A beautiful Thanksgiving table does not need to be complicated or expensive. These Thanksgiving table setting ideas use a warm, natural palette, a few pieces you will use all year, and simple touches like place cards and candlelight.
Pair them with our Thanksgiving crockpot recipes and you can spend the day at the table instead of the stove.
10 Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas
1. Start with a warm, neutral palette
Cream, rust, sage and gold feel seasonal without shouting. Pick 3 colors and repeat them in linens, plates and flowers.
2. Layer your plates
Stack a dinner plate, a salad plate and a napkin for an instant formal look. Our favorite set is the elegant 8 and 9-inch porcelain soup and salad plates.
3. Add warm gold flatware
Gold cutlery glows in candlelight. The Golden Elegance 24-piece cutlery set sets a table for 6, or try the softer matte gold set.
4. Use a natural centerpiece
Run eucalyptus, dried leaves and mini pumpkins down the center. Keep it low so guests can see each other.
5. Light it with candles
Group unscented taper and pillar candles along the runner. Unscented keeps the food the star.
6. Make simple place cards
Write names on kraft tags tied to napkins or tucked into a small pumpkin stem.
7. Mix textures
Pair a linen runner with wooden boards and ceramic dishes. A three-section acacia wood tray is perfect for olives, pickles and cranberry sauce.
8. Serve family-style
Set the sides out in ceramic serving bowls straight from the slow cookers, and carve on a teak wood board at the table.
9. Pick glasses with character
Textured glassware such as the retro bead drinking glass set or embossed petal cups dresses up water, cider and sparkling juice.
10. Set a relaxed kids table
Use kraft paper as a tablecloth with crayons, and keep the dishes unbreakable.
Shop the Look
- Elegant 8 and 9-inch porcelain soup and salad plates
- Elegant round deep ceramic dinner plates
- Golden Elegance 24-piece cutlery set
- Elegant matte gold cutlery set
- Retro bead drinking glass set
- Acacia wood divided serving tray
- Teak wood cutting and carving board
What to Serve
Fill the table with crockpot turkey breast, crockpot mashed potatoes and the slow cooker sides in our Thanksgiving crockpot recipes.
Equipment I Used
- 3-piece ceramic serving bowl set: takes food straight from the crock to the table.
- Wooden cutting board with handle: for slicing and serving right at the table.
New to slow cooking? The Easy Slow Cooker Recipes guide is a beginner-friendly collection of easy crockpot breakfasts and dinners.
Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas FAQ
How do you set a simple Thanksgiving table?
Start with a tablecloth or runner, add a dinner plate, a napkin, flatware (fork on the left, knife and spoon on the right) and a glass above the knife. Finish with a low centerpiece and candles.
What colors are best for Thanksgiving?
Warm neutrals like cream, rust, sage, brown and gold.
How high should a centerpiece be?
Keep it under about 12 inches so guests can see each other.
How far ahead can I set the table?
Set it the day before and cover the plates with a clean cloth.
