Declutter It!

How To Set Your Formal (or not) Thanksgving Table

by Jennifer on November 23rd, 2008

If somewhere along the line you forgot about your table setting tasks for this Thanksgiving, it’s time for a brush up.

1. First of all, you and the kids can get together and make some cool thanksgiving crafts - some that are pretty enough for a formal table:

• Recycled Thanksgiving Crafts
• Nature Crafts Pretty Enough for Thanksgiving Day

2. Decide if you’re going with a formal or casual table.

If you’re having a casual arrangement, you should do the following:

• Set up a kid table at least - kids walking around with food is a choking hazard.
• Set up a table with a nice tablecloth, some cool crafts or flowers, and then make sure all the food dishes you’re having will fit. If not, get a second table, or use counter space.
• If you’re going buffet style, set one area up with plates, silverware, glasses, and so on. Set another table up with the food. If you’re short on space, keep most of the food in the kitchen and put smaller bowls of actual food out.

If you’re going with a formal arrangement, here’s how to set your table…

• Use a tablecloth - or very nice place mats.
• Flowers go in the middle, or you can place a few smaller arrangements in a crafty formation; for example, place floating single roses in a nice teacup close to each place setting.
• Place dinner plates down first. Salad plates go on top of the dinner plates. If you’re having a small special in between course treat like sherbet, place that bowl on top of the salad plate.
• Place dinner forks to the left of your plates, and the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork.
• Butter or other knives go to the right of your plate, and officially, the blades should face the plate.
• If you’re using individual butter dishes, these go above the dinner plate to the left.
• Dessert spoons and forks go above the dinner plate - spoons point to the left, while forks should point to the right.
• All glasses go to the right of the dinner plates - near the top of the plate. If you have water and wine glasses, the wine glasses go slightly off to the right, and a little higher than the water glass.
• Cloth napkins go either on top of your dinner plates or to the left of the forks.
• Place cards go above the dinner plate and dessert utensils, or slightly off to the side, depending on your flower arrangement plans.

I wouldn’t freak about formal rules though. The best tables, to me, are a little unique. Be creative. If you’ve got a fussy aunt, and you have to do a totally formal setting for her sake, here’s a link with some traditional formal setting visuals. There’s also a walk through at curbly, although they’ve got the napkin under the forks, which is actually not properly American formal. Still, good visuals.

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POSTED IN: Entertaining & Parties, Holiday