Last year Bruce and I won the Thanksgiving lottery! My younger daughter, Charlotte, and her partner, Lucas, hosted the holiday. It was fabulous! They were the most gracious hosts and the food was devine. They set their table with a mix of inherited pieces and thrift store finds and the effect was perfection. For the upcoming holiday, you can do this too. Just consider…
China and Stoneware
When setting a holiday table, it’s always best to start with thrift. And what better place to begin than with the dishes. Thrift and consignment shops are rife with dish sets, both stoneware and china. Perhaps you’ll find stoneware in a warm, earth-tone? Or a mid-century china pattern featuring wheat or leaves? These sets are among the tops when it comes to consignment shop best buys because they are often priced as sets, rather than individually, saving you tons over regular retail prices for dishes. And once you’ve found them you can use the dishes as the jumping off point for your entire Thanksgiving table-scape.
Be Inspired by Thrift Table Linens
If the dishes don’t get your table-scape started, the table linens surely will. You can find all types of table cloths, cloth napkins, napkin rings and place card holders at thrift and consignment shops. And these do not have to be strictly Thanksgiving-themed ones. Although it is great to find a kitschy cloth populated with Pilgrims, any cloth that coordinates with your dishware should be on the table – literally. LOL And the napkin rings don’t have to be little turkeys either. Think about gold-tone ones or ones with a harvest feel. Charlotte and Lucas used sunflower rings and mustard yellow napkins. These items said Thanksgiving without hitting you over the head with it.
Barware For Your Thanksgiving-Themed Cocktails
Last year at Thanksgiving, Lucas’ Mom Mary, created a delicious, Thanksgiving-themed cocktail for us all to sample (recipe below). We enjoyed this treat in amber rocks glasses that the kids picked up at a local thrift shop. Such a creative and inexpensive way to add even more fun to the festivities. Colored, glass barware is often plentiful at consignment and thrift. At Consignments Ltd. we have rows of it. Consider amber, green, orange and red barware for your Thanksgiving celebration. And if you go with red and green (and you partake) you’ll be all set for the next holiday on the calendar as well.
Miss Mary’s Autumnal Aperitif
- 1 Part Polar Seltzer Brown Sugar Clementine – NOTE: This seltzer is seasonal, so if you can’t find it you can substitute Polar Vanilla Seltzer)
- 1 Part Apple Cider
- 2 Parts Vodka
- Garnish with Apple Slice Sprinkled with a Little Cinnamon
Center Your Search For A Centerpiece
Finally, you are going to want something to adorn you table’s center, at least until you bring out all that food. What better place for faux pumpkins and gourds, dried corn cobs and wheat bundles? And whilst you’re there, check out the plethora of candlesticks, baskets and dried arrangements that these shops are rife with. You’ll wow your guests even before they’ve had a bite to eat or a sip to drink.
If you think you know someone who’d like to read this blog, please feel free to share via the buttons below. Have an idea for an upcoming blog? Just email me at consignmentslimited@gmail.com. Need more to read? Check out some of my previous blogs like: Gift Ideas For Your Thanksgiving Host and Family Games to Play This Thanksgiving.
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