Tactful Thanksgiving Decorations for Your Home

Are you tired of decorating your home with turkeys for Thanksgiving? Avoid that overdone, tacky decor this year. Purchase classy fall-inspired pieces or make your own from nature. You will be thankful for your beautiful, original home interior. 

1. Anything fall-inspired

 

Fall decorations will last all season long. Replace the turkey and cornucopia decor with fall leaves, wreaths, and warm autumn-inspired colors. Decorate with red, orange, and yellow - or plum, chocolate, gold, and any other hues that strike your fancy. 

2. Words of gratitude

 

You may already have inspirational words decorating your home in the form of a plaque or wall clings. Live, laugh, love: These are nice words to live by, but they are not your only option. Something as simple as "Count your blessings" is a good reminder during this holiday season. 

3. Fruit bowl centerpieces

 

Fruit is a yummy way to decorate the table or countertop. Get creative with your fruit bowl centerpiece by selecting a unique basket to display your fruit. Or, surround the apples and oranges (or pomegranates, pears, etc.) with foliage to create a sweet masterpiece. 

4. Inspiration from nature

 

Nature provides inexpensive options for home decor. Step outside your door and find fallen sticks or pinecones to decorate the home for Thanksgiving. A vase filled with branches is a simple but elegant accent, as is a shallow glass bowl with a candle surrounded by a handful of pinecones. 

5. Candles and flowers

 

Candlelight is pretty any time of the year, but it is especially lovely in the fall and winter. Pair candles of any size with flowers (real or artificial). A shallow bowl or basket provides the perfect container for several candles, surrounded by flowers in fall hues. Protect your flowers from the flames by keeping the candles inside a clear jar or vase. 

6. Front door decor

 

Thanksgiving wreaths don't have to be the standard rings covered in fall leaves. Change up your door decor by making a creative accent; this pinecone-and-ribbon door piece is charming and easy to make. It consists of eight pinecones, each of which is hanging from a wide purple ribbon. The ribbons are tied together and the "wreath" hangs on the door. 

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Photo courtesy of Flickr / HomeSpotHQ

DIY Thanksgiving Centerpieces Using Pine Cones

Are there pine cones filling your backyard? If you can, you might as well put them to use indoors, rather than raking them all up into trash bags with the fall leaves. Why not make your own table centerpiece using pine cones to use for Thanksgiving? There are several different crafts you can try, from pine cone turkeys to homemade bouquets. These are just three DIY Thanksgiving centerpieces you can make using pine cones. 

Pine Cone Candle Centerpiece

 

You will need: a wide, shallow glass bowl or vase; a pillar candle; and an assortment of pine cones. The pillar candle can be in any fall-inspired color. Look for pine cones of varying sizes. Paint the cones if you like, or leave them in their natural, woody color. Place the candle in the center of the bowl. Surround it with pine cones, making sure at least two-thirds of the candle is visible. Center your bowl on the dining table in time for Thanksgiving. 

Pine Cone Turkey Centerpiece

 

You will need: a large pine cone; assorted colored feathers; two small google eyes; glue; and colored foam scraps in the shapes of a head (circle), beak (teardrop), and feet. Lay your pine cone on its side, finding a side where it will not roll around. Starting a couple rows back from the wide end, start gluing the feathers in the spaces of the cone. Work your way to the narrow end until each slot has been filled, making sure to fan out the feathers to look like a turkey. Glue the foam to the appropriate areas of the pine cone, and glue the google eyes to the face above the beak. 

Pine Cone Bouquet Centerpiece

 

You will need: a gift box; barbecue skewers; foam; hot glue; ribbon; pine cones; and a drill bit. Drill a hole into the bottom of each of the pine cones. Use hot glue to attach each of the pine cones to the end of a skewer. Poke the skewers into the foam so the cones look like a bouquet, and fill in the spaces with colored leaves. Place the foam into the gift box and wrap ribbon around it. Place your Thanksgiving centerpiece on the dining room table. 

Enjoy making your pine cone centerpiece, and have a happy Thanksgiving holiday. 

Visit my main blog for more home improvement ideas.

Photo courtesy of Flickr / Porsche Brousseau