A Cornucopia of Ideas!

It may not be the most important thing, especially with all that luscious food sitting on the table… but think about that table.  Whether it is the antique dining room table that your grand mother left you or the folding table left over from camping, think about what is on it.

Tablecloth?  Napkins and Napkin Rings?  Nice China?  Paper plates with really cool looking fall leaves and turkeys?  Salt and pepper shakers in the shape of pilgrim hats?

Well, for anything when friends and family get together, the host/hostess seems to think that it is absolutely necessary to decorate the place – whether it’s for ambiance or to hide the clutter beneath the bed.  Well, if you’re the one hosting this year, this might be something that you want to think about.  Here are some ways to save:

• 1.    Table Style – think about what kind of table you want.  If it’s casual, think paper plates.  If not, you shouldn’t have to spend any money because you should already have some sort of plate (I hope).  There are also some really cool ways to find a cheap turkey platter – think yard sales and Goodwill.

• 2.    Go edible – Maybe you don’t want to have those salt and pepper shakers.  Maybe the food is the most beautiful thing that could ever be expected.

• 3.    DIY – If you’re one of the people who go crazy, there are tons of different things you can make for your table and apartment.  Napkin rings?  Check.  Pace cards?  Check.  Potpourri?  Check… well, you get the point.

• 4.    Think Tablecloths – Make your own.  I’m putting this as a separate thing from DIY because there is almost no “doing”.  Find some cloth, have it cut to fit the table.  If you’re really lazy, you don’t even have to hem it.  Slap it on the table.  Viola!  Think about it – the clearance rack in WalMart has all sorts of cheap fabric.  You can get a yard for $1.  You only need 2 for a table cloth…

Now, here’s the thing.  Just because you know how to save money on things, even if it is making it yourself, that does not necessarily mean that you know how to put those things together.  Check out this website.  I’m serious.  Click now.  You can always find some way to make it back to the blog!

The site, which is here (again), is a complete video series on how to decorate for Thanksgiving.  Not all of the ideas are completely money saving, but it is some place you can start to look for ideas and trimming the fat later.