Thanksgiving: Decorating the Table

You might have all your dishes prepared for the big Thanksgiving meal, but there is still one crucial detail left: setting the table.

There are plenty of ways to set your holiday table using a variety of different dishes, items, flowers and much else.

Pearl River Florist - 45 E. Central Avenue, Pearl River - 845-735-3366

One sure way to make your table look nicer is by adding some flowers.

“Flowers are a beautiful way to finish off the table,” said Maryann Walker, owner of Pearl River Florist. “Especially if you get some with nice fall colors.”

Walker suggested that chrysanthemums, football mums and kale would work nicely this time of year, especially if they’re bronze, yellow or orange.

At Pearl River Florist, Walker and her staff were preparing a variety of different kinds of arrangements to go out for the holiday, many using those fall colors she described. A lot also had mini pumpkins in them, or even apples.

“Despite these economic times, we still have people coming in and saying they want to have a nice holiday,” Walker said. “And to do that, they say they want to brighten up their table with flowers.”

Flower Peddler - 199 South Middletown Road, Nanuet - 845-623-3480

Karen Shepard, who works at the Flower Peddler, said that if a family wants to decorate their holiday table with flowers, it’s completely up to them how to do it.

“It really depends on your own taste,” she said.

She did suggest going with fall colors for the Thanksgiving holiday, like orange, red and brown. She also said adding some candles into the arrangements often looks nice.

“You can also do a single flower at each plate and use it as a placecard,” she said.

She also suggested going outside to see if you can find any nice fall leaves and use those to decorate the table.

“I like to use small gourds and pumpkins,” she said.

Gene Reed - 74 South Broadway, Nyack - 845-358-3750

Gene Reed, owner of the Nyack store, also suggested bringing in things you can find outside.

“Nature is good,” she said. “It’s a good fit with the colors.”

Reed also has a decent-sized turkey statue in her store she said would make for a good centerpiece.

In terms of serving dishes, she suggested majolica, a French style dish. In her store she had a few items she really likes, including a gravy boat, bread basket and other serving dishes.

The Things I Love - 191 South Main Street, New City - 845-639-6005

This gift store specializes in home decor and has a lot of different items to help your holiday meal. Owner Sandra Szpicek-Leylegian said a lot of people like tabletop items by Michael Aram, adding that they have more than 100 of his items in the store. She said he has some very nice serving dishes at the store.

Another item Szpicek-Leylegian suggested is a ceramic bread basket that is oven-safe.

“You put it in the over when you cook the bread and then serve it in the same dish, so the bread stays warm while you eat,” she said. “It’s genius.”

Szpicek-Leylegian said there are two things she likes when deciding how to decorate a table.

“I like anything that shines and glitters,” she said. “There’s nothing like a sparkle on a holiday table.”

For those looking to add a sparkle, Szpicek-Leylegian had candles that were cased in glitter and sparkled all different colors.

Szpicek-Leylegian also said that after Thanksgiving the store is having a sale Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day where nearly everything in the store is 20 percent off. There is also a free gift customers get when they make a purchase.