Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to adorn your house with seasonal holiday decorations that can help turn a family feast into a memorable occasion. It’s that time of year when friends and family gather, have dinner together, enjoy each other’s company while pondering life’s bountiful blessings. To leave a lasting impression, one way to express and extend that grateful feeling is by turning your house into something that would welcome and give warmth to your guests as they share that special occasion with you. Careful planning and festive decorations are muchly needed to make it something unforgettable.

There a lot of ways to decorate your home and make it a center for the joyous occasion.

Here are some helpful tips to consider:

*Think of items with autumn themes such as pumpkins, pinecones, grapevines and beautiful falling leaves. You may create pumpkin decors or wreaths out of these materials and hang them outside the door or place colorful leaves in a bowl for decorations.

*Thanksgiving colors reflect the season so use fall colors such as orange, burgundy, olive green, rich reds, browns and black. Replace bright colors in your home with shades of autumn.

*Decorate with scent using potpourri and perfumed candles. It sets the mood and evokes the feeling of thanksgiving in your home. Light scented candles in each areas of your house like bedroom and bathroom.

*Bring the outdoor beauty inside your home. Collect natural Thanksgiving decors outside the house like pinecones, acorns, bouquets of leaves, oak boughs or any colored plants. These will make pretty decorations that are easy and quick to display.

*Dress up your kitchen and decorate the dinner table. Use fall-colored tableware and accent it with matching napkins, table runner, table cloth and place mats. Create a themed centerpiece as well for a true autumn ambiance. Avoid fragrant centerpieces so as not to interfere with the food. Be subtle with your table decorations. Create an atmosphere but try not to overdo it.

*Accentuate with flowers. Fall flowers are gorgeous, beautiful and inexpensive. Place bouquets in the living room, bathrooms and guest rooms.

Thanksgiving decorations are some of the most beautiful decorations of the year. Try to be as creative as possible utilizing what nature has already given us and bring it inside of your home. The key to remember is to be simple yet strikingly memorable!

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published November 18, 2009 in MDWK p. 9 )