How to Transition from Fall to Thanksgiving Decor

Are you ready to plan your Thanksgiving decorations? If you have been enjoying the coziness of fall for several weeks, are you ready to start planning your Thanksgiving decor? I’m here to show how to transition from fall to Thanksgiving decor.

I know it may seem early to think about Thanksgiving decor. But it’s never too early to plan decorating for this important fall holiday.

Are leaves falling in your neck of the woods? Are the temperatures dropping? Has an unmistakable autumn chill settled in?

If so, then Thanksgiving is not far off. We usually think of food for Thanksgiving.

But . . . .

Thanksgiving is an understated holiday that often gets overlooked when we think about seasonal decor. Christmas often takes over our decorating thoughts in October.

Whereas Christmas decor takes on a completely different look than fall decorating, Thanksgiving is an easy transition. I think it deserves its own decorating season.

It’s amazing how a few simple touches can instantly transform your home into a warm and inviting space for celebrating this special holiday of gratitude.

So, if you’re wondering how to transition your home from fall seasonal decor to Thanksgiving decorations, you’ve come to the right place!

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, togetherness, and delicious feasting, and your home decor should reflect those sentiments.

Fortunately, it’s an easy transition from fall touches to turkey day decor.

Do you already have fall colors and fall vignettes in your home? If you do, you are halfway to creating wonderful festive decorations with these Thanksgiving inspiration ideas.

Be sure to get your Thanksgiving Transition Printable below.

What to Do Before Adding Thanksgiving Decorations?

TIP 1 – If you decorate for Halloween, as soon as November 1st comes, it’s time to pack up the witches, ghosts, and goblins until next year. This is also the time to check the Halloween decorations for any breaks, cracks, or rips.

TIP 2 – Leave most of your fall decorations up as a foundation for Thanksgiving decor.

TIP 3 – You can also disassemble your fall vignettes and reuse them in new Thanksgiving decor.

TIP 4 – Before adding new holiday decor items, I think it’s a good idea to do extra dusting and decluttering.

What Items to Use for Thanksgiving Decor?

Here’s a handy list of items to use in your fall-to-Thanksgiving transition decor:

• Add a fall-themed wreath with miniature pumpkins, pine cones, or gourds. You can also cut out small paper turkeys and add them to the wreath, as I did with this DIY Thanksgiving wreath.

• Include warm and earthy table settings, using tablecloths, placemats, and napkins with fall colors or a turkey motif.

source: William-Sonoma

•  Make personalized place cards for your dining table with turkey, cornucopia, or pilgrim designs. Check out these easy-to-make turkey place cards.

•  Assemble a Thanksgiving centerpiece with fresh fall flowers, fruit, pine cones, or miniature pumpkins.

source: Thistlekey Lane

• Fall-colored candles in autumn-inspired candleholders. Thanksgiving scents, such as cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin spice, apple pie, vanilla, and maple, will add to the festive spirit of Thanksgiving.
• Use signs, banners, or chalkboards with heartfelt Thanksgiving messages.

source: Cupcake Country Girl

• Thanksgiving-themed garlands featuring leaves, acorns, and turkeys.
• Thanksgiving-themed pillow covers with quotes or designs.
• Pumpkins, both real and faux, decorated with messages of gratitude.
• Turkey-themed accessories like figurines, carvings, plates, platters, or vintage salt and pepper shakers.
• Turkeys made of natural, wood, or ceramic materials will always add the perfect sense of Thanksgiving to any vignette.
• Dried grasses, dried corn cobs, and dried squashes.

source: Bluesky at Home

source: LizMarieBlog

These turkeys have been part of our Thanksgiving decor for years.

• Thanksgiving artwork, such as prints of cornucopias, harvests, turkeys, pilgrims, or fall foliage.
• Outdoor decor with fall wreaths, corn stalks, pumpkins, hay bales, and cozy blankets for your porch.

source: House Beautiful

These items will help create a warm and inviting Thanksgiving atmosphere in your home. Just remember to keep it simple and cozy.

How to Use Decorative Items in Your Thanksgiving Decor

 Here are ways to add a touch of Thanksgiving to your home:

• Swap Out Your Wreath: Swap out your fall wreath for one adorned with miniature pumpkins, turkeys, gourds, and corn husks. Here is another view of my DIY Thanksgiving wreath with paper turkeys with several more of our turkey collection.

Wreaths full of fall materials, like leaves, pumpkins, corn, wheat, and other fall items.

• Table Settings: The Thanksgiving table is the star of the show. If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner, don’t wait until Thanksgiving week to set the table. Let the table be part of the decorations and enjoy it the whole month. Wheat sheaves, woven chargers, and a textured runner bring in the feeling of harvest.

source: Pottery Barn

Here is one of many Thanksgiving tablescapes I’ve created. This one used wheat bundles as the centerpiece.

Use pumpkins in different materials for variety in texture and color.

• Color Scheme: In September and October, if you decorated with an early fall color scheme, now is the time of year to give your home more depth with richer earthy colors like deep oranges, rich browns, deep burgundies, and rustic reds.
• Candles: Scented or unscented, candles add an immediate feeling of warmth. Scented candles in the traditional Thanksgiving scents of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves will evoke Thanksgiving warmth throughout your home. 
• Thanksgiving Signage: Include signs, banners, or chalkboards with heartfelt messages like “Grateful,” “Give Thanks,” or “Family & Friends.” Use them on your entry, on the mantel. Replace year-round artwork with a beautiful sign. Here is a Thanksgiving sign that I made for our mantel.

source: The Country Chic Cottage

•  Thanksgiving on the Mantel: Your mantel is a prime place to add Thanksgiving decor. Anything that can go on a flat surface will work on a mantel. All I would have to do to change this fall mantel to a Thanksgiving mantel is to add a few turkeys in place of the pumpkins.

• Fall Garlands: Replace and add to your fall garlands with Thanksgiving-themed ones featuring leaves, acorns, and miniature turkey decorations. If you have a Cricut, you can cut out paper turkeys and a cute and colorful garland. You can also make turkeys with felt and “turkey colors” and a cookie cutter.

If your style is more lush and vibrant, use materials in bright fall colors that evoke the fullness of Thanksgiving harvest.

• Pillow Covers: Swap out your regular throw pillow covers for ones with Thanksgiving sayings or designs. They can instantly make your living room feel cozier.

Here is an easy pumpkin pillow you can make.

• Pumpkin Decor: Keep those pumpkins around. Whether real or faux, they’re the epitome of Thanksgiving decor. Paint or decorate them with messages of gratitude and display them as a focal point in your home.

• Turkey Time: Incorporate turkey-themed decor, like turkey figurines, plates, or even cute turkey-shaped salt and pepper shakers. Group turkeys in ceramic, wood, glass, or stone for a seasonal vignette. Create DIY decorations with wood turkey cutouts from the Dollar Tree. Paint or decoupage them.

Your kitchen counter is a great place to display an arrangement featuring a turkey as the focal point.

• Thanksgiving Artwork: Hang up some Thanksgiving-themed artwork: prints of cornucopias, harvest scenes, pilgrim feasts, fall foliage, or even framed quotes about thankfulness. Check out these fall/Thanksgiving Printables from my friend Jennifer of Cottage on Bunker Hill.

• Outdoor Decor: Don’t forget your outdoor spaces. Decorate your porch with a new Thanksgiving wreath, hay bales, cornstalks, pumpkins, and even a cozy throw blanket on a bench.

source: Darling Celebrations

Even your front yard or driveway can be a great place to display the spirit of Thanksgiving with hay bales and scarecrows.

• Bountiful Baskets: Place wicker baskets filled with seasonal fruits like apples, pomegranates, and pears or other fall vegetables around your home for a touch of abundance.

On Your Thanksgiving Table

The dining table is an optimal place to decorate for Thanksgiving:

• centerpiece
• placesettings
• sideboard or hutch

This is the time to set the prettiest table of the year. We focus on fall colors, the iconic symbols of fall and Thanksgiving, and adding in items that pertain to the gratefulness we celebrate at this time of year.

If you weather is cooperative, set your Thanksgiving tablescape outside for the festive meal.

A beautiful place setting sets the tone for a meal that is extra special. This one combines a simple plate with a Thanksgiving sentiment, a fall patterned napkin, warm mettalic tableware and a sideboard full of fall foliage.

If you have a hutch, buffet or sideboard, you have the perfect place to display a variety of Thanksgiving-themed items:

• dishes
• pumpkins
• turkeys
• faux foliage
• mini-hay bales
• warm metallic accessories

You can easily add custom DIY napkin rings for Thanksgiving, like I did for the holiday a few years ago.

Remember, there are no strict rules for Thanksgiving decor. It’s all about creating a warm, inviting atmosphere that makes your family and friends feel cherished and grateful. So have fun with it, mix and match. Let your personal style shine through.

It’s easy to transition from fall to Thanksgiving decor with these tips. Add warmth and gratitude to your home for the holiday season!

I hope that these suggestions and tips inspire you to decorate your home for Thanksgiving. Create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that your family and friends will love.

Need more Thanksgiving ideas?

🦃 If you are not ready to start your Thanksgiving decorating, PIN this post to refer back to it. Also, check out and follow these Thanksgiving Pinterest Boards:

• Thanksgiving DIY Projects
• Thanksgiving Ideas
• Thanksgiving Tablescapes

Enjoy transitioning to your Thanksgiving home decor.