Vintage Thanksgiving Decor Ideas: Timeless Tips for a Cozy and Nostalgic Celebration

Today on the blog, I am sharing vintage Thanksgiving decor ideas for a cozy celebration! I love all things vintage and antique, and I am so excited to share these decor ideas with you all!

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Hello friends! I hope you are all enjoying this harvest season, whether you have already put up your Christmas decor or still have your fall home decor out ready for a Thanksgiving celebration. This time of year is always a struggle for me, because I always battle wanting to put up my Christmas decorations, but also wanting to enjoy the current season I am in and not rush through it. I thought a post about vintage Thanksgiving decor ideas for a cozy celebration would help all of us to enjoy the season a little more!

I love a big Thanksgiving dinner and the warmth and gratitude I feel surrounded by my family and loved ones, so I usually end up waiting on the Christmas decor until after Thanksgiving. However, I know many family and friends who put theirs up after Halloween and that is totally okay too! Haha 🙂

I recently shared a post all about Thanksgiving table decor and you can read about it here if you are in need of some tablescape inspiration! I shared a Thanksgiving centerpiece DIY project, giving a second hand glass turkey a little brass makeover. I am in love with how this little turkey turned out, and can’t wait to use it in my table setting for our big Thanksgiving feast!

In that post, I shared a lot of natural elements, as well as vintage elements I have collected over the years from thrift stores and antique shops. Writing that post really got me thinking about all of the vintage decor I own and I though it would be fun to share a post focusing solely on that!

Candlesticks, dishes, bowls and vases – there are so many ways to incorporate vintage pieces into your Thanksgiving decor. These little vintage accents add so much coziness and nostalgia to your home during the holidays, and they are so much more affordable than you may realize! I hope this post about vintage Thanksgiving decor ideas for a cozy celebration inspires you to add some vintage touches of your own this holiday season!

Vintage Thanksgiving Decor Ideas For A Cozy Celebration

Candles And Candlesticks

Candles are an absolute must for any Thanksgiving celebration. The warmth and ambiance they bring into your living room or dining room simply can not be matched. Of course, I really love taper candles for a tablescape, but really adding candles of all shapes and sizes throughout your home is going to bring on the cozy.

Candlesticks and candle holders are a great way to add a vintage touch and you can find them so cheap at thrift stores! My favorite candlesticks are a set of brass ones in varying heights that I found for fifty cents at a second hand shop. You can find rustic wood candlesticks or beautiful porcelain candlesticks that will bring an antique feel to your celebration.

I will always share Antique Candle Co. with you all because they have the absolute best non-toxic, clean burning candles that smell divine! Plus you can purchase their candles in cute, vintage inspired mason jar or in a timeless stoneware crock. I am really loving the scents pumpkin bread, spice cake, fall harvest and mama’s kitchen for the fall season.

Dishes, Bowls and Breadboards

I am obsessed with Pfaltzgraff and have quite the collection going on! I love that these Pfaltzgraff Heritage dishes are more than just a pretty plate on my table – they have a rich history dating back to the 1800’s, when Johann George Pfaltzgraff, a potter who lived in Germany, was having some difficulty establishing a trade there. He decided to move to Pennsylvania after learning about the success of some relatives who had already immigrated to America, and began producing these pieces.

My particular set of Pfaltzgraff, the Heritage collection, was introduced in 1963, and is the oldest dinnerware pattern that is still in production today. I love that having these beautiful, vintage pieces on my table is like having a little piece of history in my home. You can add so much beauty and history with your place settings, and so many of these gorgeous pieces can be found at very affordable prices at thrift stores!

I have so many glass bowls in my home, and the more unique they are, the better! They are perfect to stack on your kitchen countertops in layers, or to display decor throughout your home on a side table or coffee table. A bowl full of gourds during the autumn season, or a bowl full of oranges at Christmas time really adds a beautiful, cozy touch to your celebration.

I love bringing in some natural textures to my home, and wooden breadboards are no exception. My favorite place to find beautiful, hand carved breadboards is at antique shops because of their versatility and unique carving. You can use breadboards on your table to display food, or you can use them throughout your home as decor.

Baskets and Crocks

You all know that a big staple in my home decor are flowers and stems, so I am always on the lookout for unique ways to display them. Enter baskets and crocks! Nearly all of my fall foliage is displayed in either an antique crock or an old basket. Just take a scroll through my fall home tour and you will see all of the ways I incorporate them into my decor.

My favorite basket is the three tiered basket that my mom found for me at a thrift store. I currently have it displayed by my front door in my entryway, and it is a great place to put stems for the different seasons in. The great news is that baskets can be found at any thrift store and can work in really any space in your home, from your front porch to display corn husks or pine cones, to your dining table to hold napkins or mini pumpkins.

Crocks are another timeless, vintage piece that can be used throughout your home. I have a really large antique crock displayed by my fireplace that currently holds some stems of fall leaves. For me, the craftsmanship of a crock is just beautiful, and is better statement piece than your average clear glass vase. While I have nothing against glass vases, crocks add so much character to your home.

Vintage Thanksgiving Decor Ideas For A Cozy Celebration

Where To Source Vintage Decor

If you follow me on any platform, it should come as no surprise that nearly all of my decor is found at thrift stores. I probably sound like a broken record here, but please please do not feel like you have to drop hundreds of dollars to acquire beautiful antique and vintage pieces. I have found so many gorgeous decor items right down the road from my home at my local thrift shop!

Go onto Pinterest and get a general feel of what vintage decor pieces you would like to have in your home. Or maybe you follow a blogger on Instagram and they have a piece that you absolutely love and want for your home as well. It is so important to have an idea of what you love and what you are looking for before you head to your local thrift store.

Once you know what you are on the hunt for, thrift shopping becomes so much easier and also much more fun! I can not tell you how often I have found Pfaltzgraff Heritage Collection pieces at thrift stores, and the absolute excitement I feel every time I find a new piece to add to my collection. The thrill of the hunt is definitely part of the fun! Plus, knowing you found a vintage piece for a steal of a deal is truly priceless.

Another, and somewhat obvious, place to find vintage and antique decor pieces is at antique shops, malls and shows! My husband Mike and I go to a big antique show in Michigan every year, and it is so much fun to walk around to the different booths looking for vintage treasures. It is so special to find a piece that not only has a rich history, but is also unique to your home.

Do not be afraid to haggle with the shop owner! I have gotten so many good deals simply because I was not afraid to ask for it! Have an idea of how much you are willing to spend and make the shop owner an offer. They will likely match your offer, or give you a better price than what is listed on the tag. It absolutely never hurts to ask my friends!

I love history and I love decorating my home with vintage decor pieces, especially during the holidays! A cozy Thanksgiving dinner with antique candlesticks, hand carved breadboards and vintage Pfaltzgraff place settings is my kind of celebration! What are some vintage decor staples in your home? Let me know in the comments below!

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