50+ Designer-Approved Thanksgiving Home Decor Ideas

Company's coming! From the front porch to the mantel to the dining room and even your backyard planters, get ready to give every area of your home a cheery fall refresh before Thanksgiving guests arrive. From DIY project ideas to designer inspiration, we've got you covered with tips for decking out both indoors and out to help you warmly welcome friends and family this Thanksgiving.

First up: A fireplace mantel is the perfect location for a beautiful seasonal display like the one craft blogger and upcycler Courtney Carmean of A Diamond in the Stuff created in her home. She used simple objects like wooden picture frames, faux mini pumpkins and homemade pennant banners, even a bundle of wheat. A bit of decoupage allowed for the words “Give Thanks” to come to life, and voila, a mantel worthy of a holiday celebration for friends and family.

Flowers — dried or fresh — in fall colors in a no-brainer when it comes to Thanksgiving décor. Mix in a few pumpkins, gourds and pinecones to keep it all natural. Copper vessels continue the color palette with an elegant shine.

Design blogger and maximalist Ariel of PMQ for two knows that abundance at the holiday table begins long before the food arrives. This joyously colorful arrangement features a bold purple tablecloth with a graphic floral pattern, cotton canvas placemats with watercolor stripes and mid-mod magpie napkins … proving that every pattern can be a seasonal pattern. Ariel also makes the most of Thanksgiving’s proximity to the Christmas season by tossing in ornaments and wintery cup-and-saucer settings. When you’re putting linens and dishes together this year, look to Ariel (and Star Trek) for inspiration — and boldly go where no host has gone before.

In pulling together this happy-go-lucky setting, Ariel chose playful pieces that make it almost impossible not to smile. Chicken plates? Absolutely. Raccoon napkins? A perfect pairing. Printed-out paper placemats and shareable baskets of crayons are crowd-pleasing entertainment, and the colorful pumpkins she placed on her veggie table runner (why not?) can survive a bit of coloring, too. Keep your eyes peeled at thrift stores and rummage sales for cute (non-heirloom) accents like this turkey salt shaker, and download a digital template to generate color-able placemats of your own.