Setting the Thanksgiving Table

The turkey  is in the oven, the potatoes  are mashed, and the pies are in the fridge cooling down. Now what? Well, you're not just going to serve that turkey up at the kitchen table without any fanfare, are you? It's Thanksgiving, so get with the festive season and break out the good china. (Don't break the good china, though.) Here are a few tips on what you'll need to set the table.

First step: count your guests, and figure on an extra two of everything in case of mishaps (they happen) or last-minute additions to the guest list ("Oh, you have a girlfriend now? I didn't know, of course she can come!").

Dinnerware

You'll need different amounts of dinnerware depending on how elaborate your feast will be. If you don't have a specific piece, just improvise with what you have. Eclectic is in style anyway, and people will be thinking more about the food than your plates. Charger /dinner plate  Salad plate /bowl  Soup bowl  Bread plate  Dessert plate  Tea/Coffee cups and saucers  Additional appetizer or cheese course plates, as needed.

Flatware

The basics of flatware should be enough for most Thanksgiving dinners. Make sure everyone has a sharp knife for the turkey (although you shouldn't really need a knife all that sharp) and enough pieces to get through all the courses. You might also need: Cocktail forks  Butter knives  Tea spoons  Dessert forks  and spoons

Glassware

The level of formality of your dinner and the emphasis you place on wine pairings with courses will determine how many kinds of glasses you need.  The most important part, however, is to make sure you have enough wine glasses before Thanksgiving Day. You don't want your Aunt Betty to have to drink wine from a rocks glass! If you know exactly which wines you'll be serving with your food, you probably know exactly which wine glasses you'll use as well. If you're serving a number of different wines at the same time, or even just a red and a white, you should have all-purpose wine glasses  for everyone. If you want to be more formal, you can set a red  and a white wine glass  at each setting and remove the one that each guest decides not to use. You'll also need a water glass  for everyone. If you will be serving grape juice as "pretend wine" for the children, consider buying a few inexpensive whiskey sour glasses  -- they'll love the mini glasses that are just their size. Serving beer? Good beers get their own glasses too! The rules are less formal, but make sure you have enough glasses that everyone can have a beer glass  and a water glass.

Decorative Accents

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family, friends and country, so make your table bright and cheery. Here are a few suggestions that you can mix and match to create a beautiful Thanksgiving table. Another great bonus is that, unlike a full set of separate Thanksgiving dishes, a few small ornaments will not take up much space in storage between Thanksgivings!

Cornucopia	Thanksgiving Napkin Rings	Wine Charms	Placecards	Candles  and Candle Holders

Menu Cards	Toy Turkey	Indian Corn	Autumnal Runners  and Tablecloths	Mini Pumpkins