how to keep your thanksgiving decor out of the goodwill bin.

Are you a creative type that enjoys decorating for the holidays? I certainly am and I've learned a few things along the way. If I don’t want to be decluttering my holiday storage bins every year, I need to be careful and intentional with what I buy at this time of year.

This is a time of the year where creative types are especially prone to overbuying. You know what happened in the past. You went off to Michaels or Hobby Lobby for some pumpkins and next thing those creative ideas were swarming around your head.You convinced yourself that guests wouldn't gather around the Thanksgiving table unless there was a huge sign on the wall instructing them to do so. At the very least it needed to be clearly stated on the napkin rings, right?

But here’s the problem, a few seasons later, you are as over those napkin rings, as you were over your Live Laugh Love sign and they all land up in the donation pile on top of the Boho Rainbow decor that was so cool at the time. You end up with a yearly source of clutter and money wasted on short lived trends.

Boho Rainbow and Rae Dunn circa 2020. Oh my! I double trendied it up that year.

There’s nothing wrong with following some trends if you do it wisely. I recommend that your basic items be neutral and timeless. If sage green grabs your fancy, then you’re not going to want to purchase a full set of sage green place settings. Instead opt for a few pops of color on your table. Something like napkins, name tags or ribbons used as napkin rings, are a great way to add a specific color to your table. These are all inexpensive and easy to replace when chocolate brown kicks sage green out the door.

These were creative and simple cocktail servers.

A fun Thanksgiving cocktail.

Keep things simple and have fun but don’t get sucked down the latest trendy rabbit hole. It’s also always good to keep in mind that when a trend finally hits the Target dollar aisle or your local craft store, it’s days are numbered anyway.