Tips and Tricks for Hosting a Successful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to get together, eat, celebrate and give thanks. Whether you are all about the food, gathering, or the season, there are ways you can incorporate this holiday into your home decor.

As it sits somewhere on the fence between the fall and winter, Thanksgiving is your opportunity to celebrate in your own way and add personality to your home. Here are some tips and tricks to transform your home for this Thanksgiving season.

Lean into seasonal colors

Thanksgiving - like any other holiday, is all about the festive spirit with the added bonus of cozy vibes. Colors are an integral part of any decor and are an important part of interior design projects. As we all know, color psychology is a big factor when it comes to decorating, so it is important to use them correctly to ensure they play up the holiday vibe.

Strong colors like red work well in kitchens and dining rooms as they can stimulate hunger. It's a color that also ties in with the seasonal color palette with the bonus of being a color that aids in making people hungry, making it the perfect choice for Thanksgiving dinner.

Other colors that work great for the holiday are yellows, oranges, and greens as they are all naturally occurring throughout the fall and winter seasons. Keep these colors in mind if you want to go all out and overhaul your color scheme at home.

Incorporate soft furnishings

If you don't want to go paint or wallpaper your home, you can add some Thanksgiving colors through fabrics and soft furnishings. Soft materials are always a bit part of this season as it is, after all, the season of comfort and coziness.

Blankets and throws are perfect for both the bedrooms and living rooms. You can easily find them in any seasonal color and incorporate them into your decor. Look for colors like red, yellow, orange, or brown. These shades are a great way to add a pop of fall vibe to your home.

As Thanksgiving falls in the middle of fall and winter, it's important to remember that you have different color schemes and styles to influence your decor. Incorporate plaids, checks and other patterns that immediately give off Thanksgiving vibes. This is a great way to incorporate visual contrast into your home's decor and add some of the necessary pops of color.

Pillows are a great way to add a fall vibe to your room and also tie them into the coziness of the holidays. Like blankets, pillows come in many colors and patterns, making them an easy and effective addition to your home to elevate your Thanksgiving style. Who knows, you might even find a turkey-shaped pillow.

Thanksgiving decor

Your home's decor is a great way to show off your individuality and creativity so decorating for Thanksgiving should be no different. There are many different ways you can add some style to your home and elevate your decor for the holiday season.

First, let's talk about dinner, the main attraction of Thanksgiving get-togethers. It's a time for family and/or friends to get together around a table and share a meal while celebrating all they are grateful for. Why not make it as memorable as possible?

When it comes to decorating your table, you can pretty much go in any direction. From formal to casual, from traditional to modern and everything in between. If you don't want to go all out, incorporate a more neutral palette. Keep the tablecloth, dishware, cutlery and serving dishes to shades like soft whites, blacks or greys and reserve the pop of color for your table centerpiece. This allows you to have interesting decor but not in an overwhelming or cluttered way.

If you're more of a traditionalist, go all out by embracing the fall/Thanksgiving colors and decor. Think red napkins, red tablecloths, flowers, straw turkeys and over-the-top iconic seasonal additions that will no doubt be the talk of the party and the attraction of all eyes. It's a time to celebrate, so why not go crazy?

To add a little more uniqueness, use a table runner focused on apples and seasonal fruit. Spread apples, pears and oranges down the table and mix in some candles of varying heights. Incorporate some greenery and ferns, and you have an interesting and natural centerpiece, uniquely yours. This is just one of the many ways you can take classic Thanksgiving decor ideas and transform them into something of your own that could maybe even become a tradition in your home.

Create a pumpkin party

Pumpkins are hallmarks of Halloween, but over the last few decades, they have crossed over into another holiday: Thanksgiving! Pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice, and pumpkin decor are some of the ways this fruit has become more and more popular over this season. There are many ways to utilize them to elevate your style and decor for a successful Thanksgiving get-together.

Go for a twist on this classic and try painting your pumpkins. Instead of carving them, simply paint and decorate them with various colors to match your home or the decorating vision you have in mind. You can add designs, glue on berries, glitter, or let the kids go wild while creating a fun atmosphere.

Additionally, these pumpkins will last longer since they haven't been carved so they won't go bad as quickly. You can use them to make a pie, soup or whatever you choose. If you want to go the glam route, try metallic paint for an eye-catching take on this alternative to the standard pumpkin.

Another take on pumpkins that can elevate your party, is to use miniature painted pumpkins as name placeholders for a Thanksgiving dinner party. This is a unique way to personalize these holiday staples for your loved ones. Surround these with overflowing ferns, greenery and candles like we have mentioned before, and here you have a nice and simple yet intimate take on a holiday classic.

Create great first impressions

Whether it's an apartment door, porch, or entryway, the first thing your guests see is important. First impressions set the mood for the rest of the night. There are also ways to make your guests feel welcome the minute they walk to your door, so it's all about adding your own touch.

If you are a traditionalist, you can go for the classic holiday wreath - usually a mix of leaves and other seasonal, natural elements. You can go in this direction as a safe bet for creating a welcoming space. Or, you can add a wreath with a twist. Incorporate feathers in varying “turkey” colors to give the guests an idea of what they are in for or add lights for an even more unique interpretation. If you prefer to ditch the wreath altogether, keep some elements like the flowers or the feathers, and get crafty by wrapping them around a welcome sign.

On the topic of welcomes, festive doorsteps are another great way to create a welcoming atmosphere. Elevate your boring doormat area by pairing it with seasonal classics. Use those painted pumpkins we spoke about earlier and stack them around the porch for a cute and stylish welcome. Incorporate electric candles and/or flowers, to give your guests an illuminated (and non-dangerous) first impression.

The most important part of Thanksgiving is to surround yourself with the people you love and those that you care about in life. It's all about giving thanks, however, thanks can be given in style.

Get creative, go traditional, or even just go crazy. This is another great season that can be as amazing as you make it. By following our tips and tricks for elevating your Thanksgiving, we hope you are able to pull off a successful holiday and enjoy every minute, whatever you plan to do.