Rustic Thanksgiving Dessert Table

From traditional fruit pies and carrot cake to all things pumpkin, Thanksgiving desserts are a feast for the eye as well as the stomach. My recollections from childhood of my aunt's Thanksgiving dessert table still brings a smile to my face and a rumbling in my tummy. This year I will be entertaining my own extended family and hope to create the same sort of warm, sentimental memories for my children and all the rest of our family. With that in mind, I decided to design a little something special for my dessert table and share with all of you.

Thanksgiving brings to mind rustic charm, nuts and apples, and of course, pumpkin and chocolate. Those were a must have! And another must have was using my Thanksgiving printable collection for a that extra special touch of personalization.

Symmetry is always in style when it comes to displaying food and that was where I began. Using matching pairs of platters to display bite size desserts and pedestals to raise whole cakes and pies, I wanted to create something a bit more interesting and pleasing to the eye.

I used dried natural florals like wheat, dried okra pods and seed pods along with burlap, grapevine wreaths and pinecones to give a rustic air to the table. The rag tied garland also creates a feeling of rustic warmth. And the turkey made from natural grasses, leaves and small wood pieces was a real find! You've got to love Hobby Lobby!

Thanksgiving is all about family and I wanted to use my family's initial to personalize the decor. For my mantle display I bought a grapevine wreath from my local craft store and a chipboard "P" that I covered in moss, added ribbon and hung as a centerpiece above the fireplace. The garland is an idea that is sweeping the wedding scene right now and was made with small lengths of fabric tied and knotted onto a jute cord.

Individual size servings of desserts baked in jars are fun and add some flair to your dessert table. I wrapped the jars with the personalized initial bottle labels from the Amanda's Parties To Go Parties TO GO Thanksgiving collection.

It's always fun to find something not usually used for food displays like a small cabinet or shelf and incorporate it into your dessert buffet. For this table I used an outdoor lantern to feature a special chocolate cake on a glass pedestal.

A little garnish goes a long way to making a superb looking dessert. A little cream, baked apple slices, blackberries and cinnamon and this apple pie was hard to resist!

Using buffet food labels is an easy way to add a special touch to a dessert display. These label cards are from the Thanksgiving Collection and can be used on your buffet or as placecards. They come blank so that you can write in your own food items or they can be customized to coordinate with your table.

Making your own pedestals is an inexpensive way to add interest to your dessert buffet. I took a cardboard box and covered it in green burlap. I added a brown satin ribbon accent and a food label matted with one of the Thanksgiving papers from the Thanksgiving collection. The paper is also used on the top of the box for contrast.

Adding flair to your display can be easy if you get a little creative. Use whole pecans to display mini pecan pies and candlestands or other pedestals to raise a whole pie like this caramel pecan apple streudel.

One of my favorite touches is the "I am Thankful for" cards garland. Set the cards out with a pen and have your guests write down something they are thankful for. Clip them onto a jute string and clip them on with a clothespin (I decorated my with a length of fabric and an acorn top). During your meal, have one of the older children read the cards aloud for everyone to hear. You can even have your guests write the date and keep them from year to year, creating a long chain of thankful memories.

There's not much more "fall-like" than caramel apples, and for Thanksgiving I thought I'd spruce them up a bit with some chocolate chips and pecans. Some of the best ideas are born out of necessity -- I store bought these caramel apples but the sticks provided were too short for my liking. I took a piece of corn husks (sold in packages in the Mexican food section) and wrapped it around the stick, added a touch of hot glue and cut the ends to fan them out.

I used the same trick for the display pedestal, too. This was a two-tiered piece that I owned but didn't think the little bird on it's top fit with my Thanksgiving theme. With my favorite craft tool, my hot glue gun, and a few corn husks, I created a much better suited for the season topper. I added a little burlap as a ribbon and wah-lah! A Thanksgiving themed dessert stand.

I hope you enjoyed my dessert table, and I truly hope it inspires you to create something special for your own family Thanksgiving this year.

And remember, the Thanksgiving Printables Collection is on sale now 40% Off in my Etsy shop -- get yours today!