Tips for an Outdoor Thanksgiving

November 20, 2020
by Courtney

Furniture and Home Accents

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner – and though  holiday celebrations look a little different this year – they can be festive and fun while staying safe.

From setting a table outdoors to creating cozy areas for family to sit outside- Thanksgiving and holiday celebrations can still be enjoyable and festive. Todays post is about tips for creating a magical holiday celebration outside this season.

I started by shopping HomeGoods for fresh throw pillows, throws and entertaining elements – and then got to work creating  inspired places for family to enjoy Thanksgiving outdoors.

Create a Seating Area

Create an outdoor seating area where guests can stay cozy and warm while enjoying the festivities.  We created this area with several individual chairs around the fire pit. Even during the day, the fire will keep guests warm and create a charming spot to enjoy conversation.

TIP:  Create a twinkly backdrop with twinkle trees and string lights in the branches- and set out a basket full of various throws for your guests to wrap up in if they get chilly.

You can also set up a Christmas tree in a covered area and add some holiday music in the background for even more ambiance.

Individual Cheese Platters

I picked up several bread boards and wood slices at HomeGoods and decided to create individual cheese platters for each guest – rather than the usual one board that everyone enjoys.

HomeGoods has a wonderful  selection of specialty foods- crackers, chocolates, nuts, cheeses, jams  and more.

TIP: Start with layers of different cheeses- slices, logs, and even creamy spreadable cheeses. And then add crackers, some fresh or dried fruit and a handful of salty nuts- and arrange on a board for each guest for pre-dinner nibbles.  Don’t forget a couple chunks of rich chocolate bark to add a touch of sweet too

A Basket Full of Sandwiches

I love the idea of individually wrapped sandwiches for each guest – this is such an easy way to serve lunch.

We made several varieties of sandwiches with fresh sourdough bread and sliced them into quarters.  I then wrapped each sandwich quarter with baking sheet paper and tied it with twine and placed them into a basket on the table.

TIP: Individual sandwiches that are already wrapped and ready to go are such an easy lunch for guests to grab and enjoy- and the paper wrapping  works perfectly for keeping hands clean also.

On the Table

For a more formal dinner –  set a beautiful table outdoors for guests to enjoy.

TIP: If you have the space- set up several smaller tables outside for guests to dine at.  If setting a  larger table- you can remove some of the chairs and offset the place settings to create more space.

I like to mingle the holidays for Thanksgiving and used a fresh cedar Christmas garland as the centerpiece on this table.  For a festive touch-  I added dried orange slices and small candles in jars and a simple bouquet of fresh flowers.

Bring out those wood serving boards and platters again. For the tables, I  created several individual boards with a small loaf of fresh bread and jar of jam for each guest to enjoy.

Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings might look a little different this year- but with a little bit of imagination – you can create a cozy setting outdoors with all of the charm and ambiance of the season  for your family to enjoy.

Wishing you a safe and happy Thanksgiving and holiday season!