While it’s true that some people went right from tossing out the Halloween pumpkin to putting up the Christmas tree, but Thanksgiving is just two weeks ago. If you’re hosting friends and family and want to create a gorgeous tablescape for your turkey and dressing – you can pull it off without spending too much time or more importantly, money. Liz Morgan with Goodwill of North Florida is here to share some tips for creating a beautiful tablescape with second-hand items.
1. Start with a color scheme. If you’re thrifting, it’s uncommon that you find matchy matchy sets of linens, china and glassware. It looks great and increases your odds of finding items if you first start with a through line of color for your table – for fall holidays like Thanksgiving, think burnt oranges, deep cranberry, rich browns, deep greens and golds that kind of reflect nature – and many can get be repurposed for your holiday tables.
2. Center It. Anchor your tablescape by building it rom the center and out. Put your tallest items in the middle, than build out towards each end. More is more – don’t be afraid to go big for this one.
3. Lighting. Try to add some ambient lighting to your table – even if you are dining during the day, twinkling lights and candles are festive. Tip: Avoid scented candles always so they don’t compete with the aromas of that food you worked so hard on.
4. Dishware. Sometimes, you find entire sets of dishes. In fact, last year at the Goodwill in Mandarin I found TWO UNOPENED boxes of Thanksgiving china from Williams-Sonoma. But today, I’m using these gold chargers for underneath with these plates that pull in the leaves from our center piece. I found all these serving dishes as well. Tip: when you find holiday items even off-season, snag them and hold on to them. They won’t be there when the holiday rolls around.
5. Glassware. Finish with glassware and utensils, and again – don’t worry about finding a matching set. Look for similar shaped glasses to help with a cohesive look.
6. Think Outside the Box. So when you’re secondhand shopping, try to look at things beyond their original intention. Like for example a pitcher, you could totally use it as intended – but how about as a vase? Here’s a little hack – if you’re using something like this and you find a chip or it’s not water tight, take your flowers, cut them at an angle under water and put them in a Ziploc bag with water and flower food, tie with a rubber band at top.
7. More is more. Go over the top. Make your table explode with color and whimsy. It shows your guests how much you cared about them by setting a special, not your every day table. And you can do it for about $50 or less!
8. Shop at Goodwill, The Environment Will Thank You. Every item you buy at Goodwill saves millions of pounds from landfills, and gives back by providing job training for your neighbors.
For more tips and information, please go to Goodwill of North Florida - Employment Education, Training, and Opportunities (goodwillnorthfl.org).