Trimming Your Thanksgiving Table

Taking a cue from the brilliantly colored autumn landscape, there are many creative ways to incorporate the best of fall indoors on your holiday table. The age-old process of tea staining lends a rich patina to plain white place cards. With a fine pen, carefully write your guests’ names in swooping script, adding another vintage touch. Affix the cards to diminutive antique bottles, and decorate with papery seedpods and colorful berries and foliage for beautiful placeholders that double as keepsakes at the end of the evening. Layering linens and china in an autumnal palette brings the outdoors in and creates a rich look on the table. Use sprigs of herbs, individual leaves, or even branches to add a pop of texture to a simple napkin or napkin ring crafted from waxed twine.

To find more decorating ideas and a seasonal harvest menu, see “Late-Autumn Joy: Savoring a Cozy Harvest Repast,” on page 30 of the November/December 2009 issue of Victoria magazine.