Add Thanksgiving decorations around your home to get everyone into the holiday spirit and to make your home feel comfortable for your guests. They will appreciate the little things you do as much as the meal you cook for them on Thanksgiving day. Since this is the beginning of the holiday season, you will be able to repurpose many of the items used to make Thanksgiving decorations into Christmas decorations.

Candle Holders

Use candle holders to display gourds and pumpkins. They’ll give your centerpiece or side table décor different heights to mix with fall colors. If you don’t have any, look for unique candle holders at antique stores or garage sales. If you want a unified look, spray them black. You’ll be able to spray them another color for Christmas or another holiday – or even to just display in your home throughout the year.

Create a Harvest Mantel

Attach melamine plates to the wall with adhesive disc hangers for the backdrop to a harvest mantle. Arrange gourds and pumpkins between two bunches of dried wheat. Add one or two small blackboards for inspirational quotes. In place of the blackboards, you could use family photos, Thanksgiving-themed photos or, if you’re crafty, wood burnings of holiday pictures.

Layered Centerpiece or Mantel Decoration

Layer seasonal materials such as dried corn, hops, dried leaves and beans in cylinder vases to create a layered table centerpiece or a decoration for a mantle or side table. Add a pillar candle to the vase. If the candle burns down too far, change it so the flame doesn’t burn the dried material in the vase. Or, you could use a battery-powered candle instead.

Gourd Candlesticks

Make Thanksgiving-themed candlestick holders by hollowing out the middle of miniature pumpkins and gourds. Slide a tea light candle into the gourd or pumpkin. Place them on the mantle or on the table for a centerpiece. If you need something with some height, you could also use tapered candles.

Create a Natural Display

Make a gorgeous centerpiece by hollowing out a pumpkin to create a basket. Wet a block of floral foam and place it in the bottom of the pumpkin basket. Stick a tall pillar candle in the middle of the foam, making sure it’s steady. Arrange fall flowers and berries in the pumpkin basket, ensuring that the stems are far enough into the foam. If you prefer dried or silk flowers, berries and leaves, do not wet the floral foam.

Fall Greetings

Add cozy fall pillows and a blanket in fall colors to a porch swing or rocking chair. Arrange pumpkins, gourds and stalks of Indian corn around the seating area on the porch. You could even make a pumpkin basket with flowers to add to a side table on the porch.

Personalized Cocktail Napkins

Stamp each guest’s name plus designs and colorful messages on cocktail napkins to personalize each place setting. You could also do this with larger napkins in addition to cocktail napkins to add even more color and personalization to your table.

Pillar Candle Centerpiece

Create a fall centerpiece on a large wooden tray. Place a group of white pillar candles that are different heights on the tray. You could put them all in the center or space them out. Add wheat stalks, gourds, mini pumpkins and fresh fruit. If you plan on eating the fruit, keep it away from the candles. Instead, put the pumpkins and gourds near the candles and keep the fruit toward the outside edges of the tray so as not to drip wax on it.

Add a Word of Thanks

Add your favorite holiday or religious quote to the edge of the tablecloth in your own handwriting. Outline the writing in pencil first, then use permanent markers to make it more visible.

Make Personalized Go Bags

Everyone likes to take leftovers home after the big dinner. This year, create personalized go bags so that everyone can carry their leftovers home. If you don’t want to create your own bags, you could order some at worldmarket.com.