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How do I have a spectacular looking Thanksgiving table that won’t cost a lot?

–new hostess, Provience

Think about what you already have that you can use on your table that is in the Thanksgiving colors or reds, yellows, oranges, and greens. Think color. With candlesticks use colored candles, although try to avoid Christmas candles.

Have children decorate place cards and write the name of each guest on a small fold over card. They can cut 4-by-4 inch squares out of construction paper and fold them over with the name on the front.

Take a pumpkin and carve out a medium size circle on the top, scrape out the seeds, and insert a container of water in the cavity.  Tightly tuck colorful fall colored flowers into the the container. Or simply fill a glass bowl with clementines, tangerines, or apples for your centerpiece.

Thanksgiving morning have children find perfect specimens of fallen leaves and artfully place them like fallen leaves, with the shiny side up, in the middle of your dining table.

Try setting the table ahead of time so you have time to add or edit out what isn’t colorful. Colored glasses for wine or water that you can place side by side. For instance, a clear wine glass next to a green water glass. Instead of a tablecloth, use one or two colorful runners in the center of the table with the centerpiece centered in the middle. Or place the runners on top of a any tablecloth.

Don’t forget to put a couple of small bowls of cranberry sauce around the table with spoons, to not only add a pop of color but because your guests can never have enough cranberry sauce. Grate a film of orange peel over the red cranberries. Any left over cranberries can be used to decorate the insides of hurricane lamps.  We use two website to illustrate Hurricane lamps that are safe and sturdy. Google Ralph Lauren Bedford Hurricane and William Sonoma Hurricane.

For the children at the table colorful foil covered chocolate turkeys are a sweet reward for having good manners.

When looking for ideas for spectacular table settings, check out “Creative Napkins and Table Settings,” by Jimmy Ng at Barnes & Noble.

~Didi