost nothing, says Kay Richards of Stage-Right Interiors. “Thanksgiving has traditionally been a time of excess,” she said. “It’s not necessary for you and your guests to explode at the end of the meal. Serve what you can afford and focus on the family.”

Make the meal a family effort instead of preparing a turkey and six sides on your own, Richards suggests. “There’s no law on the books that says you have to provide the entire meal yourself,” she said. “Tackle the bird, and farm out sides to your guests. Most people would love to help and show off their specialties.”

Save on savory must-haves by cooking from scratch. Purchasing potatoes to mash and day-old bread for stuffing is much less expensive than buying pre-packed sides. Collaborate with neighbors and friends, too, when preparing traditional Thanksgiving food. “Often we’ll only need a small quantity of an item for a recipe, and the rest goes to waste,” Richards said. “Plan on sharing, and save time and cash.”

Double the food as decorations to save a few pennies this year. Make good use of pumpkins by using the base as part of your decor and the filling for a delicious pie. Chasworth puts homemade cookies on display to show her family’s holiday spirit. “One year, we made cookies in the shape of pumpkins and corn. It was a great way to get the kids involved, and they had a great time decorating them.”

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