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Have you ever found a gorgeous table setting online or in a magazine and thought, "That's what I want my Thanksgiving table to look like!"

So, you start following the links to find out what you need to recreate the look, then holy sticker shock! $200 just for flatware for four?!! Too rich for my blood,  especially when our Thanksgiving table will be seating 18 people!

I'm a "make things pretty for not a lot of cash" kinda gal, and I'm happy to tell ya that you can absolutely have pretty Thanksgiving table decor without breaking the bank!

Here are my suggestions for setting a beautiful Thanksgiving table that won't cost a fortune.

Florals and Ambience

When I think about what really stands out in a beautiful tablescape, it's typically pretty florals and candle-lit ambiance.

The florals in this Thanksgiving table set-up are pretty, right?

Would you believe that I got ALL of the fresh flowers...at the grocery store...for only $20.00?!! 

Amazing, right?  If you were going to purchase pre-made arrangements from a florist, you would easily spend at least $50-$75 per arrangement!  

The bonus is, you're going to be going to the grocery store for the food, anyway.  You can get the food and the florals all in one stop!

Here's another tip:  The flowers don't all have to be real!  I wanted some pussy willows and dahlias for the arrangements but the grocery store didn't have any.  BUT, Michaels did, and they were 80% off!  Score!  

I'm not much on artificial flowers unless they really look like the real deal, but if you do a good job strategically placing faux flowers in with real ones, it's really hard to tell that they aren't all real!

I'll bet you're scrolling back to get a closer look at my floral arrangements to find the fake ones now, aren't ya?  ;)

Paper is Pretty!

Personalize with Printables

Printables are fantastic because they're pretty, they're personalizable, and they're inexpensive!

If you're not familiar with how printables work, they are customized PDF files that you pay one price for, and can then print as many times as you'd like.

So, in our case, I'd pay one flat rate for a menu PDF file, and then I could print 18 of them for that price, as opposed to having to pay a "per piece" price if I had them printed for me.  

It's typically a substantial savings if you don't mind printing and cutting yourself.

Both these printable menus and printable place cards are available in the shop, and can be customized just for you.  They are the perfect match for the rest of our pretty Thanksgiving table decor, don't you think?

So there you have it...my best tips for creating a pretty Thanksgiving tablescape without paying a fortune.  

I think the only other thing I'd say is not to be afraid to look around your house and repurpose things that you already have.  See those gold pumpkins on the table?  They were leftover from Halloween, they just got repurposed for a new holiday.  :)

Be sure to share pictures of your tablescapes on social media and tag me @jentbydesign so I can see!

Sources:

If you like these ideas, please "Like," "Pin," "Share" or "Tweet!"  Or, you can just shout it from the rooftops, if that's your thing.  Thanks bunches!!!  :)