Thanksgiving Candles that Count

Don't spend hundreds of dollars on Thanksgiving decorations this year. Take notes from grade school kids: making it yourself is lots of fun, and for the right artist it can also be very fashionable. Obviously, I don't mean pull out your scissors and glue and make a paper pilgrim hat or handprint turkey; we are adults now after all, at least physically. But you can have fun making your own Thanksgiving decorations that will leave your guests impressed, and you with a sense of accomplishment.

The lighting is so important at special meals. Ah, the romantic candlelit dinner; the ambience of the flickering candlelight slightly hiding subtle flaws in your partner and altering your perception to that of awestruck love. Probably not the feeling you want to impart on a family dinner, but candlelight can add to the mood of your Thanksgiving feast and brighten spirits.

The first thing to remember is candle flames are HOT, so don't place them near the kids, and don't place them near where the turkey carving will be taking place. Nothing spoils the mood like the shattering scream of a man who just burned himself on "his wife's stupid candle". Secondly, with candles remember that less is more. You don't need 15 taper candles around the dinner table and all the lights turned off. The regular house lights and a single taper candle will do more to set the mood than fifteen candles and 10 blind guests. Finally, you don't want to mask the scent of your own cooking. If things are really smelly and the mix is nauseating after the meal then light a scented candle. But during dinner you want to keep the smells of your cooking to whet your guests' appetites, so keep the candle unscented.

A single taper in the middle of the table is elegance without gaudy. This would be a wonderful place for a beautiful cornucopia with the taper in the curl of the horn or carefully seated among the squash and fruits. Or a gorgeous fall bouquet of flowers, sunflowers and black-eyed-Susan's with an orange or gold taper in the center covered with a bell or flute lampshade would be gorgeous. If you don't want to spend a lot for the decorations just go out and find some leaves. I would suggest you pick through them slightly to make sure they are not moldy, covered in bugs, and that you get a variety of colors. Sprinkle these along the table and slightly pile them against a taper candleholder. Just make sure your taper doesn't burn within at least one inch of the leaves!