Halloween and Christmas are the two major holidays for decorations. With these two grabbing most of the attention, floral designers often have little time to devote to Thanksgiving. With a little thought, it’s possible to come up with suitable holiday themes. Let’s face it. There’s only so much you can do with a turkey motif. Here are just a few ideas, along with some books with some inspiring designs.

First, let’s look at some suitable table decorations. In a magazine I saw a simple project that works beautifully. The designer used an ear of Indian corn as a place card holder. The corn comes in eye-catching colors that we associate with fall.

For Thanksgiving, we’re celebrating the harvest season. What could be more appropriate than various kinds of fruits? Ones like pomegranates, persimmons, and kumquats are especially suitable. These would be perfect for decorating tables in entryways and halls. Either put them into a cornucopia, wire basket, or even a terra cotta pot. Arrange them artfully around a bunch of seasonal dried flowers. You could also mix and match them with various kinds of gourds and pumpkins. For most of my designs, I prefer the mini gourds. They come in a wide array of colors, but many tend to be bright yellow or orange.

Lynette Jensen is a renowned quilt designer and author. In her Thimbleberries Design Studio, she creates designs for fabrics, quilts, and other items. In “Autumn Accents,” which was published by Landauer Corporation, she shares many inspiring ideas for the fall season, and devotes an entire section to Thanksgiving. These easy to create designs feature natural materials, such as mini-pumpkins, Indiana corn and other simple ingredients like candles. The results are evocative vignettes that will make the season much more meaningful. For example, she strings some miniature terra cotta pots together upside down, and decorates them with flowers and Indian corn. There aren’t enough days in the fall season for you to try all the wonderful ideas in this book.

“Holiday Pumpkins” by Georgeanne Brennan et al from Ten Speed Press isn’t a new title. But, the ideas are so wonderful readers will find this book is irresistible. It features unique recipes, gifts, and decorations for the holidays. Among the projects are an unforgettable wreath made with mini-pumpkins, and a lovely centerpiece with a pumpkin, persimmons, and other fruits that would be perfect for Thanksgiving.

From the folks at 1-800-flowers.com comes “A Year Full of Flowers” by Jim McCann et al. This was published by Rodale. This title is designed to provide you with refreshing new ideas on enjoying flowers every day of the year. The designs are organized by season, and most any of the fall projects are suitable for Thanksgiving. For each project, there are complete, illustrated, step-by-step instructions. There is even an entire chapter on drying and working with everlastings. In the introduction, the authors provide details on all the basics, such as choosing containers, arranging, and preparing flowers.

Hylas Publishing-BBC has released “101 Flower Arrangements-Stylish Home Ideas” by Julie Savill. Nowadays, people prefer a clean, uncluttered look in their interior designs, and that is what Savill provides. For this unique, color-illustrated volume, she has organized the arrangements by different styles or themes, such as designs for various occasions. The styles range from contemporary and classic to country charm. She also provides details on using unusual containers, and how to add your own special touch to any arrangement along with care instructions for plants and cut flowers. For Thanksgiving, there are a host of beautiful designs to choose from, including one with cranberries. Another combining hydrangeas and apples would also be suitable. Whatever the occasion, and whatever your decorating style, you’re sure to find designs you love in this volume.

Enjoy Thanksgiving to the fullest with these and other floral design projects.