Mark guests' areas with this cute place card idea that doubles as a party favor.

Put Fall's Bounty on Screen Fall is traditionally synonymous with the harvest. For a show-stopping table setting that honors tradition, fill the middle of your table using a vibrant display of pumpkins, gourds, nuts, fruits, veggies and seasonal blooms. Carry the bountiful theme to every place setting with an artichoke place card holder. Get additional tips for placing a harvest-inspired table.

Kick the Drama Designer Erinn Valencich sets the platform for an oh-so-chic autumn get-together by layering rustic components with glamorous touches such as gold-rimmed crystal plates architectural glass railings . gilt-lined votives and a classic French settee. Low centerpieces of tightly bunched burgundy and chartreuse flowers pop from the area's rich aubergine palette.

Place Setting 101 Setting an impressive table for guests is simpler than you might think. Start with the dinner plate, top it with a folded napkin and the salad. The knife and spoon go to the right of this plate, the fork on the left side. Over the plate, water and wine glasses proceed on the right, a bread plate on the left using all the dessert fork and spoon directly over the plate. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography by Lawrence Luk

Mix It Up Take a cue from designer Sarah Richardson and pair high and low elements -- the brass candlesticks are thrifty finds and the china is vintage Royal Doulton -- to make a table setting that is amazing, balanced and not-too-fussy.

Silhouette Marks the Spot Personalize your desk with DIY location cards which contain guests' silhouettes rather than their names. To create them, find photographs that feature a strong head-and-shoulder outline of your guests. Print the photos onto regular printer paper, then cut their outline then use a black permanent marker to fully color over the photograph. Glue the shape on white card stock and set in a little gold mat. Style by Camille Styles; photography by She-n-He

Make It simple to Munch Small dishes filled with fresh fruit or nuts-in-shell not only add a natural accent to each place setting, they're also a wholesome snack for Thanksgiving guests while they wait for dinner to begin.   Hint: Keep a nutcracker and bowl to get cracked shells handy.

Go Au Naturel Make Mother Nature the star of your Thanksgiving table using a centerpiece composed of pumpkins, gourds, acorns, nuts and potted succulents as well as herbs. A blue-and-white plaid tablecloth and unadorned white dishes are a perfect match for the table's earthy motif. Get step-by-step directions for crafting a succulent-topped pumpkin.

Craft a (Cute!) Place Card Not only is this smart location card cute, it is also a party favor your guests may nibble on throughout the Thanksgiving parties and (when there aren't any treats left) take home together. Get step-by-step instructions to craft your own.

Return to Nature Weather permitting, take your Thanksgiving party outside. All things considered, everything tastes better when enjoyed alfresco -- plus, fall's changing scenery can't be beat. When setting the table, go with a rustic motif to match the setting -- fill out hollowed-out butternut squash with fall blossoms for a gorgeous centerpiece and top each plate with a tiny succulent-filled ghost pumpkin that does double-duty as a favor. Learn to craft your skillet centerpiece.

Pair Straightforward With Complex With a centerpiece this stunning, keeping the rest of the table dimmed was a no-brainer for designer Camille Styles. A discovered old board, instead of a traditional cloth runner, was her inspiration for the table rustic motif. Beeswax candles, gourds and wheat sheath location cards keep with the theme while footed urns overflowing with blooms, linen tablecloth, vintage silver and gold-rimmed dishes add sophistication. Get more of Camille's hints for a simply stylish Thanksgiving.

Go For the Gold Move over stainless steel -- it's gold's turn to shine. Gold has increasingly become designers' alloy of choice to elaborate flatware but, like anything that's trendy, new sets are expensive. Check estate sales, thrift shops and yard sales to get vintage sets, many still in their original box, with the same golden gleam as fresh flatware but without the hefty price tag.

Elect for Organic Elegance Rely on organic components (and handy-dandy hot paste) to place the finishing touch in your fall table. Attach acorn caps into a basic napkin ring and disguise a past-its-prime charger with silk magnolia leaves. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.

Fancy for Free For an easy update, take a cue from Fixer Upper's Joanna Gaines and add an organic touch to every place setting with a package of trimmed backyard vines, branches or grasses. The bundled clippings give a rustic, designer look without the designer Price.

Go Crazy for Color rather than limiting your table's palette to conventional fall colors, go for happy colors and mix and match bits in any colors or patterns you like. Image courtesy of Goal.

Incorporate a Little Character Mark guests' areas with this cute place card idea that doubles as a party favor. Make one per place setting so guests may take the mini succulent gardens home and watch them grow through the winter. Learn to create your own.

Tie the Look Together Designer Marian Parsons place her prized vintage dough bowl to good use as a rustic Thanksgiving centerpiece. Filled with autumn favorites -- gourds, acorns, apples and sprigs of goldenrod and berries -- the centerpiece motivated the remainder of the table decoration. For a consistent appearance, Marian used exactly the same organic materials to make mini arrangements for your buffet and as candle rings and plate toppers. Get more of Marian's hints for recreating this look.

Keep It Casual Flannels aren't only comfy to wear, they are also a trendy, laidback approach to groom your autumn table. Hit your regional craft or fabric store and scour the remnants to find a large section of flannel fabric to use instead of a conventional tablecloth. Smaller flannel pieces work good as an extra cozy napkin. See more of this rustic-themed table setting.

Pile on the Pumpkins Assorted pumpkins in a variety of shades lining the middle of the table are an easy, earthy centerpiece. For added interest, gardening expert P. Allen Smith painted some of the pumpkins in metallic or matte pastel colors and topped each place setting using a diminutive phantom pumpkin. Get more of P. Allen's tips for placing your fall table.

Light It Up Including a romantic air via candlelight makes any dinner sense more like a special occasion. So blend in a couple of glass votives, candlesticks or old lanterns to present your Thanksgiving table setting a bit extra sparkle and a more intimate feel.

Craft an Earthy Charger Rather than a placemat, put in a little fall color to every place setting with an easy-to-craft charger created by gluing silk (or real, if you prefer) leaves to a round piece of card stock that is slightly smaller than your dinner plate.

Rock a Collected-Over-Time Appearance Designer Sarah Richardson makes setting a formal table appear easy. For her trademark collected-over-time appearance, she pulls together vintage china, silverware and linens. If you were not lucky enough to inherit the makings of a gorgeous dining table, you can pick them up for bargain-basement prices at thrift stores, flea markets and estate sales.

Layer It On Layering plates in various finishes, colours or textures is a simple tip for setting an elegant table. Start with a charger, followed by a dinner plate, topped by a folded cloth napkin and little dessert or bread plate. Finish each place setting with a small trinket your visitors can take home as a favor. See more photos of the vintage-inspired table setting.

Go Fuss-Free With a Buffet While no get-together is completely worry free for your own server, serving buffet design surely makes things easier. Just place a stack of plates, utensils and napkins at the onset of the spread, then let guests help themselves. Get more tips for a festive autumn table.

Make Your Mark Our step-by-step instructions explain to you just how to give inexpensive white plates a luxury, customized appearance with a stenciled design and ceramic paint.

Transform a Basic Tablecloth Embellish a thrift shop or hand-me-down tablecloth using strips of burlap or linen for a posh, budget-friendly upgrade. Get going on your tablecloth transformation together with our step-by-step directions.

Play With Palettes There are no hard-and-fast principles that mandate the use of traditional autumn colours on your Thanksgiving table blend it up and use whatever colors or patterns you like best. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography by Lawrence Luk.

Pick a Theme A sunflower theme, hot autumnal colours and a dessert buffet (yum!) Get this dining room ready for a family-friendly feast.

Bring the Outdoors In Rustic, natural components continue to be a popular choice for placing your table setting aside from the bunch. Shop online for birch bark sheets to use as a charger and cut off rounds to top plates scavenge your backyard to find out what freebies Mother Nature is supplying up. Watch more of the woodsy table setting.

Craft a (Nearly) Free Twig Table Runner Bring a natural touch to a Thanksgiving table by making a beautiful runner made from twigs. Kids will enjoy scavenging for twigs in the lawn, and gathering is easy enough that they can help manage that, too. Get started with our step-by-step instructions.

Add Some Sparkle Designer Erinn Valencich relies on the shimmer of metallics for the Thanksgiving table. Bronze glass plates, golden glasses and beaded placemats bring to the glamour. Watch more photos of Erinn's glittering table. Photo courtesy of Bobbi Fabian.

Go With a Saturated Shade Vibrant plum linens create a rich background to this particular table setting by HGTV enthusiast chasingpaige. Pumpkins, gourds, pinecones and mercury glass votives fill out the center of the table to get a casual, harvest-themed centerpiece.

Put the Rule of Three to Get the Job Done Designers have long relied upon the principle of three when developing a balanced inside but this principle works just as well when placing the table -- and best of all, it's simple to follow. Pick one element and repeat it three times. Here, the same amber color is employed in the placemats, napkin and centerpiece, creating a sophisticated, pulled-together look.

Go Global Gilt chargers and a exotic Kazakh tablecloth lend this table setting a sophisticated, globetrotting vibe. Layout by Manvi Drona-Hidalgo, photography by Lawrence Luk

Publish Pretty Place Cards These oversize place cards seem involved but our totally free printable templates create crafting them a snap. Only print out the flag and foliage templates, cut, build and personalize.

Contrast Colors HGTV enthusiast Patrick gave the traditional orange, yellow and crimson Thanksgiving palette a modern twist by pairing it with frosty blue placemats. Using contrasting warm and cool colours in this way is a sure bet to get an eye-catching table setting.

High-End Look, Low-Cost Place Cards Coat silk leaves budget-friendly plaster of Paris to create sleek, porcelain-look-alike place cards for your Thanksgiving table. Get crafting with our step-by-step directions.

Appropriate Place Settings Always be sure to equip guests with the ideal utensils -- such as a beef if you're serving any meats that will require cutting. Photo by Lawrence Luk.

Craft Easy Pomegrantate Place Card Holders Avoid a match of Turkey Day musical chairs by setting out place cards to your guests. For a seasonal appearance, create these gilded place card holders by spraying pomegranates with metallic paint, then inserting a handwritten area card in the crown. Cheap and homemade, they are the ideal means to earn your table feel extra special. Get crafting together with our step-by-step instructions.