Chic & Sparkling Sparkling Thanksgiving Table
Set a festive table that is both inviting and impressive. Charleston event designer Tara Guérard shows us how to mix old with new, traditional with modern, and heirloom with inexpensive for beautiful holiday table.
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Family-Style Thanksgiving Table
Tara looked to a family china patter for inspiration. The result is a pretty color palette of Champagne and gold with subtle touches of pink. Linens establish the palette, which is carried out all the way to the pale pink taper candles. Tara paired her traditional family china with modern gold-rimmed glass chargers she rented for just $1 apiece.
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Chargers: Glass Gold Rim Hammered Charger; snydereventrentals.com
China: discontinued; for similar items, search for "pink rim china" at replacements.com
Related: 60 Spectacular Thanksgiving Sides
Expand Your Table
To accommodate a large guest list, Tara topped her dining table with a 4- by 8-foot piece of felt-wrapped plywood and brought in a bench for seating.
Related: 12 Ways with Pecan Pie (Cheesecake, Brownies, Cobblers, and More!)
Splurge on Linens
The Champagne-colored cotton velvet tablecloth adds a luxurious feel. Sometimes a nice tablecloth is all you need to dress up a table.
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Tablecloth and napkins: custom; taraguerardsoiree.com
Stemware: by tag; tagltd.com
Related: 11 Sweet & Savory Pumpkin Recipes
Spray Paint Your Centerpiece
A coat of metallic gold spray paint upgrades a grouping of glass candlesticks (thrift store finds!) and heaps of large apples.
Related: Festive Holiday Appetizers
Create Multipurpose Place Cards
Instead of throwaway paper place cards, etched glasses announce the seating arrangement. Start with simple tumblers, and have them etched at a trophy shop for around $2 each.
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Glasses: Marta Double Old-Fashioned; cb2.com
Dinner plates: Pompadour in Gold/White by Royal Worcester, discontinued by available through replacements.com
Related: Deep-Fried Thanksgiving Stuffing, Pecan Pie, and More!
Set Up a Grown-Up Teens' Table
Create a simplified version of the adult table for teenage guests by using many of the same elements in a different arrangement. The flirty tablecloth upgrades a card table and mimics the velvet-and-silk version on the main table. To give dining chairs a quick makeover, tightly wrap cushions with extra tablecloth fabric, and secure using a staple gun.
Related: Show-Stopping Thanksgiving Desserts
Set Up a Kids' Table
Wrap a small picnic table in burlap, and outline with satin ribbon for a holiday-worthy kids' table. Keep things simple, but add playful extras.
Love It? Get It!
Rug: Flokati Wool Rug in Ivory; worldmarket.com
Animals: by Roost (roostco.com); available through vieuxtemps.net
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