Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. What’s even more fun is setting the stage for a great Thanksgiving Day party. Here are my Top Five tips to make your table and room a stand out! I get away from the traditional Thanksgiving decor and keep some cash in your wallet!

Bright Centerpiece
Why not take a more sophisticated approach for your centerpiece and arrange bright orange roses in a silver urn. On the coffee table fill a large clear glass canister or large bowl with California thick skinned oranges and serve orange slice martinis to tie together the theme.

Black & White
Damask pattered paper or plastic plates are different and chic. The cool Grandeur White Black Square paper plates from Apartysource.com are a great product.

Big Branches
Place big beautiful branches from your backyard in tall planters (or buy them from Cb2.com). It’s an inexpensive way to create a large scale accessory.

Theme Gift
On each plate everyone should receive a gift that is theme related. For my Thanksgiving Day party last year, I gave away mini peppermint plants that I purchased at a local farm. I love mint and wanted to share that with my guests. I attached a recipe for Mohitos to each planter.

Toilet Paper
For something fun and different I bought Renova Orange toilet paper and put that in all my bathrooms. It definitely prompted funny conversations!

Bonus Tip: Surprising But Dramatic Inspiration
I have designed bathrooms, bedrooms and living rooms around the beautiful Fall-inspired burnt orange color palette, and used dark espresso wood furniture and black onyx accessories to set it off. This may be a great opportunity to renovate! Paint an inspiration wall in blood orange and get some new sexy home accessories! Check out Overstock.com for some very cool and inexpensive items.

Also check out this post at Widwi.com — “what I did with it” and win a set of Cookware in the Quirky Turkey Table Challenge!

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Author: Krista Watterworth

Krista Watterworth considers herself a true multi-tasker: mom, author, television personality, and interior designer. Krista starred in four seasons of HGTV's Save My Bath as host-designer and in 2009 will star in a new HGTV show called Splurge & Save. She has quickly gained celebrity for branding her unique aesthetic. According to Krista, designing and performing have two things in common: you have to delve into the heart of a person (or a character) to find out their intimate secrets, and then create an entirely personal world around that.

Krista Watterworth has written 101 articles for us.