Last Minute Thanksgiving Table Setting Ideas and Tips

I can’t believe that it’s already November. It seems like I was just planning my Thanksgiving menu for last year. And now, I’m already trying to think of new recipes to try for this year. One thing that I’m known for is being a procrastinator. I always wait till the last minute to pull off table settings, decorating, menu planning and just about everything else. I put it off thinking I will have time later on, but that time never comes.

If you’re like me and you’re reading this post to gain some confidence in early planning or last minute rushing, keep reading!

This post is for all of the procrastinators and last minute planners. I promise to keep this short and right to the point!

Last Minute Thanksgiving Table Setting and Tips

It’s the day or two before Thanksgiving and you’re scrambling to pull together your house, menu and of course your Thanksgiving decor.

To test my theory of pulling together a last minute Thanksgiving Table Setting, I actually did this in real time.

Before you start take 10 minutes to pull out anything that resembles Fall, Thanksgiving, your best plates etc.

First, you always start with a blank canvas. Take 1 minute to clear the table and wipe it down.

Then pull out your table runner. I found a runner that had gold, purple and orange colors (perfect Fall colors) tucked away in my Thanksgiving decorations. While I was cleaning off the table, I threw the runner in the dryer for 2 minute to iron out some of the wrinkles. However, if you do have more time then definitely iron it.

Place the runner on the table. Then place your plates and glasses accordingly to the number of chairs. As you can see below I used a mix of plates to give the table a little variety. I am not a cookie cutter person, everything does not always have to be exactly the same.

I used plain brown plates and orange plates with a leaf design. I picked those up at Hobby Lobby last year for 90% off.

Once the runner is set, I usually like to work on the centerpiece of the table. The centerpiece to me, is always the POP and WOW factor. It will make or break your table. It doesn’t matter how fine your china is, the centerpiece pulls it all together. {less than 1 minute}

I decided to use the full length of the table runner to create my centerpiece. I spread 4 yellow vases across the runner. In between those, I placed 3 small green vases. I filled each vase with a variety of fall flowers. Right in the middle of the table I placed a fall centerpiece that I picked up at Hobby Lobby (for 90% off- don’t ever pay full price!). The centerpiece is where I spend most of my time making sure it’s just perfect. This took me 15 minutes to arrange.

I also spread 4 pumpkins across the table (Hobby Lobby as well for 80% off)

For each table placement I kept it simple. Again, this is a last minute Thanksgiving table setting and we are only working with what we have on hand. I recommend pulling out everything you have that “could” work for a Thanksgiving theme. That way you are not running through the house and spending more time looking for decor ideas. This is going to save you a lot of time- preparation. {last 5 minutes putting down the napkins, glasses and checking for anything that may look out of place}

Tip- it’s important on these type of table spreads to leave room for the food. With Holiday dinners, we typically have 8-10 different dishes. It can be hard to squeeze them into a table that is full of decorations. Unless you have a big table, it’s best to keep the decorations simple. My table can seat up to 16 people when both extensions are pulled out.

Last minute Thanksgiving Table Decorations. Think- less is more!

So 30 minutes later, this is what I was able to pull off. A simple, yet inviting Thanksgiving theme.

Here’s 4 of my proven last minute tips that will help take the stress out of Thanksgiving:

Look for meal ideas that can be made the night before. You can find Thanksgiving recipes and menu ideas here . Making meals ahead of time will cut out a lot of prep time and running around to make sure every dish is ready on Thanksgiving Day. Also think about meals that could be made in a crockpot. It’s also helpful to keep a warmer handy.
If you don’t have a lot of fall decorations, go outside and grab some twigs, leaves, etc. Use real apples to create a last minute centerpiece. You can see the one I created for my Fall table last year- Thanksgiving Centerpiece Idea.
If you have guests coming to your Thanksgiving Dinner, have them bring a dish. This will help ease your stress and give you more time to prep and work on the main dishes.
Give people tasks or enlist help. At our house, everyone has a task to help prep and prepare for Thanksgiving.

And just for fun, always keep a glass of wine handy! If you are a planner, Jody has some great tips on how to have a stress free Thanksgiving that can help you plan ahead!

Need more Thanksgiving Decor ideas? You can check out my Thanksgiving theme from a few years ago (this also shows my table pulled out to the maximum to seat 16 people). If you’re lucky enough to have weather where you can enjoy Thanksgiving outside, then this idea may be perfect for you: Outside Fall/Thanksgiving Table Decor Idea

Whatever decision or direction you decide to go, don’t stress over the small stuff. At the end of the day, it’s all about the people you spend your time with and the good food.

So raise your glass and let’s toast to procrastinators everywhere that will be pulling off a last minute Thanksgiving Dinner…. tomorrow.