Martha Stewart’s Stunning Last-Minute Thanksgiving Table Decor DIY: Create a Unique, Eye-Catching Look With Only Two Simple Items

Martha uses gourds as candlesticks, showing us that an impressive Thanksgiving centerpiece can be created in just a few minutes

Martha Stewart
(Image credit: Nicholas Hunt/WireImage via GettyImages)

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, but it's not too late to jump on some easy DIY projects to create a stunning tablescape. Leave it to Martha Stewart to provide a creative and stunning idea to elevate our tables with just a couple of items: gourds and candles.

In a clip shared to her Instagram page, Martha shows us how she transformed gourds into unique candlesticks that add some unexpected texture and volume to the center of a holiday table. It's one of the simplest Thanksgiving table decor ideas you can follow, even at this 11th hour.

'Sure, your various (and delicious) Thanksgiving dishes are bound to be the star of the show at this year’s celebration,' Martha states in the caption. 'But if you really want your guests to ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ before the dinnertime ‘mmmms,’ a stunning Thanksgiving centerpiece is exactly what your holiday table needs.'

Shop Martha's Thanksgiving table decor edit

The decor is simple to recreate: 'Collect a bunch of gourds,' Martha states in the clip. 'Pick gourds that have at least one flat side. I love using these cordless drills with a paddle bit like this, which will make a hole appropriate for a candle.'

She continues, 'Now, you just center this and drill, and make a hole about a half an inch deep, three-quarters of an inch deep. Now you are ready to insert your candle, and you see a very simple and effective way to make candlesticks.'

We are pro-flameless candles for a Thanksgiving table (for both safety and ease), and these ribbed, burgundy Magnolia ones from Target fit the bill (and are only $29.99). Regardless of your candle preference, this is a design trick we will be keeping in our back pockets for Thanksgivings to come.


Hannah Ziegler
News Editor

Hannah is Homes & Gardens’ News Editor, with a focus on celebrity style and entertainment content. She got her start in media as a digital editorial assistant at ELLE Canada, and has since written about lifestyle and culture for publications such as Nylon and i-D.

Her love of film is rivaled only by one with a great soundtrack, and she hopes to someday decorate a Nancy Meyers-worthy kitchen.

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