Green and Gold Botanical Thanksgiving Table Decorations

If you're tired of the same old oranges and reds why not try decorating your Thanksgiving table with green and gold in a festive fall botanical theme? Both colors look festive and smashing against a white or deep spice brown tablecloth, and provide a modern botanical tweak for your Thanksgiving tabletop decorations.

Green and Gold Floral Thanksgiving Centerpiece

To hold the Thanksgiving centerpiece choose a low oval bowl in green or gold. For the base of the Thanksgiving floral arrangement head outside for your botanicals to collect sprays of oak leaf hydrangea and ivy in green, and maple and aspen in gold from the outside, or opt for green and gold eucalyptus. Cut a piece of chicken wire to cover the top, or create a grid with masking tape. Fill around the edge of the bowl with the green and gold foliage. Fill the center with golden yellow spider mums, green "Envy" zinnias, and add 3 gold-sprayed pomegranates for accent. If you're short on table space, consider two or three miniature arrangements along the center of the table rather than a single big arrangement. A miniature arrangement also looks sweet on an entrance table, in a powder room to surprise your Thanksgiving guests, or at the kid's table.

Green and Gold Botanical Place Cards

Place cards provide an elegant touch for your Thanksgiving table. To make a botanical green place card, cut ivory card stock to 3 x 5 inches and fold in half. Add a second piece of dark green card stock, 3 ½ x 5 ½ inches, underneath. Punch two holes in the top and thread through strands of green and gold 1/8" ribbon, and tie in a bow. Add rubber stamped green leaves, and write the name in green ink.

In the illustrated place card, the green card stock is on top, and the ivory stock underneath. A gold border was added using a gel pen, and green leaf charms with metallic gold accents were added to the ends of the ribbon. A specialty scissor was used to add a fancy edge to the green card for extra appeal. Finally, the name was added using the gold gel pen.

Green and Gold Botanical Napkins

Start with plain white or unbleached muslin. For a set of four Thanksgiving napkins you'll need 1 1/3 yard of 44" wide muslin. Wash and dry the muslin to preshrink, then iron. Cut the muslin into four squares, trimming off the selvages. Using a leaf print stamp and gold and green metallic fabric paint, create a gold and green leaf print border around the edge of the muslin. Finish the edges with gold metallic thread, using a serger or a wide zigzag stitch.

Jo-ann Fabrics and Crafts offers Gold Fabric Paint and many different leaf stamps, as well as gold metallic thread.