It takes longer than usual to find my Fall inspiration here in the Low Country, given that the temperatures can remain in the 80s throughout the entire month of September and even part of October. In fact, our neighborhood pool remained open and in use until October 15th this year, if you can believe it. I know many people in cooler areas of the country would be happy for the stretched out summers of the south (Don’t get me wrong, I love them too), but I was finding myself longing for crisp mornings and warm blankets. I know, grass is always greener and all that. But now that we’ve welcomed in the month of November and the temperatures have dropped, I’m ready to start thinking about Thanksgiving decorations – starting with my dining room table – and I’ve put together a list of tips that can help you design yours too.

1. Find Your Inspiration

I moved to Charleston in the Summer of 2012 and have truly fallen in love with the South, but I will say that I miss Fall in the Midwest. I miss the colors of the trees when the leaves change from their summery greens to vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow. Visually, it’s my favorite time of year in the Midwest. Here in Charleston we get a bit of color, but mostly the trees remain green until having a brief brown period and then falling off the branch. It’s the only drawback to all the beautiful, warm weather we have. So I’ve decided that if I can’t have the Fall colors outside, then I should at least have them inside! Which is why I’ve chosen a bright, golden yellow as the primary color for my Thanksgiving table this year. My inspiration for the color combinations and design, however, actually came from a picture that I stumbled across on Unsplash. I’ll frequently use an image that I’ve seen or a picture that I’ve taken when I’m decorating. If the colors are pleasing to the eye in a photo, then chances are they’ll be pleasing to the eye in your decorations.

I loved the way that the yellows and sandy browns in this picture really pop against the darker greens. For my table, I switched up the roles of the hues and made yellow the dominant color and dark green the accent in order to really emphasize the Fall coloring. I also drew on the natural context of the image by using garland, a wooden centerpiece, and this amazing table runner that looks just like the bark of an aspen tree.

2. Keep It Simple

Because I used a bright, eye-catching color in the decor and napkins, I opted for the clean, simplicity of white plates. You can’t ever go wrong with white dinnerware as it’s so versatile and I love how this set has a a subtle off-white trim that compliments the woven place mat underneath. Aside from the garland, I placed only a small collection of candles of varying heights to add layers without taking up any additional space. You’re going to need a place to set that basket of rolls and the pitcher of sweet tea!

3. Don’t Break The Bank

Stores seem to always be in a rush to usher out the Fall and Thanksgiving decor in order to replace it with Christmas stuff. So if you wait until November to go looking for Thanksgiving pieces, you’ll find that in many places they’ve already drastically reduced it and pushed it off to the end of the aisle. I found the beautiful yellow garland that I used at Target reduced from $20 to $5. The matching napkins came from World Market where you can get a set of 6 for only $10, and they have tons of colors to choose from.

I also used multiple items that I already owned from around my home. For example, the woven place mats are actually just my every day set. I opted to use those instead of buying new chargers. The dark green eucalyptus that I wove into the yellow garland was borrowed from a vase in my living room.

Now that my table is finished I’m very much in the mood to start thinking about the dishes I’ll be preparing to go on it!