Always be sure to equip guests with the right utensils -- such as a steak knife if you are serving any meats which may require cutting.

Place Fall's Bounty on Screen Fall is traditionally interchangeable with the harvest. For a show-stopping table setting that honors heritage, fill the center of your table with a colorful display of pumpkins, gourds, nuts, veggies, fruits and seasonal blooms. Take the bountiful theme to every place setting with an artichoke place card holder. Get more tips for placing a harvest-inspired table.

Kick the Drama Designer Erinn Valencich sets the platform for an oh-so-chic autumn get-together by layering rustic components with glamorous touches like gold-rimmed crystal plates glass shower door company . gilt-lined votives along with an antique French settee. Low centerpieces of closely bunched burgundy and chartreuse flowers pop from the room's rich aubergine palette.

Place Setting 101 Setting an impressive table for guests is easier than you might think. Begin with the dinner plate, top it with a folded napkin along with the salad. The spoon and knife visit the right of this plate, the fork on the left. Above the plate, wine and water glasses go on the right, a bread plate on the left using all the dessert fork and spoon directly above the plate. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography by Lawrence Luk

Mix It Up have a cue from designer Sarah Richardson and set high and low components -- that the brass candlesticks are thrifty finds and the china is classic Royal Doulton -- to make a table setting that is amazing, balanced and not-too-fussy.

Silhouette Marks the Spot Personalize your table with DIY place cards which feature guests' silhouettes rather than their names. To create them, find photographs that feature a solid head-and-shoulder outline of your guests. Publish the pictures onto normal printer paper, cut their outline subsequently use a black permanent marker to fully color over the photo. Glue the silhouette onto white card stock and place in a little gold mat. Style by Camille Styles; photography from She-n-He

Make It Easy to Munch Small dishes filled with fresh fruit or nuts-in-shell not only add a natural accent to each place setting, but they're also a healthy snack for Thanksgiving guests while they wait for dinner to start.   Tip: Keep a nutcracker and bowl for cracked shells handy.

Go Au Naturel Make Mother Nature the star of your Thanksgiving table with a centerpiece made up of pumpkins, gourds, acorns, nuts and potted succulents and blossoms. A blue-and-white plaid tablecloth and unadorned white dishes are a perfect match for your table's earthy motif. Get step-by-step instructions for crafting a succulent-topped pumpkin.

Craft a (Cute!) Place Card Not merely is this clever location card adorable, it is also a celebration favor your guests can nibble on throughout the Thanksgiving parties and (if there aren't any treats left) take home together. Get step-by-step instructions to craft your own.

Get Back to Nature Weather permitting, take your Thanksgiving party outdoors. All things considered, everything tastes better when enjoyed alfresco -- plus, autumn's changing scenery can't be overcome. When setting the table, proceed with a rustic theme to match the setting -- fill hollowed-out butternut squash with autumn blooms for a gorgeous centerpiece and top each plate with a tiny succulent-filled ghost pumpkin which does double-duty as a favor. Learn to craft your own squash centerpiece.

Pair Straightforward With Complex With a centerpiece this stunning, keeping the rest of the table subdued was a no-brainer for designer Camille Styles. A found old board, rather than a traditional cloth runner, was her inspiration to get the table's rustic theme. Beeswax candles, gourds and wheat sheath place cards keep with the theme while footed urns overflowing with blossoms, linen tablecloth, classic silver and gold-rimmed dishes add elegance. Get more of Camille's hints for a simply stylish Thanksgiving.

Go For the Gold Move over, stainless steel -- it has gold's turn to shine. Gold has increasingly become designers' alloy of choice for fancy flatware however, like anything that's trendy, new sets are pricey. Check real estate sales, thrift shops and yard sales for vintage places, many still in their original box, using the exact same gold glow as new flatware but without the hefty price tag.

Elect for Organic Elegance Rely on natural components (and handy-dandy hot glue) to put the finishing touch in your fall table. Attach acorn caps into a basic napkin ring and then disguise a past-its-prime charger with silk magnolia leaves. Get crafting together with our step-by-step instructions.

Fancy for Free For a simple upgrade, have a cue from Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines and include a natural touch to every place setting with a bundle of clipped backyard vines, branches or grasses. The bundled clippings lend a rustic, designer look without the designer Price.

Go Crazy for Color Instead of restricting your table's palette to traditional autumn colors, go for happy hues and mix and match bits in any colors or patterns you prefer. Picture courtesy of Target.

Incorporate a Little Character Mark guests' areas with this adorable place card idea that doubles as a party favor. Make one per place setting so guests can take the miniature succulent gardens residence and see them grow thru the winter. Learn to make your own.

Tie the Look Together Designer Marian Parsons put her prized vintage dough bowl to good use as a rustic Thanksgiving centerpiece. Filled with autumn favorites -- gourds, acorns, apples and sprigs of goldenrod and berries -- the centerpiece inspired the rest of the table's decoration. For a consistent look, Marian used exactly the exact same natural materials to make miniature arrangements for the buffet and as candle rings and plate toppers. Get more of Marian's tips for recreating this look.

Keep It Casual Flannels aren't merely comfy to wear, they're also a trendy, laidback approach to dress your autumn table. Hit the local craft or fabric store and scour the remnants to discover a large section of flannel fabric to use instead of a traditional tablecloth. Smaller flannel pieces work great as an additional cozy napkin. Watch more of this rustic-themed table placing.

Pile on the Pumpkins Assorted pumpkins in various colors lining the center of this table are an simple, earthy centerpiece. For added interest, gardening expert P. Allen Smith painted a number of the pumpkins in ivory or metallic pastel hues and topped each place setting using a diminutive ghost pumpkin. Get more of P. Allen's tips for placing your fall table.

Light It Up Including a romantic air via candlelight creates any dinner sense more like a particular occasion. So mix in a few glass votives, candlesticks or older lanterns to present your Thanksgiving table placing a bit extra sparkle and a more romantic feel.

Craft an Earthy Charger Rather than a placemat, add a bit of fall color to every place setting with an easy-to-craft charger made by gluing silk (or real, if you prefer) leaves to a round piece of card stock that is marginally smaller than your dinner plate.

Stone a Collected-Over-Time Look Designer Sarah Richardson makes setting a formal table appear easy. For her trademark collected-over-time appearance, she pulls together classic china, silverware and linens. If you were not fortunate enough to inherit the makings of a gorgeous dining table, you can pick them up for bargain-basement prices at thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales.

Layer It On Layering plates in different finishes, colors or textures is an easy tip for setting an elegant table. Start with a charger, followed by a dinner plate, topped by a folded cloth napkin and small bread or dessert plate. End every place setting with a little trinket your visitors can take home as a favor. See more photographs of this vintage-inspired table setting.

Move Fuss-Free With a Buffet While no get-together is totally worry free for the server, serving buffet style surely makes things simpler. Simply place a stack of plates, utensils and napkins at the start of the spread, then let guests help themselves. Get more tips for a festive autumn table.

Make Your Mark Our step-by-step directions show you just how to give cheap white plates a luxury, customized look with a stenciled design and porcelain paint.

Transform a Basic Tablecloth Embellish a thrift store or hand-me-down tablecloth with strips of burlap or linen for a chic, budget-friendly upgrade. Get started on your tablecloth transformation with our step-by-step instructions.

Play With Palettes There are no hard-and-fast rules that mandate using standard fall colors on your Thanksgiving table -- mix it up and use whatever colors or patterns you like best. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography from Lawrence Luk.

Pick a Theme A sunflower theme, hot autumnal colors along with a dessert buffet (yum!) Get this dining area prepared for a family-friendly feast.

Bring the Outdoors In Rustic, natural components continue to be a popular selection for setting your table setting apart from the pack. Shop online for birch bark sheets to use as a charger and cut birch rounds to top plates scavenge your own backyard to see what freebies Mother Nature is offering up. See more of the woodsy table placing.

Craft a (Nearly) Free Twig Table Runner Bring an organic touch to your Thanksgiving table by making a beautiful runner made out of twigs. Children will love scavenging for twigs from the lawn, and assembly is easy enough that they can help manage that, too. Get started with our step-by-step directions.

Add Some Sparkle Designer Erinn Valencich is determined by the shimmer of metallics for her Thanksgiving table. Bronze glass plates, golden glasses and beaded placemats bring to the glamour. See more photos of Erinn's glittering table. Photo courtesy of Bobbi Fabian.

Go Using a Saturated Shade Vibrant plum linens create a rich backdrop to this particular table setting by HGTV enthusiast chasingpaige. Pumpkins, gourds, pinecones and mercury glass votives fill the center of the table to get a casual, harvest-themed centerpiece.

Put the Rule of Three to Get the Job Done Designers have long relied on the rule of three when creating a balanced interior but this principle works as well when placing the table -- and on top of that, it's easy to follow. Pick one component and repeat it three times. Here, the identical amber color is used from the placemats, napkin and centerpiece, creating a sophisticated, pulled-together appearance.

Go Global Gilt chargers and a exotic Kazakh tablecloth give this table setting a sophisticated, globetrotting vibe. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography by Lawrence Luk

Publish Pretty Place Cards These oversized place cards look involved but our free printable templates create crafting them a snap. Only print the flag and foliage templates, cut out, build and customize.

Contrast Colors HGTV fan Patrick gave the conventional orange, yellow and red Thanksgiving palette a modern twist by pairing it with frosty blue placemats. Using contrasting cool and warm colors like this is a sure bet for an eye catching table setting.

High-End Appearance Coat silk leaves in budget-friendly plaster of Paris to create glossy, porcelain-look-alike place cards for your Thanksgiving table. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.

Proper Place Settings Always be sure to equip guests with the right utensils -- such as a steak knife if you are serving any meats which may require cutting. Photo by Lawrence Luk.

Craft Easy Pomegrantate Place Card Holders Avoid a game of Turkey Day musical chairs by setting out place cards to your visitors. For a seasonal appearance, create these gilded place card holders by spraying on pomegranates with metallic paint, then inserting a handwritten place card in the crown. Cheap and home made, they are the ideal way to make your table feel extra special. Get crafting together with our step-by-step directions.