A Simple & Beautiful Thanksgiving Table to Inspire Conversation

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays around here. We gather with our friends & family and enjoy delicious food while we engage in fun conversation. So I created a Thanksgiving table that inspires more of this.

We have been honored to host Thanksgiving at our house a couple times since we moved back home. We love every minute of having family over for the day. Although, I’m not sure my family enjoyed being at my house for Thanksgiving! Two years ago, I made them all drop their phone in a basket as they entered the house, and then I took the basket away and we literally spent the entire day with each other. Not our phones haha!

For us, we spend Thanksgiving with my side of the family one year and then my husband’s side of the family the next. It’s an every-other-year thing and it works well for us. We used to try to split the day between the two families. But it always leads to anxiety and an inability for us to relax because we’re constantly thinking about what time it is. We want to rest and enjoy the company of our family so this works best for us.

I recently put together a fun and easy table setting for Thanksgiving with that in mind. I wanted the table setting to inspire conversation. Like I mentioned in my Fall Dinner Date Post a few weeks ago, I wanted the table setting to enhance the communication, not inhibit it. So these are the elements I used to create a table setting that inspired conversation and thus – connection.

Thanksgiving Table – DIY Centerpiece

I made a super easy DIY for the centerpiece. (This has already sparked conversation in my house and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet!!) Seeing a DIY centerpiece like this will likely invite people to ask questions about it. Or maybe they will see it and be reminded of a fun DIY project they completed or started recently. DIY projects are just so much fun to talk about. Whether you’re sharing yours or listening to another, there is so much fun in a DIY story!

Candles

Most recently, in the October Picnic Post, I talked about how the flicker of candles can create a comfortable and cozy ambiance no matter where they are. This is why I put so many on this Thanksgiving table setting. I wanted this space to feel warm and cozy for all those who gather around it.

(Helpful Hint: If you want your candles to have a drippy look, just add wind. You can prep your candles before the party starts and get that gorgeous look by simply lighting your candles and letting the wind blow across them for a couple minutes. Once the candles look the way you want them to look, blow them out and set them back on the table to wait for your guests.)

Low

I kept the centerpiece low so that people could see each other without turning their heads or sliding over to the edge of their chair. I love a huge beautiful centerpiece for a statement, but when you’re going to have many people sitting around the table, something simple and low will allow everyone to carry on a conversation easily.

Thanksgiving Table – Name Cards

The next thing I did to help create conversation was place name cards on the table. Not that it matters where anyone sits, but it was a simple way to let everyone know that I value them and appreciate the impact they have had on my life. It’s a small gesture, but I have found that often the small things can have some of the largest impacts.

On the backside of each of these name cards, I typed up different questions. I thought it would be fun to have a slightly guided and intentional conversation with everyone about their year and how its been. I also added questions that focused on the future and goals that they had for the coming year. The goal was to maintain a positive atmosphere. Especially in a year that has been very difficult for so many people. Even though it’s been hard, we can find positive if we look for it.

If you’re interested in printing out fun name tags like this for your guests I’ve created some for you! All you have to do it subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this post and you’ll receive these name tags FREE directly to your inbox!

I added cute Thanksgiving images and left the name section blank for you to personalize them.

Thanksgiving Table – Heirloom Pieces

One more thing I did when I created this Thanksgiving table setting was to fill it with heirloom pieces. I used many of the serving dishes I told you about from my table setting post a few weeks ago.

By displaying and using heirloom pieces I find that I can do two things. I believe it helps preserve the wonderful memories of those who are no longer with us. But I also believe that it can stimulate conversation. My dad may see the serving dish his grandmother used to use and recall a particular memory with her. Or maybe when my mom sits down to drink from her grandmother’s “fine china” glass she too will be reminded of days long ago when she was a little girl visiting her grandma.

Thanksgiving has always been a time of rejoicing and celebrating for me. It’s been a time to express gratitude for all the many blessings in my life.

I’ve learned that you often find what you’re looking for in life. So when you are intentional about creating positive and fond conversation, I think in most cases, you’ll find it. I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving celebration this year and that something here has helped inspire you in some way to create the Thanksgiving celebration you dream of!

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Open Your Doors,
Aliya