Thanksgiving and Christmas tables that are set for gathering with friends and family- always a favorite for me to play with. This week, we are exploring a few different centerpiece ideas and today it is about one that I absolutely loved creating for my new book SEASONS. A Thanksgiving centerpiece idea for creating a table setting full of magic.

Vintage Cornucopia Centerpiece 

Beyond beautiful- those cornucopias filled with fresh or sugared faux fruits are always delightful. And you know, I feel like they have been out of the styling rotation for a bit but I think they definitely need to be brought back. I mean just look at how beautiful they are all by themselves? Rich hued fruits, nuts and even gathered bits like acorns scattered along the table length are delightful. 

I found the vintage cornucopia basket at a thrift store and started dreaming up some ideas for stylings for my book. We actually styled this cornucopia in several spots- I will share more ideas soon, but this table setting was one of my favorites. And I think several things made it feel ‘magazine worthy’ – and book worthy too I suppose since it did appear in the pages of Seasons. 

Layers on the table

From the linen, to the place settings to the scattering of acorns and gathered up bits- it is all about the layers. Creating a magical moment on the table is more than just the centerpiece- it is about how the layers all come together. I found some lovely brown transfer ware plates at the thrifts that are perfect for Thanksgiving. They mingled beautifully with the checked cloth and the autumnal tones in the flowers. 

Bring in the Cozy

Candle cozy ambiance is always a beautiful way to set the moody glow on the table. We used real candles for the photo shoot, but a word of caution is to always go with safety first of course, especially outdoor, use faux candles and never leave them unattended. 

Mingle in fresh and dried flowers

A bouquet of fresh and dried flowers gathered from the garden is lovely on the table with the fresh fruit. You can use any colors you prefer in florals of course, but for this table, I used softer tones with a bit of rosy oranges and burgundy to bring in the richness and tucked dried ferns, fresh clipped spirea and plum foliage in as well. I love how the blush tones in the fresh flowers mingle with the rich colors. 

Of course, the piece de resistance, the cornucopia. 

The Cornucopia

I love how this turned out. It was a mingle of fresh picked apples, pears, grapes, plums nectarines- and even some fun bits like hazelnuts and tomatillo because they are so charming. I also gathered up acorns and chestnuts from our property and scattered those along the center of the table as well. For me, the key was an abundance of fruit and nuts, overflowing and creating a beautiful magic moment that almost looked like a painting. 

I love how it all came together and think you could recreate this look for Thanksgiving tables and Christmas tables with a few changes (maybe another styling on that one!) and create a lovely bit of visual magic on the table for family and friends to enjoy. 

You can see more ideas for seasonal decor and entertaining in my book SEASONS currently just $32 and if you have SEASONS and enjoy it, would love if you could leave a review to let others know.