10 Canadian Finds for Your Prettiest Thanksgiving Yet
Thanksgiving decor doesn’t have to mean tiny pumpkins, faux leaves and varying shades of beige (although it totally can because that’s still a classic look, right? Right??).
This year, we’re setting a table that feels more joyful: colourful glassware, patterned linens, sculptural candles and serving pieces that are almost as exciting as what’s being served in them. The result is festive without being overly themed, and everything can be used again long after the leftovers are gone.
Whether you’re hosting the entire extended family or having a smaller dinner with friends, these finds from Canadian brands and makers will help you create a Thanksgiving table that feels warm, modern and just a little unexpected.
Here are the Canadian finds we’d invite to dinner.
1. Something unexpected to serve as guests arrive
As friends and family start to arrive, do something completely unexpected, like drop a cocktail bomb in a glass of sparkling water and create a colourful beverage for them to immediately enjoy. Made in Canada.
Shop Cocktail Bomb Shop’s Autumn Fizz Pack here.
2. Begin with a playful tablecloth
A colourful tablecloth does most of the decorating for you. Look for checks, stripes or a modern floral print, and don’t worry about choosing something traditionally “autumnal.” Pale blue, butter yellow or tomato red can feel perfectly seasonal when paired with rich food, candlelight and a few darker accents.
Shop this adorable tablecloth from Simon’s. Or if you prefer a tartan pattern, try this one.
3. Add napkins in a contrasting colour
Matching linens can feel formal. A contrasting napkin makes the table more relaxed and more interesting.
These ones from Folkstock and Trade are made in Canada from linen and come in several colours. They’re simple, but you could choose a punchy shade and style them against a patterned tablecloth.
Shop Folkstock and Trade’s Tabby Napkins.
4. Let one serving bowl steal the show
Every Thanksgiving table needs at least one very good bowl. This handmade ruffled ceramic design from Vancouver-based Obakki is functional, sculptural and unusual enough to serve as part of the centrepiece before dinner begins.
Shop the Obakki Ruffle Serving Bowl
5. Bring in irregular shaped bowls
When the linens and candles are colourful, neutral serving pieces give the eye somewhere to rest. Fable’s low serving bowls have softly irregular shapes and enough room for mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables or a very generous salad.
Shop Fable’s Low Serving Bowls
6. Make the appetizer part of the tablescape
A grazing board handcrafted in Manitoba gives early arrivals somewhere to congregate while the meal is being finalized. Lynn & Liana’s resin-accented boards bring colour to the table and can later be used for bread, desserts or everyday entertaining.
Shop Lynn & Liana’s Serving Boards
We also couldn’t resist including this pistachio dish from Hillborn Pottery. Every pistachio-lover needs this. It is a work of art. Shop it here.
7. Choose glassware in an unexpected shade
Coloured glasses are one of the easiest ways to make plain white dishes feel intentional. Amber is an obvious fall choice, but cobalt blue, smoky pink or olive green would also make the table feel fresh and current.
Kingston Glass Studio’s Twisty Cups are the ultimate stemless glassware. They’re crafted with an ergonomic and stylish shape and provide a vibrant burst of colour.
8. Candles that smell like fall
Want your guests to walk in and immediately comment on the scent of your home? There's nothing like Moon and Mana’s fall collection of candles. Their combination of scents will be something you’ve never had before and you will become obsessed.
Shop Moon and Mana’s candles. My favourite is “Thankful” with that hint of toasted marshmellow…
9. Skip the traditional centrepiece
Flowers don’t need to be professionally arranged. Place a few grocery-store stems in a unique, sculptural vase and you’re done.
A sculptural vase can also stay on the table year-round.
Shop Cyrc Designs for something very unexpected and an art piece in itself.
10. Don’t forget the post-dinner portion of the evening
Once the plates have been cleared and everyone has moved toward the living room, bring out a Canadian-made throw for coffee, pie and the inevitable debate over whether anyone could possibly eat another bite.
MINI TIPI’s blankets are made in Gatineau, Quebec and feature authentic designs created in collaboration with Indigenous artists.
Shop MINI TIPI’s Canadian-Made Blankets
You can also plan to serve coffee in Canadian-made mugs from Atelier Trema - a pottery shop from Bedford, Quebec. These ones are our favourite!
The best Thanksgiving isn’t the one with the most decorations. It’s the one that makes people want to pour another drink, have another helping and stay a little longer.
Choose a few pieces you genuinely love, mix them with what you already own and let the food, and the people around the table, do the rest.