You guys! I have like six hours before it’s not Tablescape Tuesday anymore!
Well I’m going to get this rustic glam Thanksgiving themed table in just in the nick of time.
I’m so excited to share this one with you though because it’s not just about the table decor, but the entire table.
When we moved from Colorado to England we sold quite a lot of furniture and other household things not knowing how much space we’d have.
Our dining table was one of the items that we sold. And to be honest, I’m really glad we did, because the table we got to replace it is pretty amazing.
How to Refinish a Dining Table
I found this old dining table on Facebook marketplace that came with four pub chairs. I just knew with a little love it could be great again.
It was really faded across the top but thankfully didn’t have a ton of deep scratches.
So refinishing it was pretty easy.
First my husband used his orbital sander to go over all parts of the table until it was all about the same color.
Once that was done I used some lint free clothes and washed all of the sanding dust off.
After it dried we applied a thin coat of a walnut stain. My husband used a brush to apply it and I used another lint free cloth to wipe off the excess.
We did this three times to get the right color that we wanted.
Once we were finished staining it we put three coats of a clear coat on.
I think it turned out really good.
Once the table was in place it was time to get new chairs to go with it.
I wanted a rustic farmhouse look so we went with a combination of two different chairs.
Captains chairs for the head of the table and contrasting white metal industrial style chairs.
I love the way the lighter colored chairs look with the darker wood.
Gold Glam Thanksgiving Tablescape
The new refinished table is the perfect place for it’s first tablescape. And with Thanksgiving being one of my favorite holidays to set the table for, it was destiny to get the table done in time for the big meal coming up.
I set the table using some new pieces I picked up and lots of free natural things. It’s a good mix of free and spending a few dollars.
Our newly refinished table isn’t as wide as our last one so the table decor needs to be a little more narrow and not take up as much space.
These gold candle stick holders are perfect. They are slender, but I like that the base isn’t really big either.
I purchased them here because I used to have some similar ones from Target, but they are with the entire truck load of our household goods that has never arrived in England.
I’m glad I found them though because they are just as good if not better than my original tall gold candle holders.
I’ve really wanted to start incorporating more lighting into my table and party designs. It just adds so much to a design but I really hadn’t been using many candles.
To add even more I purchased these gold votive holders. They were on sale and I knew I could use them for way more things than just this Thanksgiving tablescape.
I also purchased a big pack of battery operated flameless votives to put in them. I think the ease of turning them on and off will have me using more candles like that for designs in the future.
Even my two year old thinks it’s fun to turn them on and off.
Tablescape Rustic Natural Elements
For the more natural elements of the table I went back to using fresh eucalyptus leaves as the main part of the centerpiece. I’ve used them before and just think they look so good for Thanksgiving.
I’ve also been loving how giant so many of the trees are where we live. It’s just a reminder that so many things in England are so much older and have been around longer than much of the United States.
With giant trees come giant leaves. My kids and I are always on the hunt for interesting, colorful, and big leaves as we’re out and about.
So to incorporate those little things that have been bringing me joy, I walked up and down our street looking for the biggest leaves I could find.
I layered them between the plates of the place setting. It really adds a fall touch for exactly 0 dollars.
I also knew I wanted a fun place card, but I was about to take photos and needed to find something I already had on hand.
A quick Pinterest search and I was inspired to use some twigs from our yard on the place cards. I also loved putting your guests’ name on the place card and saying that you are thankful for them.
Luckily I have plenty of “I’m Grateful for…” pennants. So I just cut them down to fit on the plates and punched some holes for the sticks to go through.
Such an easy and again free way to jazz up your place setting.
Thoughts on Decorating a Table
So that’s it. I’ve lit all the candles and now just need to cook the turkey while my guest’s gather around our table for Thanksgiving.
It’s amazing how setting this table instantly got me excited for a holiday that’s not even celebrated where we live. Because it’s not celebrated here I haven’t been feeling excited for it and have thought about just skipping to Christmas.
But I’m not going to thanks to this tablescape. It’s so nice to turn the corner in my kitchen and see this. It just makes me so happy. I highly encourage you to find something like some table decor that will make you happy throughout your day.
Don’t apologize for it either. If it makes you happy, then do it. Maybe that’s putting your Christmas decor out early. Maybe it’s getting an extra cozy pillow or blanket that makes you feel happy when you wrap up in it.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t loved our first few months in England. Mostly because of all the transition. But I think not hosting for so long has affected me more than I thought.
Just setting this table and knowing we were going to be hosting friends for Thanksgiving has made me feel “normal” again.
Like I said, if it makes you happy then do it. Hosting makes me happy because I get to make beautiful spaces for beautiful people. I’m so glad I get to start doing it again. Especially around a new beautiful table.
What’s something that’s making you happy today?
