Don’t pack up those Halloween decorations just yet! Depending on your decorating style, I may just have a way to incorporate a bit of Halloween and a touch of gothic elegance into your Thanksgiving decor. Keep the spook factor lasting just a bit longer with this Black and Purple Gothic Thanksgiving Table.
This is actually my 2017 Thanksgiving set up. I took pictures of the table, but was so late in setting it up, I ran out of time to publish all of it before the big day. I opted to set the pictures aside, and post them in time for everyone to get some tips before Thanksgiving 2018!
So, last year, when Halloween ended, I wanted to hold onto the holiday decor as long as possible. I’m sure I’m not alone in the post Halloween blues!! The problem is that Thanksgiving is always right around the corner, and being the eternal hostess, of course Thanksgiving is at my house every year. I’m forced to get my ass in gear, putting one holiday away, and decorating for the next.
While Thanksgiving tables are commonly set with fall colors like reds, oranges, and yellows…. I decided to try a little something different. Let’s face it… there’s nothing remotely spooky about Thanksgiving, but swapping out the typical orange pumpkins with black ones, and replacing the fall color scheme with dark purples and plums, definitely adds a gothic flare to the tablescape.
My Halloween decorations tend to lean towards the dark & gothic variety, so my house is typically filled with more black pumpkins than orange ones. While I was packing up all of my decor I took one look at those pumpkins, and thought… you’re not done just yet!! In fact, if you take a close look at my 2017 Halloween Table, you’ll notice that both the black pumpkins and the vase for the floral arrangement were recycled for the Thanksgiving table. Now, if you happen to be someone who plastered your home with orange pumpkins for Halloween… there’s always black paint to the rescue! Or… there still may be time to purchase a few leftover clearance black pumpkins! I pretty much saw them anywhere Halloween decor was sold.
Truth be told, I got a bit of flack from family members when I shared the idea to create a black & purple Thanksgiving table. I completely understand that Thanksgiving tends to be a very traditional holiday, and I am very much on my own within my crowd when it comes to my dark aesthetic. But, despite using traditional Halloween colors, there’s something to be said for keeping things elegant, and adding touches of the season to create a Thanksgiving table with a gothic flare that everyone… even that judgmental aunt and picky grandmother.. will think is beautiful! Last year’s table turned out to be a hit. And if you’re not ready to take that risk… then this makes an equally beautiful Halloween table.
Let’s take a closer look at the details….
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I used a purple velvet table runner as the base for the table. I am a huge fan of velvet… always adds a sense of luxury! I took the liberty of finding a few similar items online…. an Aubergine Shiny Velvet Runner
I opted to mix silver with the black & purple color scheme, so each place setting was arranged with a silver charger
On the table, I mixed my black pumpkins with mercury glass pumpkins, using black candlesticks to create different elevations. Don’t own any Mercury glass pumpkins? They’re so easy to make. Did you happen to catch my tutorial for the Crystal Balls I made for my Halloween Witches Dinner Party? Use the same method on a glass pumpkin…. all you need is some White Vinegar, Looking Glass Spray Paint
For the center of the table, I filled a vase with a mix of purple and black floral stems paired with twig like stems. I have a thing for those curling twigs that look like a haunted forest…. they are my favorite stems to mix into any arrangement… they immediately give a slightly creepy element to even the brightest of arrangements.
Lastly, I filled the table with candles. There’s nothing nicer than a candlelit dinner. I mixed both purple and black candles, with mostly silver candlesticks. Not only do candles create the perfect mood for a dinner, but they are handy in filling in blank spaces on the table. Just be sure to keep the flames clear of the floral stems!
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If I had a Thanksgiving Table, I’d want it to look just like this. It’s just gorgeous! And congrats on the Expo. So glad it went well for you. Your stand was amazing! Did you have your oversized logo specially made or did you do it yourself? Sx
Thanks Sue! I made the sign myself…. a large piece of wood, some black paint, gold cricut vinyl….. and a hell of a lot of frustration since Cricut only cuts in blocks of 12×24. I had to divide the design into several segments and piece it all together on the sign! Oh my gosh… the pain of getting all of the pieces to line up exactly straight!! Huge pat on my own back for getting it right!! Can you believe my husband came home.. took one look at it.. and said “why would you pick gold? Can you redo it in red?” He’s lucky I had put all of the sharp tools down!! 🙂 Maybe one day I’ll open a bottle of wine or two, and add a different color logo to the back side, but for now… gold will do!!
I love your transition from Samhain to Thanksgiving. I saved some of your pics. Beautifully done as always. 😊💜🖤
Thank you so much Carlie!!