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4 tips and tricks for setting your Thanksgiving table

With so much focus on the food around Thanksgiving, it’s easy to forget that there is a table to set.Fortunately, James Farmer, editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine, stopped by Studio 1A on Friday to give a few ground rules on table settings and some suggestions on how you can create an inviting table display with items you already have at home.Center on citrusTake advantage of those tas

With so much focus on the food around Thanksgiving, it’s easy to forget that there is a table to set.

Fortunately, James Farmer, editor-at-large for Southern Living magazine, stopped by Studio 1A on Friday to give a few ground rules on table settings and some suggestions on how you can create an inviting table display with items you already have at home.

Center on citrus

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Take advantage of those tasty seasonal oranges by incorporating the look — and the smell — into your dining room. Farmer suggests first sticking cloves into the orange to create a scent everyone will love, then either filling a bowl with the oranges and placing the bowl in the center of the table or placing an orange on each dinner plate for guests to enjoy.

Dessert first

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Don’t keep those pies stored away in the kitchen during Thanksgiving dinner. Instead, make them a part of the table.

“Dessert is always the afterthought, but why not make it the forefront?” Farmer said. He suggests using a pie or cake as your centerpiece by using a cake stand to elevate it and draw attention while also making it harder for little fingers to touch.

Bring in the outdoors

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Instead of plopping a placemat down at each setting, look into your yard (if it isn’t frozen over yet) for some inspiration. Farmer recommends grabbing some leaves and placing them in a clock-like pattern at each setting, then putting the dinner plate on top of the leaves.

Table tips

When it comes to each table setting, Farmer has a few numbers he wants you to keep in mind: 1, 2, 3. That means each setting gets one plate, two glasses and three pieces of flatware. Now enjoy your meal!