Courier Staff and Wire Services

There's something special about the Thanksgiving table.

Usually it's an occasion to bring out the best table linens - tablecloth and napkins - to replace everyday place mats and paper napkins.

Crystal and silverware is polished. Grandma's china comes out of the china cabinet and is carefully washed. Or perhaps your favorite tables settings are contemporary, like square plates or favorite mix-and-match pieces.

A centerpiece also helps set the tone for the harvest feast. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate. Use vases to hold bare branches or wire stems, for example.

To create this table setting, use a long decorative glass or wooden tray to cluster (unscented) soy or beeswax pillar candles (or even battery-powered ones). Weave an artificial bittersweet vine or berry vine through the candles and adorn with miniature gourds, hard-shelled nuts, small pine cones, apples, red pears, etc.

Use a bit of thin velvet ribbon or jute to wrap around each napkin, then tuck in a leaf or other seasonal decoration that suits your color scheme and table setting.

If Thanksgiving is potluck, ask friends and family to print out and bring along multiple copies of their recipes. Snap photos of each person with their dish as they arrive. Print and paste into small, blank scrapbooks guests can take home.