By Felicia Czochanski
Holidays are an amazing opportunity to spend time with friends and family. They’re also the time when DIY crafting can come in handy to make hosting a group of loved ones even more special. Being a host doesn’t come without pressure, so finding the perfect way to present your table in an easier way can be the thing that makes the prep easier, so you can spend more time catching up and laughing with those you might not see every day.
Especially for Thanksgiving, a holiday so centered around food, presentation is important. Whether it’s how your turkey – or Tofurkey – is plated, or what you’re serving the gravy in, consistency and convenience are what’s going to pull together a successful table for people to gather around. Luckily, at Thanksgiving the food is the star of the show. You don’t need an elaborate centerpiece or intricate tablecloth to add pops of color, because the food will do that on its own. This makes it easier to integrate simplicity into your table and place settings, so the food can really bring it all to life.
Hosting holidays in an apartment isn’t easy. Space is limited and so putting special care into the details is important. For Friendsgiving this year, with the help of things I already have and a quick trip to the home section of my local Goodwill, that’s what I’m going to give a try.
I set my table with neutral placemats and a couple pumpkins. As far as décor goes, that’s as much as I’ll need and frankly, as much as my table will fit by the time all the plates and glasses are out. But there’s always room for a little creativity! That’s what I’m aiming for with this simple place setting. I have my favorite set of dishware out, layered with a reusable napkin in between, and a fanned out set of utensils in the middle – tied together with a simple ribbon and piece of twine.
The setup is simple and takes just a few minutes! More time for cooking, baking, cleaning and all the other things that go into prepping your space for guests. If you find yourself with an extra few minutes, you can make this even more on theme by adding a DIY place card on top with the name of each guest or something more tied into the holiday like ‘thankful’ or ‘grateful.’ It’s the little details that will make all the difference when it comes to presentation! If you’re looking to recreate this idea, stop by the home section of your favorite Goodwill store to find unique dishware, utensils and linens, like place mats and reusable napkins. Once you find something you love, the DIY wheels are sure to start turning!
Have a go-to place setting idea for Thanksgiving inspired by a recent Goodwill purchase? Share your ideas with us on Instagram by tagging @goodwillintl in your next post.