Hobbies & Crafts

You may wish to use a tall, slender clear vase and fill it with cranberries instead of rocks or marbles. These can be placed around the table, or used for the centerpiece.

For the centerpiece, consider a large colorful flower arrangement that includes fruit and/or gourds and small pumpkins. Small pinecones and dried flower pods also make interesting accents, especially if your flowers are dried rather than fresh.

For elegance, of course, nothing beats matched china and crystal goblets, as well as polished silver, so provide these if you have them available.

Consider colors such as cream, perhaps edged in gold, for tablecloth and/or runner and napkins. Or perhaps a gold-colored fabric (rich, but not glittery if the whole piece and not simply an accent).

Another easy accent that adds emphasis is an arrangement of candles in various heights and thicknesses, all in rich fall colors. For elegance, crystal or metallic holders are the best, which can be embellished with something simple, such as a twining branch with a few fall leaves or acorns, but should not be overdone.

I own a beautiful crystal bowl with frosted accents, trimmed in gold. Something like this is perfect filled with apples or an assortment of colorful gourds for an accent. If desired, a rich gold ribbon can be looped among the apples, adding interest and another design element.

The key to elegance is simplicity, in that you want things to match and not over-do embellishments. The play of light (such as with candles and glittering gold accents) is important, and colors should be kept to a minimum -- probably limited to no more than three main colors.

Topiaries, by their very nature, are usually well-suited to elegant settings. (We include suggestions at the end to make this craft more appropriate in a rustic setting as well.)

First, select and paint a clay pot with gold paint (or select a pot that complements your table) and set florist’s foam into the pot. Select a stout natural twig for the trunk. (If using one from your yard, you may wish to wash it, treat with insecticide, and allow it to dry and air out for a few days before use.) Select a shaped foam piece for the top of the topiary. Balls are popular, but cones and other shapes should be available.

Carefully place the foam topiary piece onto the trunk, making the hole that you will later use when assembling the topiary, then remove the trunk. Cover the bottom of the trunk with glue, and set it into the foam in the pot.

Cover the foam topiary shape with glue, and roll it in a pan filled with colorful kernels of Indian Corn (these can often be purchased as popcorn - if you cannot find them as popcorn, you can purchase ears of Indian corn and twist the kernels off to remove them). Beans, lentils, or other dried kernels can also be used, but for the sake of appearance on the elegant table, you will probably want to use only a single kind, or at least all should probably be of uniform size and shape. If there are any open spaces, add glue and press kernels to cover. Be careful to leave the hole you made for the trunk.

Allow the topiary shape to dry, then add glue to the top of the trunk and press the topiary shape, using the hole you made previously, onto the trunk. Glue florist’s moss or Spanish moss (or another moss of your choice) over the foam in the pot, and around the place where the trunk enters the topiary if desired.

Finish by tying a tiny bow around the trunk (either midway, or where it joins the topiary), a wider bow around the topiary or on top of the topiary, and/or a bow around the pot, depending on your finished piece and your taste. Consider using a sheer gold wire-edged ribbon for creating the bow for a really elegant touch.

This craft can also be easily adapted to a more rustic table by using a variety of beans. You may also want to leave the pot unpainted or paint it using duller colors or those suited to your table setting. You may also wish to use raffia or strips of fabric instead of ribbon. If you choose fabric, you may use a solid color or a small gingham print, or a fall-themed fabric. The fabric can be torn into strips for tying the bow, or cut with pinking shears, to give a charming effect.

Elegant napkin rings can be created using silver or gold jewelry wire and fall-colored glass or plastic beads. Leaf-shaped beads are often available.

Simply cut about 24” of wire and make a circle the size of your finished ring, securing one end of the wire. Thread on a bead or two, loop the wire so that it twists and loops with the first circle, add another bead or two, and continue.

These can be rather open and airy, or tightly twisted. When you have the look you desire, secure the end and cut off any excess. Measure the excess, and decrease the next wire you cut so that you will have only a couple of inches left next time to avoid waste, if you had a lot left over. You may also wish to suspend tiny charms or focus beads from the excess before securing it and removing it (or you can use jewelry findings such as pins to hang these).

These rings are made even more elegant by being paired with solid colored napkins in rich colors, especially gold.

For vases, consider using old-fashioned shaped bottles in various colors of glass – the common dark brown color is very appealing for fall (save the very light glass in green, blue, and similar shades for your springtime table). These can be filled with dried seed pods, various dried flower stems in fall colors, or even pretty dried weeds (weeds can often provide some of the most interesting shapes and textures, and will be unique to your table).

Consider using patterned napkins for a rustic table. Gingham may work with your setting, or a bright fall print of leaves or Thanksgiving theme may be better. You can also use solid colors, of course.

If using napkin rings, you may wish to simply tie the folded napkins with raffia. Look for themed fall buttons to thread onto the raffia to make this even cuter, or tuck in a small sprig of red fall berries. You can also purchase wooden rings and embellish them with silk fall leaves, themed buttons, charms, acorns, tiny pinecones, etc.

A cornucopia is a traditional Thanksgiving centerpieces. Cornucopia baskets can be bought at most large craft stores if you don’t have one, and look lovely over-filled (let them spill out!) with an assortment of small colorful gourds and squash (real ones are usually available in supermarkets, while fakes are often for sale in craft stores). Mix in some assorted nuts in the shell, fall-colored silk leaves, small pinecones, acorns, and/or the heads of a few fall-colored mums to further add interest and make your centerpiece more charming. These can be scattered around the table as well.

Wheat shocks can be purchased at a craft store. These can be gathered into a large bundle and tied, then cut to desired height, and used as part of a centerpiece with small pumpkins and gourds all around. You can also make smaller bunches of wheat in the same way, and place one at each seat, and in the tying cord include a small place-card. These are especially suited to a rustic style table using hemp or twine dyed a fall color for the tie, or can be made more elegant by using an autumn-themed wire-edged ribbon, especially one with gold accents, or a solid gold ribbon.

Silk fall leaves can be purchased at a craft store and scattered over the table, as well as being appliquéd to placemats or table runner. They may also be glued with transparent glue to cover (in a single layer) a transparent glass container, which can then have a candle placed inside to shine through the leaves for a lovely effect.

Try a large piece of burlap for a tablecloth, or a strip of burlap for a table runner. The burlap can easily be stenciled or stamped (especially with the large foam stamps using a fabric paint) if you desire. Because the edges are rough, burlap is better suited to a table runner or table overlay than a tablecloth that will touch the laps of your dinner guests.

Another option for decorating your door, or even inside the home, is signs. A piece of wood salvaged from a fence can be ideal if it is already weathered, or you can use a new piece of wood and weather it yourself.

Weather the wood by painting it, allowing the paint to dry, and then layering another color on top and using a damp cloth to rub some of that paint off and rub it thin in other places so that the first coat shows through. (If using this method, gray often works well for the first coat.)

Choose a simple, short saying (many of these can be found online) or simply write something like “Welcome!” or “Give Thanks” or “Happy Thanksgiving!” using a thin line on your sign. Don't worry too much about the lettering - if you are going for a rustic look, you don't want the letters to be perfect anyway.

The sign can be decorated with small pinecones or small wooden shapes purchased at a craft store and painted to match your theme and colors. You can attach wire to hang the sign, or raffia, or twist raffia or fabric strips around your wire hanger. You can also add a bow made from raffia or fabric strips.