Adorning the Table

Creating a festive table can be done the night before, as long as you don't need that table for breakfast. Fall offers a variety of inspiration, ranging from leaves and nuts to gourds and cornucopias.

Of course, you can buy a centerpiece or craft kits, but chances are you have most of what's needed around your house.

Centerpieces

Large decorative glass jars, cake stands and hurricane glass can all serve as elegant centerpieces.

My in-laws gave me a pair of decorative hurricane glasses that happened to be etched with leaves. I filled one with oranges, apples, nuts and pears for a naturally colorful centerpiece.

If you have more time, spray painting some tiny pumpkins and gourds gold also makes a nice centerpiece.

Another idea is to take a cake stand and arrange different pillar and tealight candles on it. I followed an example found online and cored some gourds to fit tapered candles. The center hole is tough to cut, so I used an oyster shucker to shape the cutout. An apple corer (I don't have one) would be the perfect tool for this job. If you make the candle hole too big, just wrap some foil around the candle's base to hold it in place.

Place Settings

I tend to prefer a simply decorated table. This allows enough room for plates of food, condiments or rolls to be within easy reach. Also, I stay away from large bouquets of flowers so I'm able to see everyone at the table.

In lieu of plain folded cards, try these pear place cards. A natural twine looks nice, or try a contrasting this satin ribbon or gold cord for a more formal table.

Paper leaves are inexpensive and look nice tied to a napkin as a place card. Use a gold pen to write the names. If you don't have time to buy these, just trace a leaf from outside and use a marker for the name.

Kids' Crafts

Most children love crafts. There's something about sticky glue, colored paper and sharp scissors that fascinates them. So why not use their artistic skills and make some table decorations.

The Thankful Turkey is a great craft that's actually interactive. Each of the turkey "feathers" can be left at a place setting, then added to the turkey's body as the guests fill in what they are thankful for this year.

This craft requires a styrofoam ball, however, I didn't have one, so I stacked a few small styrofoam cups and wrapped them with yarn. If you use this method, you'll have to tuck small rock into the upside down cup before you wrap it with yarn so your turkey doesn't keel over as you add the feathers.

If you have a garage (and some supervision), the classic turkey handprint is always fun for the kids, plus it's a great memento as your little ones grow.

Whatever your decorations, make use of the vibrant colors of fall and have fun.