How to Host an Elegant Friendsgiving Brunch

In honor of Thanksgiving next month, I created a tablescape for a Friendsgiving get together. Follow along and let me share how to host an elegant Friendsgiving Brunch without spending a lot of time or money.

It’s tablescape day for my dinner club group and this month we are all sharing creative and unique ideas for hosting a brunch for friends.

If you are coming over from Cindy at County Road 407, welcome! Wasn’t her outdoor Friendsgiving tablescape so pretty??

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what is “friendsgiving”

“Friendsgiving” is a blend of “friend” and “Thanksgiving”. It is typically a gathering of a group of friends for a meal on or near Thanksgiving day.

how to host a friendsgiving brunch

1. Make your guest list, and send out invites 4-6 weeks in advance of the big day. I highly recommend real paper invites for dinner parties or special occasions even for close friends.
   
2. Plan your brunch menu and make your shopping list way in advance. You can either provide all of the food yourself or host it potluck style and ask friends to bring a dish. Plan as many make ahead items as possible. It’s the easiest way to make sure you can enjoy the party too, and not spend all of your time in the kitchen. It’s always a good idea to try out any new recipes ahead of time.
   
3. Plan and style your tablescape. Be sure and add a unique and creative element, like something handmade or something used in an unusual way. This will create conversation and also make your guests feel like you went to a lot of trouble to make a special occasion for them.
   
4. Use candles on your table for a warm and welcoming ambiance.
   
5. Consider a specialty or signature cocktail. You might even consider an area for drinks, like a mimosa station so guests can help themselves throughout the party.
   
6. Another fun thing, if you are hosting a small gathering, is a small take home gift for your guests. This rosemary salt or roasted rosemary cashews make great gifts and are easy to make. You can even incorporate them into your place settings.
   
7. Lastly, make your home cozy and inviting by having nice scents, like scented candles or a diffuser going. Also, light candles on the table and turn lamps on. These little things provide a welcoming atmosphere for your dinner party.

hostess gift ideas for a Friendsgiving

A few ideas for a nice hostess gift might be…

a fall scented or holiday scented candle
a nice bottle of wine wrapped in a dishtowel with an herb sprig tucked in
a cutting board with a seasonal message or monogram
a basket of kitchen essentials (dishtowel, seasonal paper napkins, scented dish soap or room spray)
a bouquet of fresh flowers
a thoughtful handmade gift like these roasted rosemary cashews.

Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving brunch ideas

These are just a few great choices for menu items for a brunch get together during the Thanksgiving or fall holiday season:

mini pecan pies or buttermilk pies
cinnamon rolls
pumpkin pie spice muffins or cupcakes
french toast casserole
pumpkin pancakes
pumpkin spice waffles with maple syrup
veggie brunch quiche
deviled eggs (I like to serve them 3 different ways)
sweet potato hash
breakfast casserole (with bacon or sausage)
pumpkin bread
cream cheese with homemade cranberry sauce served with crackers
coffee with different creamer options
bloody marys
apple cider mimosas (or of course traditional mimosas)
orange juice or cranberry juice

an elegant Friendsgiving brunch centerpiece

For my Friendsgiving brunch I wanted to create an elegant yet simple table, using some things I already had on hand.

I decided to go with an ivory and gold theme for this table.

A $2.99 thrifted ivory velvet curtain panel was the perfect table runner and anchor for my table centerpiece. I just folded it over until I got the size I wanted and placed it in the center of the table.

Real white pumpkins are something I love to decorate with in the fall and usually buy them as soon as pumpkins are available in my area. Since I had already purchased several in different sizes, they were perfect for this neutral and gold theme table.

Next, I added several thrifted brass candlesticks with ivory tapers. Candlelight makes such a wonderful atmosphere for any tablescape regardless of time of day or the theme.

I filled in with pinecones, small gourds and even a few faux pumpkins in shades of white and cream. I found the cute white and metallic gold ones at Walmart for .99 cents each.

And remember those large fall leaves that I used on this simple fall tablescape , this Thanksgiving harvest tablescape, and this retirement dinner fall table.

I spray painted a few of them gold and also sprayed the pinecones gold to go with my ivory and gold themed Friendsgiving dinner table. I also painted a few of the small gourds since they were in a bag of mixed colors and some of them were brighter colors than I wanted.

These items made a great centerpiece that was quick, simple and inexpensive!

an elegant Friendsgiving brunch place setting

Now, for the place settings to go with my elegant ivory and gold theme.

My sweet friend Kristina at PNW Farmhouse made these leaf chargers for me last year, and I love to use them on my tables in the fall. They also make a super cute board for a charcuterie or snack board. They come in white, natural wood color or dark walnut.

I used them on this last minute Thanksgiving tablescape last year.

The brass chargers that I thrifted earlier this year worked perfectly for this table. If you don’t happen to have brass chargers, the inexpensive gold ones that you can find at almost any craft store will work just as well. I also see them at thrift shops occasionally.

A thrifted linen napkin with a dark gold embroidered edge was placed between the charger and a large gold rim white dinner plate. Can you believe I found a set of these beautiful embroidered napkins at a thrift store?

The gold rim dinner plates were also thrifted over time. I pick them up anytime I see them and usually don’t have to pay more than about $2.00 each.

It’s so nice to have a set of plain white plates and also gold rim white dinner plates on hand. They are so inexpensive if you start collecting them over time and they go with any color scheme or theme you want to create.

My gold flatware at each place setting looked beautiful and finished off the gold theme so nicely.

I used inexpensive wine glasses I picked up at the dollar store and wrote the guests’ names with a gold glass marker to serve as place cards. This makes it personal to the guest and also makes it easy to keep up with your glass throughout the party.

Lastly, I added scrabble tiles on a stand to each place setting that spelled out the guests name for an unexpected element.

And a small white pumpkin on top of each plate was the perfect finishing touch.

I used real mini pumpkins, but a small white faux pumpkin would work too. Especially, if you want to keep them from year to year and save on the expense of buying real ones each year.

extra touches for your fall or winter gatherings

I think we all want our guests to feel welcome in our home, right?

One final touch I like to add to each place at my fall or winter dinner parties or get togethers, is a cozy throw or blanket on the back of each chair at my dining table.

I love to entertain on my back patio and even though it can be completely enclosed, I like to keep the doors open to the outside and it can get a bit chilly in the late fall and winter months.

Having a throw blanket on the back of each chair invites your guests to get cozy, and comfortable and stay awhile.

Also, lighting a fire in the fireplace if you have one, or a firepit if you are entertaining outside adds another layer of coziness to your gathering.

a tip before you throw out your real pumpkins

Every year before I throw out my real pumpkins, I cut the stems off.

Cut as much of the meat off, as possible.

Lay them out on a paper towel to dry for several days.

When they are completely dry (you don’t want to risk them molding), store them in a ziplock bag to use for next years crafts or even fall charcuterie or fall snack boards.

They also look beautiful just stacked in a bowl for your fall decor.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas for how to host an elegant Friendsgiving brunch.

As always, I am so grateful to you for following along and supporting my blog. Be sure and subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.

I would love to hear your ideas for hosting a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving party or get together. Leave a comment below, and tell me!!!

blessings,

Click on the link at the bottom of each photo to see all of my friend’s amazing tables and lots of hosting ideas and inspiration.

Next up is Jen from Midwest Life & Style! Jen’s tables are always beautiful and creative, so you don’t want to miss it!

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