If I want my thanksgiving table to look nice

[Anonymous]

I am hosting 10 people this year and we will fit at our casual wood dining table. I'm going to use my china which I almost never pull out. I don't want to use a tablecloth. Should I use placemats? Matching cloth napkins? Do I need napkin holders?

I guess what I need is a table setting tutorial. I have plenty of serving pieces and silverware, but I really don't have any linens. Our cloth napkins are all mis-matched and kind of a mess. Actually my glassware is all mismatched too, though I do have crystal water glasses and wine glasses that I've never really liked.

The "china" is actually old ceramic and is off white with a sea-green bamboo pattern.

[Anonymous]

For easy cleanup I’d use a flat white sheet as a table cloth that I could throw away if it gets too stained. I personally don’t like the table “set”. For 10-14 people we do buffet style at the island and simply eat at the table. sometimes the bread and butter is on the table, but not much else.

Maybe I’m just a germaphobe lately, but the younger kids can’t really “pass the potatoes” and usually someone is sniffling or I noticed didn’t wash their hands after petting the dog.

[Anonymous]

I would use a tablecloth.

[Anonymous]

Hey so I find that using plate chargers on a wood table gives a finished look. Then all you need to give a festive look are cloth napkins (match the green in your plates) folded nicely (no one knows what to do with napkin holders when they’re off) and some nice Fall scented candles in the center of the table.

[Anonymous]

You could also use a table runner down the center, cloth placemats or some time of charger and cloth napkins with napkin rings (you should try to coordinate them). Target has a very cute set of green cloth napkins, with an ivory table runner with green and gold branches as a pattern (also matching cloth napkins. All very well priced. This will still give the wood a chance to show through, but also protect it. Please do not use a white sheet. Either use a nice cloth tablecloth or one of the above.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Are chargers the round "placemats" usually in a woven rattan? I like that idea because I hate ironing placemats and the cloth ones always look wrinkly. And then green napkins. Thanks for the target tip also!

Candles shouldn't be scented at a dinner table, right?

[Anonymous]

A sheet sounds horrible to me. But if you do it, make sure you have a felt liner underneath. A felt liner or table pads are key for any tablecloth. Otherwise it’s going to feel thin/cheap and shift around too much.

Tablescaping (lol) is just about playing around and getting the look you want. I’ve watched great florists and event planners do it and it just depends on the vibe. They tend to bring a lot of stuff and then play around.

Make sure you think about how you’re going to serve the food and drink. For photography you can do anything, but for an actual meal you need to think about what food will be on the table, where people will put it down, how you will do multiple courses (if you will) and what plates, flatware etc will be needed when.

Personally, if I’m not hiring anyone, it’s a buffet.

I am pretty lazy so for napkins I like to get lots of solid linen ones, and then I just run them through the washer and dryer a bunch of times Then I don’t have to iron them and I can mix and match the colors at will. But it’s a casual vibe.

If you want pressed napkins and/or table cloths, send them to the cleaners! They come back clean and pressed and hanging up, so you can just stash them until the next holiday. Well worth it imo.

Finally, don’t rule out renting. I definitely don’t have enough glassware for 10 people to do cocktails and a full holiday dinner. I would rent. They will drop off everything in crates and then you just put them back in the crates dirty for pick up. It’s wonderful. You can rent anything - chairs, flatware, glasses, plates, napkins, tables, all of it. I appreciate that it’s not free but since you didn’t post a budget just throwing it out there if you’ve never considered it.