How to Decorate Your Living Room for a Thanksgiving Gathering

While many people decorate for Halloween, often they mistakenly think the next holiday to decorate for is Christmas. Truth be told, you can create beautiful decor for the Thanksgiving season as well. Start with a room like the living room. You probably spend a good amount of time in it, and it could use some refreshing. Consider the following ways you can prepare it for a Thanksgiving gathering.

Follow a harvest theme

If you don’t know where to start, think of the harvest and what fall looks like. This means that you’re going to want to incorporate fall-colored leaves instead of bright, fiddle-leaf fig trees. You’ll want to include pumpkins, lanterns and pine cones. This can involve literally putting these objects in tasteful groups on tables or stands, but it can also involve bringing out autumnal art and decorations for the walls. Consider making a bouquet of autumn leaves instead of flowers to put on your mantelpiece.

Add decor to the focal points first

You can create a stunning centerpiece for the coffee table where a lantern is in the center with a few candles. Create a wreath that surrounds the lantern with interesting pieces like real pine cones, glitter and faux hay. There are lots of tutorials on how to create the perfect fall centerpiece. If you have a fireplace in the living room, use the mantle as a great place to create a focal point. Add faux leaves, a runner and a few candles to line the top of the mantle. You can also add a few faux pumpkins to the sides of the fireplace. Just make sure that you have a fireplace screen cover to keep things from falling inside and potentially causing a fire hazard.

Consider festive window treatments

Window treatments can be tons of fun. Purchase a few window decals of fall leaves and other messages like “Happy Thanksgiving” for the windows in the living room. Decorate the curtain pullbacks with tassels in fall colors. These little decorations can add a pop of color that is mostly seen from the outside, which will serve to introduce your guests to your theme before they ever step inside.

Use complementary colors

If your entire living room is all-white, make sure the fall decorations can complement the backdrop. It’s always okay to paint your pumpkins in a different color to maintain the look of the theme. If your living room is pink, choose deep blush and maroon colors to provide a moody, fall theme in the room. As you choose the darker versions of the colors you already have in your living room, it’ll be easier to create a stunning and complementary look. Feel free to decorate miniature pumpkins and pinecones with unusual colors and even glitter—fall doesn’t have to mean only reds, oranges and browns!

As you apply these tips to your living room, remember to do some research as well. You can look at what other people do to decorate for Thanksgiving by looking up photos on sites like this one. Search through decor on Instagram hashtags to gain some inspiration as well. Once you’ve completed your Thanksgiving decor, remember to take pictures to commemorate your first time decorating for Thanksgiving.

Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and suggests looking into getting a fireplace screen cover for a cozy holiday gathering. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan