Thanksgiving | Design Happens

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4 Thanksgiving Crafts to Start Now

by H. Camille Smith October 31, 2012 9 Comments

Okay, so I know today is Halloween — and believe me, I thought about sharing more Halloween craftiness; but unless you’re looking for pumpkin-carving templates (here and here) or cocktail recipes, the All-Hallows ship has pretty much sailed.

But, in just three weeks (yes, only 3 weeks!) friends and family will be ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. So, if you haven’t started working on your Turkey Day decorations yet, now’s the time.

Start by putting leftover Halloween decorations to good use. Give faux pumpkins a fashion-forward makeover by covering them with trendy upholstery fabrics: How to Cover Faux Pumpkins in Metallic Leaf

Turn a canvas dropcloth into a custom-fitted dining chair slipcover, perfect if you need to visually unify mismatched chairs: How to Make a Dining Room Chair Slipcover

Our Favorite Fall Decorating Ideas

by H. Camille Smith October 3, 2012 6 Comments

Shorter days and a crisp chill in the air certify that summer truly has come to an end. Now’s a great time to break out the cozy throws and warm up your home’s decor with a few fall touches.

Take a cue from designer Sarah Richardson and fill vintage vases with autumn-hued flowers:

For many of us, fall also signals the beginning of the holiday entertaining season — Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations are coming up fast. Get ready for the impending arrival of holiday guests by sprucing up areas of your home where guests gather, like the foyer:

Image courtesy of Thibaut.

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Daily Delight: Log Salt & Pepper Shakers

by Briana Mowrey November 24, 2011 2 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving, design fans! I spotted today’s find while browsing yet more last-minute side dish ideas in the November issue of our sister publication, Food Network Magazine. How impressive that amidst all the lush recipes and food photography (S’more Pie! Alton Brown’s Popovers!), they still managed to fit in some lovely rustic goodies for your tabletop, like these Log Salt & Pepper Shakers from Old Faithful Shop.

log salt and pepper shakers

Our tablescape will be a bit more gilded and high-glam this year, but I think it’s nice to mix in some forest elements as a subtle nod to what early Thanksgivings must have been like. And these little acacia shakers are so clever. They really do look like logs! They’re the perfect way to add seasonings to the season.

What are you most thankful for today? Tell us in the comments!

HGTV How-To: Edible Arrangements

by Liz Gray November 22, 2011 2 Comments

Thanksgiving is just two days away. That’s a mere 48 hours until it’s time for turkey, pie and that show-stopping centerpiece.Oh, you don’t have a centerpiece planned? You’re in luck: We’ve got one that’s colorful, unexpected and best of all, you can pick up most of the ingredients while you’re at the market retrieving those forgotten cranberries.

I’m not talking skewers of pineapple and a watermelon carved in the shape of a turkey. Think vibrant red cabbage leaves, plum-hued onions, beets and shiny aubergines alongside cheery lettuces and apples. Fashion these farm-fresh veggies into a bouquet, then set it between two of your most combative relatives. They’ll be so busy admiring the baby green blooms and cornhusk flowers that they won’t have time to discuss the failings of the government…or your gravy. Well, you can dream, right? Get the full how-to here >>

Make a Sophisticated Fruit and Veggie Centerpiece

While you’re shopping the produce section, grab some bright red pears. Arrange them in a bowl near your entryway for more edible flair, or use a few to dress up this rustic rectangular wreath. Happy crafting — and eating!

Entertaining with the Color of the Month: Marigold

by Kim Stoegbauer November 22, 2011 5 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving week! I’m sharing my inspirations for Entertaining with HGTV’s Color of the Month today. November’s color choice is marigold. Not one you normally would think of for parties and events, but with these ideas you may rethink that notion. Marigold is perfect for autumn, with its rich yellow-orange tone. Our Sunflower Thanksgiving feature is a perfect example of incorporating this color for fall gatherings. I’ve compiled products and ideas to get you in the mood to celebrate with marigold.

sources: invitation, tissue paper pom, graphic fabric, paper dot ribbon

Marigold isn’t difficult to find for home furnishings and servingware. Plates, serving dishes, paper products and even furniture can be used at your next gathering featuring this color.

sources: yellow dinnerware, knitted pouf, yellow bird plate, yellow straws

Food options are easy to find in this rich hue. The Food Network is featuring marigold this month as well. Check out their recipe selections. I came up with a few edible ideas of my own after browsing the Food Network recipe database. Doesn’t this mac & cheese look divine?

sources: mac and cheese, cocktail, mini pineapple cakes, sweet corn ice cream

What to wear? If you read my posts, you know that I am a fan of the hostess dressing to coordinate with the party. Whether it’s a dress or accessory, here are a few ideas to add a pop of marigold.

sources: dress, clutch, flower ring

What do you think about the Color of the Month? Would you use it in your home? How about for an event?

I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below!

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Daily Delight: Thanksgiving Wreath

by Briana Mowrey November 21, 2011 1 Comment

The countdown to Thanksgiving has officially begun! I’m still doing some last-minute menu planning (brussels sprouts with bacon or green beans with lemon and garlic?), but I think everything’s settled on the table and decor front. Or, I thought it was until I came across this French Paper Wreath featuring a Thanksgiving turkey.

Drat! This would have been perfect to hang in the dining room where we’ll be feasting. Seasonal, but not too predictable. Traditional, but not too stuffy. And book lovers need not worry. The seller says the pages only come from old books with broken spines. Oh well. I’ll have to order it for next year, and give thanks for Pinterest and Etsy in the meantime.

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Setting a Vintage Thanksgiving Table

by Lili Zarghami November 16, 2011 17 Comments

Our friends over at Food Network are throwing a fantastic Thanksgiving party called The Communal Table on their blog FN Dish today. The idea is that FN Dish is providing the turkey, and they asked that the rest of the food community (including you!) bring side dishes and desserts. We at Design Happens were honored when we were asked to “set the table” for the event.

Without a doubt Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. A day dedicated to being thankful for the good things in your life, eating delicious food with your loved ones and no pressure of buying gifts? Genius! Personally, I like a homey holiday with an ultra-relaxed vibe, a handmade feel and absolutely no worries about getting gravy on the “good” linens. With that in mind, a little bit of inspiration from the October color of the month, and a dash of the whimsy from Constance the trailer, I created this Very Vintage Thanksgiving mood board:

thanksgiving vintage table

To achieve this cozy look I chose a mix of rough-hewn items, some real vintage items, and new products that have a warm and friendly feel. Ceramics, bold vintage colors (like teal, red and orange), thick glass and beautiful faux-mercury tie together a farmhouse table that seems as if it could’ve been set in the 1940s. I kept my own grandmother—who raised a family through the 40s—in mind when choosing the individual salt-and-pepper shakers (some of her favorites table accessories), the charming turkey gravy boat and the vintage floral table runner. The playful pumpkin candles mixed on the table with wildflowers in a mason jars are all the decoration the table needs leaving room for the real centerpiece of the day: the bird.

How about you? How do you set your table for Thanksgiving? Do you pull out your best china for this special day? Are you low key and food-centric? Tell us in the comments!

Setting the table above [clockwise from upper left]: Personal salt-and-pepper shakers, Etsy; ”Give Thanks” banner, HGTV.com; chevron salad plates, Etsy; jadeite dinner plate, Fishs Eddy; turkey gravy boat, Williams Sonoma; silverware, BHLDN; pumpkin candles, Greenhouse Design Studio; faux-mercury turkey platter, Etsy; animal place card holders, BHLDN; mason jar flowers, Haystack Needle; cloth napkins, Etsy; wine goblet, Fishs Eddy; turquoise farm table, European Paint Finishes; table runner, Vintage in Vogue; dining chairs, Room & Board; background pattern, Flavor Paper wallpaper. See all of these items on my Pinterest as well as a couple more that didn’t make it onto this board.

Thanksgiving Dessert Ideas + Free Printables

by Kim Stoegbauer November 15, 2011 7 Comments

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Are you hosting dinner this year? We are! My husband is in charge of the turkey, I’m in charge of desserts (as always) and our family members are bringing the rest. In our feature, Sunflower Thanksgiving Dessert Buffet, I shared several ideas for delicious desserts. I’m definitely going beyond pumpkin pie this year and serving up a variety of mini sweets.

Cake pops are such a popular trend at parties and gatherings these days. Order or make them in flavors and colors that coordinate with your Thanksgiving decor. These mini pumpkin mousse parfaits were so delicious and really easy to make. I simply adapted the recipe for the mini parfait glasses.

Cupcakes are an unexpected dessert for Thanksgiving, but your littlest guests will love them. Dress them up with fondant sunflowers or paper cupcake toppers and display on a decorative cake stand. Pumpkin Spice Whoopie Pies are easy to make and the cream cheese marshmallow filling is divine. Display them in mini dishes for the perfect serving size.

I designed a full printable collection for you to use for your Thanksgiving festivities!

Check out the full Sunflower Thanksgiving story for more decorating ideas and to download the printables!

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Daily Delight: Pear Branch Serving Tray

by Briana Mowrey October 28, 2011 11 Comments

I know it’s not yet Halloween, but I’m already thinking ahead to Thanksgiving. Maybe it’s the way retail stores condition us to rush from one holiday to the next, or maybe it’s just the thought of my mom’s yum-azing pumpkin pie. Whatever it is, it made this classy Pear Branch Serving Tray from Vagabond House jump out at me.

pear tray

The rich, glowing wood is a perfect contrast to the pewter pears. It’s all so very harvest-appropriate! I’d love to see the bounty my mom would surely put on it. Perhaps I can get the rest of the family to chip in for it as a kind of hostess gift to her. It’s a luxury item, but hey, it’s a small price to pay for that pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

by Kayla Kitts November 25, 2010 1 Comment

We’ve reached the end of our Thanksgiving countdown.

Etsy: Crochet Village

Just in case you’ve hit a bump in the road (river, woods) to your holiday celebration, HGTV.com is still here to help.

Need some last minute decorating advice? Check out these fresh Thanksgiving ideas.
Are your guests arriving shortly? Get your house in mint condition in 20 minutes or less.
Does your tablescape need a little oomph? Find inspiration in these stylish table settings.

From everyone here at Design Happens, we wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

(Anyone for a nap?)