Service for 40?

Unless you are Martha Stewart you do not have service for 40. I got this bee in my bonnet one year and said that I wanted the family (then numbering 40.Yes, you read that right ,40.) to all sit down for Thanksgiving, rather that doing it buffet style. I wanted matching plates that were not the paper cheesy things with a turkey printed on it. I took this as a creative challenge. I couldn't come up with china for 40 so I went for plastic. (its still not paper, it counts) I bought 11 yards of burlap for the tablecloth(its cheep), then bought clear plastic plates, and white plastic plates of the same size. I rubber stamped a fall leaf on the back of all the clear plates. then layered them on top of the white plates. Voila! something more special than paper. Stamped the napkins to match. After dinner. we just took the top plate off and used the bottom white plate for dessert. So there ya go, my tip for the LARGE thanksgiving dinners. Now to work on matching chairs for 40+.

More inspiration

I found some pictures from Thanksgiving 2004 to give you some more table inspiration.

We used the same burlap table cloth, only that year I took some rolls of brown shipping paper and chopped them on the table saw to narrow widths. We ran them across the table for place mats. This was great for keeping the gravy off the table cloth.Then ran a small strip down the center weaving them in and out of the cross pieces. By that year my sisters and I had collected enough Ruby glass dinnerware between the three of us, to cover the family. I stamped the napkins with a large tiole stamp. We used small bowls of fresh cranberries with candle for the centerpieces. I gathered fall leaves and dipped them in wax to lay on the table. There ya go, Thanksgiving 2004