How to Set a Thanksgiving Table

A Thanksgiving table does not have to be formal to feel special. It needs a clear place for every guest, enough room for the dishes and a little candlelight. Here is how to set it, step by step.

Start with the count

Count the guests, then count your plates, glasses and flatware. Allow about 24 inches of table edge for each person so nobody eats with their elbows tucked in. If the table is too small for the food as well, plan to serve from a sideboard or the kitchen counter and keep only bread, butter and drinks on the table.

The basic place setting

Every setting follows the same simple logic: you use the pieces from the outside in.

• The dinner plate goes in the center.
• Forks go to the left of the plate. If you serve a salad first, the salad fork goes on the outside.
• The knife goes to the right, with the blade facing the plate. The spoon goes to the right of the knife.
• The water glass sits above the knife, and the wine glass to its right.
• The napkin goes to the left of the forks or on the plate.

That is enough for a family Thanksgiving. A dessert fork can come out with the pie.

Plates

A plate with some character does half the decorating. Our reactive-glaze stoneware dinner plates are 10.5 inches across, with a blue glaze and a warm brown rim, and no two come out of the kiln alike. For a layered look, set each one on an 11-inch acacia wood plate used as a charger. The acacia plates also work as serving plates for bread or cheese.

Flatware

A rose gold flatware set gives the table a warm tone that suits fall colors. The 30-piece set serves six, with five pieces for each setting: dinner fork, salad fork, knife, spoon and teaspoon.

Glasses and the pitcher

Give every guest a water glass and a wine glass. A set of six amber wine glasses picks up the colors of the season. For a bigger table, the stemless wine glass set has twelve glasses. Keep water on the table in a 68 oz glass pitcher so nobody has to get up. Not sure which glasses to use? Read how to choose wine glasses.

Candles

Candlelight makes a table. Six gold taper candle holders in three heights can run down the center of the table. Keep the flames clear of leaves, branches and napkins, and never leave them unattended. If children are at the table, flameless LED candles give a similar glow with a remote and a timer.

The centerpiece

Keep it low or keep it narrow, so guests can see each other across the table. A set of three rustic white ceramic vases with dried stems or a few branches from the yard is enough. Avoid strongly scented flowers near the food.

Serving pieces

Decide where each dish will go before the day. A glass salad bowl on an acacia base comes with its own servers. A cake stand with a glass dome keeps the pie in view until dessert. A ceramic butter dish with a knife in the lid saves a trip to the kitchen, and an acacia wood board carries the bread.

A simple timeline

• A week before: count plates, glasses, flatware and chairs. Order what is missing.
• Two days before: wash and dry the glasses and plates. Iron the tablecloth and napkins.
• The day before: set the table completely, candles included. It is one less thing to do on the day.
• The day: fill the pitcher, light the candles just before everyone sits down, and put out the bread and butter.

If you are hosting more than six

Mix two sets of plates or glasses on purpose and alternate them around the table. It looks planned, and it means you do not need twelve of everything.

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