5 Tips to Transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas

How to seamlessly transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas in the dining room

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Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can they co-exist?

They have to in my house! You probably realize by now that home bloggers are like home decor magazines. We have to do things early so we have time to style, photograph, edit and share our wonderful ideas with you...so you have time to decide which ideas you want to incorporate in your own home!

I put on my thinking cap in late summer and came up with a clever idea to transition at least the dining room from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I love Fall. I love Christmas. But sometimes Thanksgiving gets left out! And I hate that because it's such a wonderful celebration! So here's my first tip for easing into Christmas while still celebrating Thanksgiving:

1. Set your Table for Thanksgiving and add a Christmas Tree It's no secret that I love blue and white and I decided to add a small tree to my dining room and decorate it to match the vintage blue and white dishes that I love. I'll be sharing more details of my tree soon. I don't have a lot of space in my dining room, but a slim tree was perfect!

2. Use Mutual Colors I felt strongly that I could combine two seasons in one room, using my blue and white dishes as the common thread that tied both seasons together. Blue isn't a Fall or a Christmas color, but it can work beautifully for both seasons. In fact, I used blue for Fall throughout my home this year and loved it! Go with a color that you love; you might be surprised how easy it is to make it work when you apply these tips!

tips to transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas

3. Add a Contrasting Color I found a lovely plush burnt orange runner at HomeGoods, and used that as the base on my table. Having this bright pop of color really helps make all the other muted browns and reds and oranges in this room more noticeable! And it's a beautiful contrast with the blue.

4. Add Greenery Greenery is pretty perfect for any season, and using it to weld Thanksgiving and Christmas is so easy! I used silver dollar eucalyptus leaves down the center of the table, a small wreath at the base of a wooden candle holder, and more greenery throughout the room. It's all faux, but it adds life to the space!

A thankful sentiment on my chalkboard adds to the theme of this Thanksgiving/Christmas blend. And remember my fall centerpiece with the dollar store pumpkins I antiqued? They are sitting in the same wooden bowl under the chalkboard. These DIY pumpkins were one of the cheapest and easiest projects ever, and I was able to use them all the way from early Fall right through to Thanksgiving! #win

5. Use Apples! Apples are quintessentially Fall, but they come in beautiful shades of red, which is perfect for transitioning the seasons...especially if you combine them with white pumpkins! I used real McIntosh apples (my fave) and small faux white pumpkins. The large whitewashed pumpkin on the wooden candlestick makes a focal point on the table.

My table is set with seagrass chargers, collected ironstone dinner dishes and vintage blue and white dishes, all different, that I've collected from thrift stores over the years.

I actually had plans to cut out maple leaves and use them on the dishes, but that thought got stuck in the nether regions of my brain and I totally forgot until I was editing these pictures. So that is something I plan to add to this Thanksgiving tablescape! Everyone can write one thing they're thankful for and tuck their leaves in around the apples and pumpkins. An easy but thoughtful addition to any Thanksgiving celebration!

I added a magnolia wreath to my black hutch and the pop of green just lights up that side of the room.

I brought in just a touch of orange with a couple of tiny pumpkins.

I love how it works together! The orange and blue add so much energy and they're a pairing that's meant to be! They play beautifully off each other, and I think this Thanksgiving to Christmas transition is a win!

I know we'll have a fun family Thanksgiving meal around this table! And once the dinner dishes are cleared off and the pies are eaten, it'll be time to bring out the games! We love card games (playing cards, Quiddler, Apples to Apples), and Ticket to Ride is probably our current favorite board game. Do you play games as a family?

This Thanksgiving to Christmas dining room has all the things I love! A cozy plaid throw and pumpkin pillow, blue and white vintage dishes and ironstone, greenery, and a beautiful Christmas tree!

Pumpkins and Christmas...who knew they could work so well together? And once Thanksgiving is over, it will be so easy to transition this room to Christmas decor...I think I'll stick with my vintage dishes but it will definitely have a holiday flair!

Do you struggle to decorate for Thanksgiving when the pull of Christmas is so strong? Have you found ways to transition between the seasons? I'd love to hear what you do! I hope these ideas are helpful for you!