You can set the holiday mood by setting a festive table. Here are a few tabletop tips:

Real estate

Keep in mind the amount of space you’re working with. You need enough room for all those place settings and dishes, as well as elbow room for hungry guests.

Julia Robinson photos

Simple garnishes on plates make for unobtrusive but eye-catching table settings. White pumpkins and wreath from Calhoun’s Accent Furnishing and Accessories; decorative tags from A La Campagne. Below, a low-sitting wreath will be out of guests’ reach as they pass dishes. Wreath from Calhoun’s; candle from A La Campagne.

If you don’t have enough space for everyone, smaller tables placed throughout the house tied together by similar décor will work, but you might also try scooting two tables together to include everyone. "I like it when we’re all together," says Courtney Bramon, co-owner of A La Campagne.

You can also seat more people by using a round dining surface. Check a home furnishing supplier for a simple round tabletop extender, which will give your square table space-adding curves and will store easily when not in use.

Nina Furstenau, also of A La Campagne, suggests setting the food up buffet-style on a sideboard, which will clear up valuable space.

Keep it simple

You might have the most beautiful centerpiece in the world, but if it’s too tall, your guests are going to have trouble chatting and passing dishes. Look for something low. An autumnal wreath, for instance, can be laid down on the table as a center piece. Simply add a few votives, says Lisa Klenke, co-owner of Calhoun’s Accent Furnishing and Accessories.

Look for unobtrusive garnishes. We made place-setting cards with tags tied to small pumpkins.

Other areas

Simple touches around the house will accentuate the ambiance of the Thanksgiving dinner table. Look for ways to bring in the colors and shapes of autumn. Furstenau suggests filling a hurricane glass with pinecones to display with the buffet or on a side table. Votives lend warmth, but steer clear of scented candles, which will compete with your cooking aromas, Furstenau says.

And don’t forget first impressions. "Set the tone with a wreath on the door," Klenke says.

Making the transition

Many of us begin decorating for Christmas as soon as the turkey goes in the fridge, but you don’t have to start from scratch. By choosing a few seasonally neutral items, you can change your theme without replacing everything.

Kent Anderson, owner of Kent’s Floral Gallery and Gifts, says you can decorate for fall with a basket of gourds and pumpkins, accented by pheasant feathers. When it’s time for an update, swap the pumpkins and some of the more orange gourds for Christmas balls and throw in some sprigs of berry.

Greenery such a cedar or juniper can also make the switch between holidays. "It transitions right into Christmas," Bramon said.

Other natural elements might include pine cones, laurel and berries.

"This is a great time of year for berries," Anderson said.

Color can also bridge the gap from one season to another. Klenke says you can wrap up the season with one last appearance of Halloween oranges. Reds, greens or golds can blend in with fall hues and be used again in December.

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