Chic Minimalist Thanksgiving Day Buffet: On a Budget

This year I decided to create a chic minimalist Thanksgiving Day buffet table, and continue the theme onto my dining table.

I want them to match and to work together. After all, you do go from getting your food at the buffet table, to sitting down at the dining table to eat.

They should coordinate.

Thanksgiving is often associated with a day of eating.

A day of eating until we can eat no more. (Get out those stretchy pants, lol!)

To serve all that food, most of us have a buffet table so our guests can serve themselves.

I mean, really, ALL that food can’t fit on your dining table.

So this year, instead of just putting all the food dishes out flat on your kitchen island, or on a side table, elevate your buffet.

Seriously – elevate your Thanksgiving buffet table.

It will completely transform the look and will really impress your guests.

I’m not talking about putting your kitchen island or buffet table on stilts (haha). I’m talking about adding height on your table.

It is SUPER simple. Don’t be afraid.

In no time, you can easily make your chic minimalist Thanksgiving Day buffet table look like a professional did it.

Check out the steps of how to arrange a Thanksgiving buffet table here.

How to DIY Your Easy Chic Minimalist Thanksgiving Day Buffet Table

(You can do this on your kitchen island, too)

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Step 1: Base Layer for Your Simple Thanksgiving Buffet Table

I am matching my Thanksgiving buffet table to my Thanksgiving Day tablescape. My table setting has white placemats, so I opted to use a white tablecloth as the base of my buffet table.

When I first put the tablecloth on my side table, it was super wrinkled and creased. Grr!!

(This picture is when I was first playing with how the buffet table would look)

I needed to press the tablecloth.

I have found that regular steam doesn’t always take out the creases in cotton tablecloths. So I use Niagara when ironing my table linens.

It is great!

It has a light starch, so my table linens aren’t super stiff. After all, I don’t want them to look like a flat board when I am done ironing.

It also does a great job of eliminating most of the creases. (To completely get rid of the creases, you might need to take your table linens to a dry cleaner.)

White tablecloth after using Niagara. — After using Niagara

See – what a difference!

You really need to check out Niagara. Seriously.

Niagara is a game-changer for me.

I hate ironing!

Step 2: Adding Height to Your Minimalist Thanksgiving Buffet Table

Did you learn how to add height to your buffet table from my post? If not, check it out here.

Besides crates and boxes, you can also use tiered trays, like the one I made from Dollar Tree items. This stacked tray cost me only $3 to make!!!

You can see how easy it is to DIY here.

Chic minimalist Thanksgiving day buffet two-tiered serving tray with red ribbon.

When I made the diy simple tiered tray, I purposefully made it white, so it would coordinate with almost anything I would use it for.

In this case, I added red ribbons that matched the red I was using on my simple modern Thanksgiving table setting.

Weaving the ribbons really elevates the look of the tiered tray and ties it into the theme.

Sweet!

The great thing about using tiered serving pieces is that they add height, visual interest, and enable more food to be on the buffet table.

They are a win-win.

Step 3: Add Simple Chic Thanksgiving Decorations to Your Buffet Table

Since this will most likely be a buffet table where guests will be contributing and adding their food dishes to the table, it’s best to use minimal Thanksgiving decorations.

Ones that won’t get in the way of the food and will also enhance the look of the buffet table.

You will also want to make sure that they coordinate with your chic Thanksgiving Day table decorations.

To continue with my theme colors of red, orange, and white, I placed dark red napkins over the crates I used to add height to the table.

Chic minimalist Thanksgiving day buffet with red napkins and orange ribbon.

I also incorporated an orange ribbon and wound it through the Thanksgiving buffet display. This really added a “pop” of color and visual interest.

An easy way to decorate on a budget!

Next, I added more of the same modern glitter pumpkins to the buffet table that I used on my simple modern Thanksgiving table setting.

Then to complete the decorations, I added a flower arrangement that used all three colors. I put the flowers in a cute, simple DIY vase that I had engraved pumpkins

Red, orange and white flowers in vase on a minimalist Thanksgiving day buffet

The vase was a crazy easy diy project I did last month. Check it out.

Engraving on glass is SO easy, you’ve gotta try it!

Step 4: Arrange Your Minimalist Decor Buffet Table for Thanksgiving

When you are setting up a buffet table, you will hear time and again – put the plates at one end of the table, not in the middle or at both ends.

The location of the plates dictates the direction and flow your guests will move.

I suggest you place the plates in the direction of your Thanksgiving Day dining table.

So that once your guests are done loading up their plate with food, they will continue walking to their seats.

Chic minimalist Thanksgiving day buffet with white plates showing the direction to the dining table.

Also, arrange the food from hot to cold dishes. Be sure to have foods that go together next to each other. For example, the gravy should be next to the mashed potatoes, not further down the buffet line.

You get the idea.

This will make it easy for your guests to serve themselves and sit down to eat. They won’t be getting in each other’s way.