25 Cool DIY Thanksgiving Decor Ideas To Brighten The House With
Updated on October 28, 2021
When it comes to Thanksgiving decorations, the best part is that you can get creative, since there are numerous ways to decorate your house for the Thanksgiving holiday, and if you’re a DIY enthusiast, then it’s just one more event to get crafty with.
Whether you have been preparing for weeks or this is your first year taking on the decoration of your home, there are plenty of ideas that can help you create a warm and inviting atmosphere for all your guests to enjoy throughout the fall season.
If you’re hosting family and friends for the first time this year, why not make your house shine on Turkey Day? Make them remember you for more reasons than one with these 25 DIY Thanksgiving decor ideas.
Whether it’s the walls, the mantel, dining table, or even wrapped gifts – there is an infinite number of ways to decorate for this occasion.
These Are the Freshest Thanksgiving Decorations of 2021
Certain Thanksgiving decorations have become a staple of the holiday, such as the Thanksgiving table centerpieces, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a bit of wiggle room for more creativity to thrive.
However, if you lack inspiration, have no fear, you’ll be able to find all sorts of DIY decorating ideas that will wow family and friends alike when you take this list into consideration.
The best part about these projects? All of them are easy enough for beginners! We know that not everyone has an eye for design, but with these inspiration photos, you’re sure to fall in love with one or two ideas that speak to you.
1. Thanksgiving Table Decor – Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece
Starting off our list of Thanksgiving decor ideas is a Thanksgiving table centerpiece that encompasses everything you would expect from a decoration made for this holiday, from the supplies needed, to the colors used.
In order to make this amazing Thanksgiving table decor, you’ll need the following supplies: some scrap wood (a wooden plank would be ideal), mercury glass votives with tea lights, golden paint (gold leaf works as well if you can afford it), a paintbrush, several small pumpkins, oak leaves, and assorted artificial floral accent stems.
The next part is the fun part, where you get to create this beautiful Thanksgiving table centerpiece. First, paint your wooden plank gold and let it dry before continuing to the next step – painting a wavy stripe down the center of the board using your two colors of choice (gold and orange).
Then comes the best part: arranging all your supplies in any way you see fit! If you want to be more traditional then go with simple pumpkins and leaves throughout your home for an autumnal touch.
If you want something more modern, try placing mini white pumpkins here and there with leaves on top of them, or even an arrangement of votives with some space between each one for a look that speaks to today’s sensibilities.
Regardless of what you do – this Thanksgiving table centerpiece is an easy DIY that allows you to have fun with your home decor without spending hours on it. Just be sure that once you do decide on a final design, take some photos for social sharing!
You can put these beautiful Thanksgiving table centerpieces places like the mantelpiece, the dining room table, and even outside on tables or next to fireplaces or heaters.
2. Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas – Thanksgiving Acorn Garland
While the highlight of Thanksgiving is the Thanksgiving dinner, that doesn’t mean that the table is the only part of your house where you need to apply your Thanksgiving decoration ideas.
For example, you can show the walls a bit of love as well by decorating them with all kinds of things, like this Thanksgiving acorn garland.
To make a 7-foot garland, you need to have about 15 acorns, 15 faceted acrylic gemstones, 7 feet of suede cord, a glue gun, and plenty of glue, golden paint, and a fat bristle paintbrush, however, keep in mind that the exact supply amounts will vary depending on how long you want your garland to be.
During each step of this DIY, don’t forget to place your glue gun at a level that you are most comfortable with – it will make the process much easier on your hands.
The first step is to paint your acorns gold – let them dry before moving on. Next, use some regular glue to affix one gemstone on top of each painted acorn.
Let the gems dry on their own before beginning to attach them together by stringing them onto a suede cord or yarn that is doubled over and then tied into multiple knots once the length desired has been reached. Tie more knots so that they look like beads for some extra flair!
For the next part, all you have to do is decide how far apart you want all your acorns to be. Then begin gluing them down in said intervals, making sure to leave enough suede cord (about four feet) at the end for hanging purposes when you’re done.
The last step is an important one: take pictures of your final product so that you can share it with everyone on social media!
3. Outdoor Thanksgiving Decorations – Wooden Gobble Gobble Sign
The first impression is probably the most important in any given situation, so the best way to impress your guests when they come over for dinner is with some outdoor Thanksgiving decorations, more precisely a door sign.
Sure enough, the main star of Thanksgiving is the turkey, so might as well incorporate the bird’s iconic sound into this door sign, right?
To make the wooden “Gobble Gobble” sign, you’ll need two 1×8 boards cut to around 18 inches, white paint, some extra paint in three different fall-specific colors, wood stain, some graphite transfer paper, a slim-tip paintbrush, sandpaper, a Kreg Jig, and 3 1-1/4-inch Kreg screws, and some painter’s tape.
Last but not least, you’ll all need to have the words “Gobble Gobble” printed out on a large sheet of paper (you can use whatever font you like).
The first step is to coat your signboards with wood stain and let them dry. Then, get started on transferring the letters onto the boards by using the graphite paper and rubbing it against the back of your printouts until you can make out all of their lines (you’ll need plenty of patience for this part).
Next, use a slim-tip paintbrush to trace each letter or design element onto your 1x8s. Once this part is done, completely cover these with painter’s tape and then proceed to paint everything else!
After letting them dry for half an hour or so (or leaving them overnight – that works as well), carefully remove all your painter’s tape and peel off any parts that might’ve stayed behind.
Finally, you’ll need to add the black outlines around each letter, so use a fine-tip brush to get started on this step.
Once everything is dry and has been finished to your liking, you can attach them to your door by using some heavy-duty hinges or any other materials that will hold up in the weather during Thanksgiving dinner.
4. DIY Thanksgiving Decorations – DIY Fabric Pumpkins
Sometimes when it comes to house decorations, one thing that many people are looking for is versatility, meaning they want to create something that can be used in pretty much any area of the house.
That’s precisely why these DIY fabric pumpkins are among the most popular DIY Thanksgiving decorations that you can make since you can place them anywhere, like on the Thanksgiving table, above the fireplace, or even make big ones and use them as decorative pillows for your living room sofa.
To make these adorable pumpkins, you’ll first need some fabric with whatever pattern you like, some empty paper towel rolls, a needle, and thread, a hot glue gun with plenty of glue, some raffia, and finally some batting.
The first step is to cut your fabric into pumpkin-like shapes, so use the paper towel rolls as a base and try to make them look exactly like in the picture above.
Once you’ve done that, attach the batting on the inside of each piece with some hot glue so that they can keep their shape after you start stuffing them with raffia.
As for the next part, it’s pretty simple – just stuff all of your pumpkin pieces with raffia until they’re nice and plump! Then, sew them back together using a needle and thread (you’ll have to do this by hand since stitching through the raffia would be too difficult).
After that’s done, your festive DIY fabric pumpkins are ready to be placed anywhere in the house! They’re all handmade, so they’re unique and much cuter than store-bought decorations.
You don’t have enough space on your dining table? No problem – just place two of these orange beauties on either side of the room or above the fireplace.
5. Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas – Fall Centerpiece
When it comes to inspiration for Thanksgiving table decor ideas, the Internet seems to be full of possibilities, and while we already showcased another table centerpiece, this fall centerpiece aims to have a much more rustic and natural feel.
If you want to make one of your own, you’ll need the following supplies: an assortment of silk or real flowers (immortelles are desirable), a pair of wire cutters, some tape, a wooden container large enough for your bouquet, and some vase filler (anything works).
First, take out all your flowers and cut off about 1/4 of their stems. Then, arrange the flowers into your desired pattern inside the wooden container until it’s full enough, making sure to give height to your centerpiece by placing some taller flowers toward the back.
When you’re done with that, use the wire cutters to trim off any extra pieces of the stem until they’re flush against the base of each flower. Then, tape them together at their bases using clear tape so that they don’t wilt.
The next step is to take the tape and create a grid pattern over the top of the box container, and this grid will allow your flowers to stand upright. After that, put about an inch of vase filler at the bottom of your container and place your centerpiece on top.
Make sure to water it once every few days if you used real flowers, or simply open up the sides of your box (if you opted for silk) and mist them with water until they’re nice and hydrated.
6. Cheap Thanksgiving Table Decor – Mini Pumpkin Decorations
So far we’ve listed Thanksgiving decorations that require quite a few supplies, but if you’re on a tight budget, are lacking time, or both, then here’s a cheap Thanksgiving table decor idea that you can make in mere minutes: mini pumpkin decorations.
In order to make them, you’ll only need some mini pumpkins and a sharpie, and as far as the colors are concerned, both e pumpkins and the sharpie can be of whatever color you want most.
First, just draw whatever pattern you prefer on a pumpkin. The ones in the picture have a simple polka dot pattern, but you can do any design that fits your taste and matches your Thanksgiving table decor theme.
For example, for a rustic or boho autumn wedding, go with lines and dots to create a simple folk pattern.
If you’re having a Thanksgiving party, try to draw traditional autumnal leaves, maybe some acorns, or even turkey cutouts if you want to make your guests smile.
After that’s done, place the mini pumpkins on your dining table wherever there’s room for them.
You can keep it simple by just arranging all of them together in one spot, but if you have more space then scatter them around more evenly so that they become part of the entire design of the Thanksgiving table decor.
There are also lots of other things you can do with these cute little pumpkins besides simply placing them on tables.
7. Thanksgiving Door Decor – Square Pinecone Wreath
While working with paper, glue and sharpies may seem like a lot of fun, there’s no doubt that there are plenty of you out there that love nature so much that they would rather use it as a source of supplies rather than the convenience store.
That being said, if you want a Thanksgiving door decor that uses Mother Nature’s innate beauty, you could easily try out this square pinecone wreath.
You’ll need pinecones (the exact number varies based on the size of your desired wreath), a square glassless picture frame, a glue gun with plenty of glue, and spray paint of whatever colors you like most.
First, spray paint the frame and let it dry. Then, cover both sides of each pinecone in glue until they’re completely coated. To speed up the process, you can do a few at a time so that there’s no downtime in between pinecones.
After the glue is dried on each pinecone, start arranging them in a square pattern inside your picture frame.
You’ll have to judge this for yourself based on how large you want your wreath to be, but just keep in mind that when it comes to Thanksgiving door decor ideas, bigger tends to look better since smaller Thanksgiving decorations tend to get lost easily against everything else coming from outside.
Once done with that step (and patience is really important here), carefully take the picture frame out by holding it from the back, and tie some string or ribbon around its top so that you can hang it next to your front door.
8. Thanksgiving Yard Decorations – Fall Wall Floral Arrangement
Since we already covered outside decorations that you can use on your front door, we should also mention some Thanksgiving yard decorations as well, since these can impress the guests before they even step foot on your lawn.
We present to you this tutorial for a fall wall floral arrangement, and it can be displayed both inside and outside the house, albeit with certain restrictions.
To make this colorful decoration, you’ll need a wooden clock cut-out, a pair of scissors, a glue gun with sufficient glue, string, or twine (twine is better if the arrangement is heavier), and some seasonal silk flowers (natural immortelles will also work).
First, take your wooden clock and cover the entire thing in glue and stick the flowers on it with their stems facing down (so that they look like they’re growing on the wall).
If the flowers are too heavy, then just use twine instead of string to hang your hanging floral arrangement.
Once that’s done, you’ll need to find an appropriately sized wall that you can put this Thanksgiving decoration on so that it looks like it’s growing out of the wall.
For example, if this decoration is for a hallway leading towards the main room where guests will be sitting, then putting it on one of the walls in the hallway would work well.
Now all you have to do is wait patiently until your guests come by and admire your handiwork!
9. Thanksgiving Dinner Table Decor – Mini DIY Pumpkin Place Cards
If you’re planning out a giant Thanksgiving dinner, one of the key elements you need to take into consideration is the seating and we’re not talking about how everyone will be seated, but rather how the place cards look like.
So, if you want the place cards to also contribute to the overall aesthetics of the Thanksgiving table, you can go ahead and try out these mini DIY pumpkin place cards.
To make these adorable place cards, you’ll need several white mini pumpkins (one for each guest), some gold metal floral wire, some patterned scrapbook paper, some coordinating solid color for cardstock, white cardstock, a hole punch, a pair of round nose pliers, glue, and a rectangle die and die cutting machine.
Cut out circles for place cards using your die cutting machine and some coordinating patterned paper (the same pattern as used on the scrapbooking paper) and use double-sided tape or glue to attach this onto your white cardstock.
You can then punch holes into each pumpkin so that they’re ready for attaching to your metal wire floral stems. To create these flower stems, take the floral wire and form it into a loop which you’ll then attach to the pumpkin.
You can use your pliers to help with this process if you find that the metal wire is too hard for your fingers alone.
You can then place them on their designated table spots so guests can easily look at them and remember where they’re supposed to sit on Thanksgiving day.
Note: If you can’t seem to find white mini pumpkins, you can just use regular mini pumpkins and spray paint them white.
10. Thanksgiving Home Decor Ideas – Fall Wall Memory Holder
The fall has a knack for making people nostalgic and bringing out old memories, and if you’re looking for Thanksgiving home decor ideas that you don’t have to discard as soon as Thanksgiving is over, you can try this fall wall memory holder.
To make one for your living room, you’ll need the letters “F”, “A” and two “L”s made out of cardboard, a long piece of thin wood or plywood, paste, a paintbrush, a couple of fall-themed napkins, twine, clothespins, and glue.
Take your glue and apply it to the topside of the napkins so that they stick onto your cardboard letters.
Once you’re done with that, take your piece of plywood and paint it in the base color of your choice (you can use red if you want to make a Thanksgiving-themed memory holder or even green if you want to do something for Christmas).
After waiting for it to dry, paste the napkin-decorated cardboard letters onto your painted board and let this dry for some time.
Now, hang the entire thing using twine, clothespins, and glue (at one end) and attach another piece of twine at the other end which you’ll then tie onto a nail on your wall; then you’ll be all done!
As an added bonus, each family member can hang something extra on each of the letters, such as family photos, greeting cards with wholesome messages, etc.
More Thanksgiving Decorations That You Should Try
The previous 10 entries were certainly the trendiest Thanksgiving decorations of 2021, and that’s why we went into such details describing them, but if trendiness is not what you’re after, and you’re just interested in a few ideas to get you started, the following 15 decorations will also do.
They were very popular in past years, and no one says that they can’t be popular once more, so feel free to continue reading the next section of our article, since it too can serve to inspire you to create a type of decoration that will keep your guests talking.
11. Gilded Pear Place Cards – Thanksgiving Table Decor
Fruitcake starts our Thanksgiving DIY decor journey off with these gorgeous gilded pears! Ignite the sparkle at the dining room table with these beauties. They can mark each place setting and serve as favors too!
12. Magnolia Wreath – Thanksgiving Door Decor
Is this magnolia wreath from Sarah M. Dorsey not stunning? Don your door with one of these beautiful creations and give your festive, Thanksgiving day decor a punch of glam and femininity. Hop over now and grab the tutorial!
13. Chalkboard Pumpkins – Outdoor Thanksgiving Decorations
Better Recipes shows us how to turn some pumpkins into some functional decor too! All you need is some chalk paint! The kids can help out on this one too, and you can decorate your foyer, front door, or dining room table with the like.
14. Feather Garland – Thanksgiving Decoration Ideas
How about some dipped feather garland to highlight your home this season? Perfect for the mantle, banister, or the buffet, check out Simple Stylingsfor all of the details. You could dip them in some other metallics as well – or even cranberry tones!
15. Yarn Tassels – Cheap Thanksgiving Decor
A Beautiful Mess gives us some garland ideea too! And this time, they’re in the form of tassels! If you want to add some festivity and fall charm to the house, then this is definitely the route to take.
16. Corkboard Leaf Trivets – Thanksgiving Table Decor Idea
You can even add some festivity to some unsuspecting places! Check out these corkboard leaf trivets we found over at Martha Stewart. And, thankfully, they’re easier than you may think to create!
17. Pom Pom Placemats – Thanksgiving Dinner Table Decor
Brit + Cowhipped up some adorable pom pom placemats that could add a punch of color and personality to the dining room table. We’re loving the ombre effect but feel as though it’s a great project that you could add your own stamp to. Use emerald or gold, add some sparkle to the poms, and get the kids involved too!
18. Gold-Leaf Pine Cones – DIY Thanksgiving Decorations
Grab some pinecones and add some sparkle! That’s what The Sweetest Occasion did and we’re in love. Turn them into garland or fill up some decorative bowls around the house with them.
19. Retro Centerpiece – Thanksgiving Table Decor
Are you looking for something a bit more unique for the Thanksgiving table this year? If so, then you’ll need to run over to Studio DIY and check out all of their retro inspiration. This centerpiece is one-of-a-kind and so easy to recreate!
20. Typography Serving Tray – DIY Thanksgiving Decorations
This serving tray will add some beautiful color and feminine charm to the day as well. Use it all season long as you serve up yummy pieces of pecan and pumpkin pie to friends and family. Snag the tutorial A Kailo Chic Life
21. Ombre Mini Pumpkin Centerpiece – Thanksgiving Table Decor Idea
Oh Happy Day added some unique color to the table as well. This ombre, pumpkin centerpiece is gorgeous and you’ll have such a good time transforming the pumpkins and setting them up for dinnertime. You can use any color combo you’d like even deeper tones like blues and greens.
22. Washi Tape Candles – Cheap Thanksgiving Table Decor
Here’s a really easy way to add details to the holiday decor. Take some taper candles and add some tape. Minted will give you all of the details behind these washi creations.
23. Twig & Pom Pom Wreath – Thanksgiving Door Decor
If you’re looking for more rustic-inspired decor for Thanksgiving, then check out this tutorial from A Beautiful Mess. Using some twigs from outside and neutral pom poms, you too can create this welcoming design for the door. You can add some color or sparkle too if you want to dip some twigs!
24. Glitter Corn – Thanksgiving Decoration Idea
Run on over to Martha Stewart and learn how to transform an ear of corn into something that can dress the coffee table or dining room buffet. Thanksgiving and fall decor can be rather rustic and country in vibe, but you can easily add some glitter to glam it up and create a more modern scheme.
25. Leaf Napkin Ring – Thanksgiving Table Decor
Finally, Sugar & Clothbrings us this decor idea that will finish off your table scheme is style. These gold leaf napkin rings will add a beautiful touch to Thanksgiving this year, especially if you’ve decided to decorate with metallics and neutrals! Hop on over and take a peek at the tutorial.
Best Thanksgiving Decorations of 2021: Closing Thoughts
Thank you for taking the time to read our article. We hope that we have been able to inspire you and that you’ll be able to impress your friends and family with these Thanksgiving decorations ideas.
Now that you’ve seen all of our suggestions, it’s time for us to wish you a very happy holiday season!
However, keep in mind that decorating your house is just one of the many steps that you can take to enhance your Thanksgiving experience, so if you want a complete rundown of everything you can do, here’s something we like to call our Thanksgiving checklist.
For more articles on the topic of Thanksgiving, go ahead and browse our website, since it is full of not only articles that teach you the best ways to decorate your house, but also contains original recipes and step-by-step tutorials that will teach you how to make your own decorations and dishes from scratch!