Thanksgiving Display in a Tray

With Thanksgiving coming up this weekend, here in Canada, I've added some additional décor with this special holiday in mind. 

I had a lot of fun creating this Thanksgiving display in a tray and thought I'd share the details with you.

Surprisingly, inspiration started with these new fall-coloured plaid napkins I recently purchased at a local kitchen store.

They were tucked inside three brown mugs and centered in the tray - all ready for a cup of steaming hot coffee with perhaps a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream. :)

From there, I played around with other various themed items arranging them around the mugs until I liked the composition.

Naturally, my leaf bowls (Walmart a few years back) and a few faux mini-pumpkins fit in perfectly.

Mr. Turkey was moved around to different areas in the tray but ended up perched on this candleholder. Originally, I had a 3 wick candle in this spot but moved that out in the end.

The leaf bowls are ready for perhaps some morning cereal or porridge.

The wheat arrangement is something I brought out of my fall décor storage from a few years back.

Below, you can see it is just a cylinder vase I filled with wheat grains as a base topped with wheat sheaves.

This tray is ready with dishes for a morning meal  but if you were serving a buffet type meal for Thanksgiving , it could serve as a decorative....

The "Give Thanks" pumpkin reminds us of the true meaning behind the holiday.

The secret to getting a display in a tray to look its best is to vary the heights of the items you use.

This can be accomplished with stacks of dishes, candleholders, cake plates and taller arrangements in pitchers or vases.

The benefit of having everything in a tray is that it provides a border to group the items and it can all be moved with relative ease if necessary.

Have I inspired you to try decorating in a tray? It can be round, square, rectangular, woven, metallic, plastic, deep or shallow - use whatever you've got!

Give it a try - just keep playing until you like what you see!

Thanks for visiting!

I'll be linking this post to these wonderful blog parties:

Saturday Sparks on Pieced Pastimes

Sundays Down Under at Natasha in Oz

Amaze Me Mondays at Dwellings

Share it One More Time at Everyday Home

Show & Share at Coastal Charm

The Scoop at Stone Gable

Inspire Me Tuesdays at A Stroll Thru Life

Tuesday at Our Home at Our Home Away From Home

Tutorials & Tips at Home Stories A to Z

Talented Tuesdays at Home Remedies

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style

Fall into Fall at DIY by Design

Share Your Style at Northern Nesting

What's It Wednesdays at Ivy & Elephants

Thursday Favorite Things at Surroundings by Debi

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch to Yours

Grace at Home at Imparting Grace

Five Star Frugal at A Tray of Bliss

Inspiration Gallery at Craftberry Bush

Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home

Creative Ways at Posed Perfection

Foodie Friday & Everything Else at Rattlebridge Farm

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Weekend Retreat at AKA Design

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home