Thanksgiving Table with Mismatched Dishes

Mix and match dishes for an elegant Thanksgiving table. A decoupaged pumpkin centerpiece makes a beautiful focal point. The pleated runner, velvet ribbon and DIY candle makes the table extra special!

pumpkin centerpiece, custom woodland candle

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If you're looking for Thanksgiving ideas and inspiration, you've come to the right place! I've joined my friend Jen of Tatertots and Jello and several others to bring you some amazing ideas to make your Thanksgiving celebration extra special! You'll find all the links below.

My Thanksgiving table this year is filled with DIYs that you can copy! Look for the blue links below, which will indicate a tutorial.

Decorating a table with mismatched dishes

Mixing and matching table items is a great way to set an interesting table! You'll notice a mix of dishes, glasses and even chargers on my Thanksgiving table.

I have had a love of vintage dishes for a long time, and can't resist picking them up at the thrift stores when I find them. Specifically, white ironstone and blue and white transferware. This year I wanted to add a few brown transferware pieces, because I am loving brown this year! My casual Fall kitchen table turned out so beautiful this year and I attribute that to the rich browns and coppers that I used. In all my hunting, and all the thrift stores I visited, I couldn't find a single piece of brown transferware.

Consider using paper plates

I had a vision for my Thanksgiving table this year and it involved layering blue and white, and brown and white transferware. So what did I do? I ended up buying a set of paper plates and napkins in the brown and white Woodland pattern by Spode. You can find the dinner plates here and the napkins here. They are so beautiful and just what I was looking for.

rattan charger, vintage blue dinner plate, vintage turkey paper plate, plaid napkin

I layered the paper plates with my vintage blue Currier and Ives dishes on top of chargers. The paper plates will be practical for either appetizers, salad or even dessert on Thanksgiving day!

I borrowed the linen plaid napkins from my kitchen table because they worked so beautifully here. The napkins at the head and foot of the table were loosely tied with brown velvet ribbon.

brown velvet ribbon, plaid napkin, layered dishes

Whether you have a collection of vintage dishes or use new, try mixing up the colors and patterns on your Thanksgiving table this year! Keep reading to see how I used the paper napkins in an unexpected way.

Hutch decor

I carried the blue, brown and white theme to the dishes in my primitive pine hutch. Call me crazy but it is fun to rearrange the dishes in my hutches (I have two in my dining room) for different occasions and seasons! Do you enjoy playing with dishes?

brown and blue Thanksgiving table and hutch

white ironstone, brown transferware, blue transfer in primitive pine hutch

I do own a single piece of brown transferware, it's the small plate inside my hutch. But do you notice a few additional pieces?

Decoupage transferware dupe

I faked the look of vintage brown transferware by decoupaging the Spode napkins onto an ironstone pitcher and a platter! It was easy, and even though the bottle of Mod Podge says it's permanent, it is easy to remove with soap and water from washable surfaces. I especially love how the pitcher looks with the faux transferware handle! Check out this short DIY video tutorial on my Instagram page, along with some tips, if you're interested in creating a similar look.

Pumpkin centerpiece

Let's head back to the table and take a closer look at the pumpkin centerpiece. I'll be sharing the tutorial next week to decoupage a store-bought pumpkin, and turn it into a centerpiece, but for now let's just enjoy how pretty this looks.

I used inexpensive florals from Michaels, as well as blackberry stems I already had to create this full look. If you'd like more details, be sure you're signed up for my newsletter, so you don't miss any future projects!

pumpkin centerpiece, candle, vintage dishes, layered runners

decoupage pumpkin centerpiece, blue and brown dishes, vintage doilies, candles

Another DIY on my table is that darling squirrel candle, and while it may look like decoupage, it's not! I used an inexpensive Walmart battery-operated candle and a napkin to create this candle. If you'd like a tutorial, you can visit my post about creating custom candles with napkins.

Layering a table is a great way to add interest and depth. I used my homemade drop cloth runner as a base, and topped it with the DIY pleated Thanksgiving table runner I made last year. The sentiment is bold and invites guests to gather.