Thanksgiving Centerpiece Ideas With Natural And Vintage Decor Touches

Today on the blog, I am sharing Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas with natural and vintage decor!

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November is officially upon us, and I’ve been feeling inspired lately to get creative brainstorming Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas with natural and vintage decor! I know the holiday is still a few weeks away and it is a little early for Thanksgiving decorating, but I also know many people who celebrate Thanksgiving multiple times with family and friends throughout the month.

My family celebrates the harvest holiday early as most of my family goes separate ways on the actual day. I want to share Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas with natural and vintage decor for those of you who plan to gather for Thanksgiving dinner early like we do!

Creating a Thanksgiving tablescape is always so fun for me, and I love to share a big dinner table with my guests full of beautiful Thanksgiving table decorations. It is the one time of year where I like to go all out with my dining room table, invoking an inviting atmosphere with fall foliage and autumn accents. However, you don’t have to spend a fortune on purchases to create a beautiful Thanksgiving table setting.

Nearly all of my DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece decor has been created from thrifted items and natural elements. From linen tablecloths and napkins to mini pumpkins to a bouquet of fall stems, you can create a lovely centerpiece using items from your backyard or local thrift store. In fact, you can spend less on your dinnerware than you do on your turkeys haha I am also excited to be sharing a DIY Thanksgiving centerpiece that I created using a little paint and thrifted glass turkey.

DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece

My sweet friend recently picked up a cute little glass or ceramic white turkey from a thrift store and gifted it to me. She found it for less than $6, and knew I would be able to create something beautiful with it. I immediately saw the potential to elevate the basic white turkey after seeing searching online for Thanksgiving turkey centerpieces. I found so many brass turkeys ranging from $20 to $100 or more, and I knew I could recreate the look using some paint!

The first step is purchasing some black matte spray paint and getting a piece of cardboard to place under the turkey. Luckily, we already had the spray paint on hand from previous projects, and my husband Mike spray painted the turkey for me on a sunny day. I chose matte black because I wanted to give the turkey a vintage or antique brass look, and black is great base to achieve the look I was going for.

I left the turkey out to dry for a few hours, but once it had completely dried, I took it inside to start painting on the brass. I used Rub ‘N Buff in the shade European Gold because it’s not too orangey. I squeezed a small amount onto my cardboard, took my artists brush and dabbed a small amount onto the brush. You do not want to brush deeply, you want to use a light hand to catch the raised parts of your turkey so the black shows through a little and gives it an old, brass feel.

How simple was that? Considering I got the turkey for free, and I already had all of the supplies I needed, I think that is a pretty thrifty Thanksgiving centerpiece haha I am so in love with how this brass turkey turned out, and I know it is going to be a staple in my Thanksgiving tablsecapes from now on.

Thrifted Tableware

When I tell you that nearly all of my tableware is from a thrift store, I am not exaggerating! I am constantly finding beautiful plates, bowls and glassware that I love. I sometimes have to leave a set behind because I can’t justify owning so much dinnerware haha

When going into a thrift store, it is always a good idea to be aware of what you already own and what you are hoping to find. It can be overwhelming staring at a shelf full of glasses and deciding what you want. Go on Pinterest or Instagram to get an idea of what you like or don’t like, and have that in mind whenever you go thrifting.

For me, I am obsessed with collecting vintage Pfaltzgraff pieces and I have a rather large collection now! However, because I know what to look for, I am able to sift through the thrift store shelves and am able to find exactly what I want. I also know what pieces I own and what pieces I would love to find someday. Plus, I love the hunt and it is always so exciting when you score a piece you have been searching for.

I also like to use drinkware as a way to add a pop of color on my dining room table. I have thrifted gorgeous bright blue glasses that I used for a spring tablescape, as well as deep grey glasses that I have used for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you are trying to incorporate a color scheme into your table decor for a celebration, thrifting glasses is a great way to match your color scheme and not spend a lot of money.

Thrifted Table Decor

While I love Target and Amazon and have found many deals there, you will likely save more money by skipping these stores and heading to a thrift shop. Again, try to have an idea in your head of what you would like your Thanksgiving tablescape to look like so you know what to look out for. Items that I frequently reuse are taper candles and candle sticks, tablecloths or table runners, vases or cake stands, and wood elements like a wooden bowl.

I feel a Thanksgiving centerpiece really isn’t complete without some lighting for warmth and coziness. That’s why I love reusing candles on my table; they set the ambience and give your table an inviting feel. Plus, they are so cheap and easy to find at thrift stores! A while ago I scored some gorgeous, vintage brass candlesticks for 50 cents each that I use nearly every holiday. Candles are truly an easy Thanksgiving centerpiece idea because they are so affordable and can be found at any thrift store.

Tablecloths or table runners do not have to be fancy. I often opt for neutral colors or patterns, preferring to bring in color with natural elements like flowers or garlands. Years ago I used a few canvas drop cloths for a tablecloth because I already had them on hand and they worked well with the decor I already had. So simple and easy, yet it tied everything together.

Natural Elements

I love using natural elements in my Thanksgiving centerpieces because it brings the beautiful textures and colors of fall into your home. Plus, you can’t beat free if you are foraging stems, blooms or fall leaves from your own backyard.

Natural elements are a must for me for any tablescape I am decorating, whether that is apples and pears, or gourds and white pumpkins. Usually these elements can be found for relatively cheap from local stands or grocery stores. You may even have a kind neighbor like we do who lets you pick some apples for free!

A great centerpiece usually starts with larger elements like a big, beautiful pumpkin, a cornucopia filled with gourds, or pretty vase of dried hydrangeas. I then taper out the size to smaller elements of greenery like single stems or even pine cones. Place your candlesticks around these elements, and you have a beautiful Thanksgiving centerpiece and tablescape ready to go for your next family meal.

Well friends, I hope you are feeling inspired by these Thanksgiving centerpiece ideas with natural and vintage decor! It is truly so easy to create a beautiful tablescape without having to spend a ton of money. How do you like to decorate your table for the Thanksgiving holiday? Let me know in the comments below!

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