Thanksgiving Place Settings
Acorns and leaves in brown, crimson and gold make for an easy Thanksgiving placesetting from www.marthastewart.com
Having children at your Thanksgiving meal? This is the perfect tablescape for them. Brown craft paper, crayons, and pears in pots make them feel "grown up" but leave easy clean-up for the adults!
From www.marthastewart.com is this easy idea for a quick place setting. Take ordinary leaves from your backyard and press between two glass plates.
As a mom with two little children, I'm always looking for new traditions to start. I've seen this in a few publications this year, and I plan on buying my own special tablecloth for us to write on and date at each holiday. Here's the instructions online:
Homeade Blessings Tablecloth-from www.parentsconnect.com
Homemade Thanksgiving TableclothEncourage your kids to actually write on the table! |  |
 | A plain, light-colored table cloth: Preferably cotton (Fabric pen may not work as well on synthetic fibers.) |
| Multi-colored fabric pens: You'll want to use something washable so you can preserve the memories, but still get the gravy stains out! |
| Grateful family members and guests |
 | Buy a white or light-colored tablecloth. |
 | Pick up some colorful fabric pens at your local craft store. |
 | On Thanksgiving, set the table with your new tablecloth and place a marker at each person's place setting. Remember to supervise babies and toddlers, otherwise you're sure to end up with a colorful kid! |
 | At dinner, have every family member and guest find a spot on the tablecloth and write down something they are grateful for. A grownup can wield the pen for the little ones, even those who haven't yet learned to talk! |
 | If you feel like sharing, go around the room and have everyone read aloud what they wrote. |
 | After dinner, simply toss the tablecloth in the wash and store it for next year. |
 | Break it out year after year. Your family will love looking back at the year Dad was grateful that the Sox won the World Series. (It was a miracle!) |
You can also make a Memory Tablecloth to break out during the winter holidays. Simply have your family write down a favorite memory from the proceeding year rather than something they are thankful for.
Here are 2 easy ideas from MyHomeIdeas.com
On the left, they've taken a simple single leaf and with a metallic pen wrote each guest's initials. I love the use of the leaves, and how it contrasts with the gold pen and the chocolate brown napkin.
Down below, a linen napkin, some sprigs of fresh herbs and a simple cardstock showcasing the guest's name makes for a very "green" place setting.
Happy Tablescaping! (Is that a word??)
-Stephanie
