A Perfect Thanksgiving Table

There is no doubt that setting a beautiful table helps make Thanksgiving a special meal for everyone.

So in The Early Show series, "Perfect Thanksgiving" with Williams-Sonoma, cookbook author and teacher Tori Ritchie offers a variety of tips to make your day easy and your guests feel welcomed.

Prepare, prepare, prepare!
About a week before the big meal, pull out all of your dishes, flatware, glassware and linens. Make sure you have enough of everything to accommodate all of your guests, and that nothing is chipped or stained. By taking this step early, you'll save yourself stress down the road. This will also get you thinking about the overall look of your table and what additional decorative items you may want to gather.

A good investment: all-purpose wine glasses
Set your table with water goblets and all-purpose wine glasses instead of both red and white wine glasses. This leaves your table looking much cleaner and less cluttered. Because Thanksgiving food does not automatically lend itself to red or white wines, you should offer your guests both.

The "trendy" wine of the holiday season is sparkling Shiraz from Australia.

Offer guests a memento of the meal
It is fun to give your guests a small gift, either at the table or as they're leaving. This makes them feel welcomed and special, and helps them remember the evening. An easy and inexpensive gift is a copy of a family recipe that was served at the meal. Print the recipe on nice paper and roll into scrolls tied with pretty ribbon.

Table decorations: napkins
Another way to make your guests feel special is to add a little decoration at each seat at the table. On "The Early Show," Ritchie shows how to fold a napkin to create a pocket in the front. She suggests placing a sprig of whatever you use for your centerpiece in the napkin pocket. Place the napkin on the dinner plate and suddenly the simple napkin has become a part of the table decoration.

Table decorations: centerpiece
Making your table beautiful is as easy as a trip to the farmer's market or grocery store. Ritchie prefers decorating with the bounty of the season — pumpkins, leaves, etc. — as opposed to flowers. This is an inexpensive decorating theme, and the elements are easy to find. The centerpiece on Ritchie's table includes white pumpkins, squash, gourds and berries.

Don't underestimate the table runner
Invest in a nice solid white tablecloth and let this be your starting point any time you set a formal table. Then, add a runner down the middle of the table. Table runners can be less expensive than tablecloths, and they look nice on a table alone during more casual affairs. You don't even have to buy a table runner to create this effect. Fold a table cloth you already own in thirds and run it down the table. Ritchie also suggests using saris, sarongs or even simple pieces of fabric from the fabric store.