Create a Holiday Tablescape to be Thankful for with Thrift Store Buys from Goodwill!

Thanksgiving tends to get less creative attention than the more significant decorating holidays of Christmas and Halloween, but it doesn’t have to! This year, give your Thanksgiving table a little extra love without spending a lot of money with DIY inspiration from your local Cincinnati thrift store, Ohio Valley Goodwill. Here are some tips to impress your guests with a beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape.

Choose a color scheme

While Halloween (orange and black) and Christmas (red and green) have their traditional colors, Thanksgiving is an open pallet. The November holiday tends to trend towards fall colors, but don’t let that limit you. Start by browsing the shelves of Ohio Valley Goodwill’s home goods selection to spur your color inspiration. Perhaps it’s a complete collection of a vintage blue dish pattern that sets the stage or some colorful glassware that catches your eye. Maybe it’s a buffalo plaid tablecloth that gets your creative juices flowing. Once you have your color inspiration, it’s easy to find other thrift store buys to incorporate into your Thanksgiving tablescape.

Wooden Tray from Goodwill

Choose a style

Just as you can find your color scheme at Goodwill, you can also establish the overall ” feel” for your table. Here are some thoughts:

Rustic

• Fill wicker baskets with flowers or fresh fruits, pinecones, gourds, and greenery.
• Use cut-off sweater cuffs to wrap around glass candle holders and tie greenery or dried leaves to them””Thanksgiving is sweater weather, after all!
• Fill smaller glass jars or vases with popcorn, nuts, or candy. Wrap a ribbon around the top for the finishing touch!

Glass jars from Goodwill

Vintage

• Add vintage napkins or fabrics to your centerpiece.
• Look for rattan or wicker mats that can be placed down the middle of your table as the foundation for your centerpiece.
• Mix and match servicing pieces like bowls, plates, silverware, salt and pepper shakers, gravy boats, and cake or dessert plates.
• Create a beautiful combination of apples, pears, and flowers on a vintage plate or cake stand.

Porcelain teacup with white and pink flowers

Teacup and saucer from Goodwill

Elegant

• Place candles (real or battery-operated) in vases and wrap with gold ribbon.
• Spray paint vases, artificial flowers, and figurines in silver or gold for your table center. A monochromatic look brings everything together!
• An all-brass table setting is sophisticated and eye-catching. Bring in brass candlesticks, vases, glassware, table and serving ware.
• Fill crystal cake stands or tiered stands with fall items like pinecones or acorns.

White Dishes from Goodwill

Cozy

• Use paint and a stencil to adorn vases with phrases like ” Give Thanks” or ” Love Family” to place down the center of the table or on a buffet.
• Use a plaid blanket as a tablecloth or a long scarf as a table runner.
• Place fresh-cut greens in natural woven baskets or wood crates.
• Fill vintage bottles and pitchers with colorful fall flowers.

Get inspired and get going!

You don’t have to be a designer or even have an artistic eye to create any of these Thanksgiving tablescape ideas. Search the web for ideas and walk the aisles of your local Goodwill Cincinnati thrift store for creative inspiration! You can find any of the items needed to recreate these concepts and more for much less than craft store prices when you shop at Ohio Valley Goodwill.

Remember, Ohio Valley Goodwill isn’t just another Cincinnati thrift store; we’re a non-profit organization driven by a social mission to change lives through the power of work! That means that when you shop at your local Ohio Valley Goodwill store, you’re doing more than getting a great value. You are helping to transform the lives of people in our community that need and want to work but face barriers to employment. This includes individuals with disabilities and our nation’s veterans. The dollars you spend at Ohio Valley Goodwill will go on to open the door of opportunity to thousands of worthy people in the Cincinnati area.

Find your nearest Ohio Valley Goodwill store here and check out our monthly sales calendars for more opportunities to save on every Goodwill shopping trip.

At Goodwill, we are grateful to YOU for helping us fulfill our mission. From all of us, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!