As an empty nester, I cherish the moments when my family gathers for the holidays. I love decorating our home in meaningful ways, and today I’m sharing how I create a Thanksgiving floral arrangement to make the table feel special.
Over the years we normally had Thanksgiving at home, just the four of us. My husband worked nights and weekends in law enforcement, and he usually only had a few hours on Thanksgiving to sit down with us for a meal.
We didn’t always have fancy heirloom plates or crystal wine glasses. For many years, the most treasured Thanksgiving decorations on the table were placemats that the kids made and brought home from school. During the early years, Thanksgiving simply meant the parade on TV, the smell of onions and celery softening in butter, and the sound of kids playing a board game together while they waited to eat.
Now that they’re older, I’ve started creating a special Thanksgiving floral arrangement to decorate our table. Last year, I shared an arrangement filled with warm fall tones and garden greenery. This season, I’m changing things up a bit and walking you through each step so you can create one, too.
Flowers have a way of making the table feel special, whether it’s set for two or twelve. When my kids come home for Thanksgiving, they share in the excitement of the season. Not only do they enjoy eating the familiar Thanksgiving food that they love, but they can also tell that I’ve gone out of my way to make the table special, just for them.
If you’d like to share some flowers on your table this Thanksgiving, here are the steps you’ll want to take.
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Step One: Choose Your Vessel
The first thing I like to do when I’m creating a Thanksgiving floral arrangement is to think about what kind of vase or vessel I’ll be using. If the floral arrangement is going to be in the center of the table while we’re eating our Thanksgiving meal, then I’ll select a container that creates a profile that is low enough to be able to see each other’s faces while talking. On the other hand, if the flowers are going to be on a sideboard or entryway, then I might pick something taller to create more of a vertical look.
In my case, I’m creating a floral arrangement for the center of the Thanksgiving table, so I’m going to select something that looks nice in proportion with the length of the table, but it won’t inhibit the conversations.
Another thing to consider when choosing the vessel for your Thanksgiving floral arrangement is whether it suits the occasion. There are many ways to use ordinary objects and turn them into something beautiful to hold your flowers. Things like ironstone tureens, transferware bowls, or vintage silver pieces can be just the right thing to set a festive tone for a table setting with Southern and heirloom aesthetics. Don’t be afraid to repurpose containers in creative ways; they often make the most charming vases.
Vessels to consider: Low compotes, ironstone tureens, transferware bowls, vintage silver pieces, or even dough bowls lined with floral foam
Step Two: Build the Foundation
After you have selected your container, the next step is to build the foundation for your floral arrangement. I want to make sure my flowers stay in the positions I’ve arranged them in. In order for them to do this, I’ll use something inside the vessel to secure them. There are a few options to secure your flowers, and the most common are floral foam, chicken wire, or a flower frog. Some people even make a grid over the container by using clear tape. By using one of these methods, the Thanksgiving floral arrangement will be given structure and stability. This is especially important if the flowers are on a table that’s in a busy area or has a lot of movement around it.
Before I start adding my greenery and flowers, I also want to think about water. You can make your floral arrangements a few days before your Thanksgiving meal, but you’ll want to make sure to take some steps to keep it looking fresh. Some flowers will prefer the water to be very clean. In that case, you’ll need to gently drain and refill the water every other day. If the water looks cloudy, it’s best to drain and refill it.
Other arrangements will have flowers that are “heavy drinkers.” You can simply use a watering can with a narrow spout like the one I use to refill the water in the container as needed. Be sure to check on the water often to prevent the flowers from dying before Thanksgiving Day.
Here are a few of my favorite things to use when I’m arranging flowers. I’m including everything from my favorite containers to my favorite floral snips. Click the image to shop these exact items in my LTK.
Three: Select Seasonal Greenery
A lot of people ask me how to get their flowers to look like the ones created by a florist. One of the secrets to a beautiful Thanksgiving floral arrangement is the greenery. After we select our vessel and consider the foundation, the next step is to start adding greenery. For a truly Southern table, greenery often does the heavy lifting.
In the South we’re lucky to have a lot of greenery in our yards that is suitable for flower arrangements. Magnolia and camellia stems are beautiful and easy to find. I’ve also used boxwood and cedar cuttings in my arrangements. If you’re lucky enough to have autumn ferns in your yard, they make a wonderful addition to Thanksgiving floral arrangements.
When you’re thinking about which greenery to use, don’t be afraid to use more than one kind. Some greenery has matte leaves, and others are glossy. Some have big, wide leaves, and others have feathery tips. Layering more than one kind of greenery can create visual interest.
Your greenery sets the shape and volume of your floral arrangement. It’s the quiet structure beneath every bloom. Once we start adding them, your flowers will generally follow the shape that you created with the greenery.
Lastly, consider the scale of your greenery in proportion to the scale of the vessel you’re using. If you’re using a small vase, large greenery, like Magnolia, will take up more visual space. You may not want as much Magnolia in that case. In a very large container, tiny leaves may get lost in the floral arrangement, so you may need more of them.
When I cut greenery in my yard, I use floral shears, snips, and a gathering basket to gather what I need before bringing it indoors.
Consider: Shape, color, texture, and size of leaves
Step Four: Add Blooms and Accent Elements
It’s finally time to talk about the stars of the show: the flowers themselves. (Are you surprised that there was so much to consider before even adding the flowers?)
If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while, you know that my favorite place to buy flowers is Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe’s is very accommodating to me when I come in to buy a lot of flowers for floral arrangements. They know that flowers are a big part of entertaining guests, and they expect their floral section to be busy at this time of year. They’ll even send you home with a bucket of water if you’re buying multiple bundles.
Ideally, when I go into Trader Joe’s to look for flowers for a Thanksgiving floral arrangement, I like to look for flowers that come in fall colors and will also last a long time. Flowers like this will be Chrysanthemums, roses, marigolds, sedum, and eucalyptus. I’ll look for colors like russet, amber, burnt orange, cream, and blush. I generally stay away from bright whites and bold reds for my Thanksgiving floral arrangements.
Pro Tip: A Florist’s Formula for Balance
When arranging flowers, think in categories:
air (delicate stems that add lightness), filler (connective greens), disks (rounded blooms), spikes (height and rhythm), and focals (your statement flowers).
This simple formula helps every arrangement feel natural and balanced.
Step Five: Arrange for Entertaining
Now that you’ve created your Thanksgiving floral arrangement, there are a few things to keep in mind before you serve the turkey. If you made your floral arrangement ahead of time (and I hope you did), it’s best to keep it away from heat sources. The flowers will stay fresher if they aren’t in a hot kitchen or close to a HVAC vent.
We talked above about keeping the floral arrangement lower on the table so that conversations aren’t inhibited. But sometimes the arrangements turn out bigger than we expected. (This happens to me a lot, actually!) In that case, be sure to move your flowers off to another spot when it’s time to eat. The most important thing is to entertain your guests gracefully, not make your flowers the star of the show. After all, a welcoming table is more about warmth than perfection.
Finally, take some direction from the colors and textures in your flowers when deciding on the table décor. Colors in your napkins and tablecloth should complement or repeat the colors that you selected for flowers. Your Thanksgiving floral arrangement is just part of the table setting that you create for your guests, and it should blend seamlessly with the rest of the design.
Step Six: Finishing Touches
Once your flowers are in place, it’s time for a few finishing touches. Don’t be afraid to get creative and add unique touches to your floral arrangement. There’s artistic expression in how we position each stem, in the quiet rhythm of arranging. Even if we are all given the same exact flowers and tools to use, our arrangements will turn out looking quite different from each other.
One way to add your own touch is to think outside the box for items that aren’t commonly used when arranging flowers. I’ve wired some dried Magnolia seed pods to long bamboo skewers and added them into my arrangement as unique accents. Brown velvet ribbon or pheasant feathers would be wonderful additions to a Thanksgiving floral arrangement as well.
Tip: When the meal is over and your guests have gone, be sure to move your flowers to a spot where you’ll see them. Flowers bring joy and life to our rooms, and you can get the most out of them when you see them.
In Closing
This Thanksgiving, remember that who is gathered around the table is more important than what is on it. Flowers are a wonderful way to celebrate the season, but our friends and family will really remember the ways we embrace them this season through small, meaningful gestures.
Soft petals, inherited bowls, and laughter around the table make a house feel like a home. More importantly, loved ones who gather to share a meal make any place feel like home when they’re together. Be sure to let them know you’re thankful for them.
Explore More from This Series
Each article in this series celebrates the beauty of Southern living through the seasons. You can find the full collection on the homepage under Home for the Holidays: A Southern Season of Charm.
- Natural Fall Decor: Simple Ways to Bring the Outdoors In
- How to Roast a Fresh Pie Pumpkin (Plus a Cozy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe)
- A Sweet Potato Pie Recipe from a Vintage Southern Cookbook
- Fall Garden Prep: Essential Tasks for a Beautiful Start to Spring
- Set a Beautiful Thanksgiving Table with Vintage Turkey Dishes
- Keep the Holiday Magic Alive: Traditions for Every Age
- How to Beautifully Customize a Costco Christmas Wreath
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