Easy Ideas to Use Feathers for Thanksgiving Decor

Use pheasant feathers for easy Thanksgiving decor with natural elements. Check out these simple home decor ideas for a festive touch at Thanksgiving dinner!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year! Whether we are hosting or I am helping decorate the Thanksgiving table at a family member’s home, I love using Thanksgiving feather decoration ideas.

There are so many fun ways to use pheasant feathers (my personal favorite) in the dining room or as a Thanksgiving centerpiece on the dining table. There are so many different ways to enjoy the natural material as decorative items, like these Thanksgiving feather decoration ideas.

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, you already know how busy the day and even the whole week can be. I hope this post will give you some creative ideas that are super simple to create for your Thanksgiving decor. At the same time, they are all really easy and will take you just a few minutes. We’ve got to love decor that is fast and beautiful in a busy season, right?!

You can use these easy Thanksgiving feather decoration ideas to make your Thanksgiving holiday more simple. Who can’t use some extra time on their menu prep? Or at the very least, put your feet up and enjoy a Hallmark Christmas movie during Thanksgiving week? Of course!

gourds down the middle of a table and implemented in the place settings as well

What can I do with a lot of feathers?

Thanksgiving Feather Decoration Ideas

Here are some of my favorite ways to use feathers in my Thanksgiving home decor. I’ll show you some of my favorites in more detail later on too!

Part of a Thanksgiving centerpiece
Small feather arrangements
Tucked into fresh flower arrangements
Scattered down the middle of the table as part of a centerpiece
Tucked into place settings
Part of place cards
DIY feather wreath
Simple craft ideas
Cute Thanksgiving crafts for kids of all ages!

gold candlesticks and feathers tucked into green garland down the center of the table

Favorite Thanksgiving Feather Decoration Ideas for Seasonal Decor

Make a Cornucopia Arrangement with Thanksgiving Feather Decoration Ideas

Simple Supplies:

Corn husks
Branches with leaves of fall colors
Dried gourds
Real or faux pumpkins
Norfolk pine garland
Realistic eucalyptus garland
Pheasant feathers or turkey feathers

view of greenery and gourds and dried leaves falling out of a cornucopia

Easy Tutorial for a Simple Cornucopia Arrangement

How to decorate a cornucopia for Thanksgiving?

A cornucopia is the perfect thing for Thanksgiving decor! When I found this giant basket cornucopia at an antique store, I knew it would be so much fun to use for a Thanksgiving centerpiece. Even though you may not be using such a large cornucopia, you can easily recreate a smaller version. Actually, if you want to use this centerpiece for the dinner table, you’d definitely need a lot smaller one!

I started by adding a large, dried branch that I picked up in my yard. Free decor for the win!!! A branch is a great way to add some structure to the other pieces you’ll add, so go foraging for a branch with some shape.

Next, I added THIS eucalyptus garland. I tucked mine in with a U shape so the two ends come out each side of the opening of the cornucopia. Then, THIS norfolk pine garland adds a wonderful greenery touch that is perfect for Thanksgiving. After all, the pine and cedars are what are actually green outside when Thanksgiving rolls around. Make sure to take an extra minute to really fluff these branches for the most realistic look and beautiful style.

For another layer of texture and pretty fall colors, I added some dried branches with fall leaves that I picked up at a park when we went up north! The fall colors in earthy tones add such a pretty touch and the branches and leaves add a lot of texture. Picking up branches and leaves outside to use in your home decor is a fun way to get even young children involved in a fun project together!

How do you display found feathers?

Finally, I added some dried gourds. First, I tucked them in the back of the cornucopia opening to fill that space. Then, I let the dried gourds appear to be “spilling out” of the cornucopia. If you want a brighter look, you could tuck in some white pumpkins instead of the dried gourds. This feeling of abundance is perfect for Thanksgiving home decor!

Lastly, I added pheasant feathers. Pheasant feathers can come in smaller sizes or you can even use large feathers for more impact. I love the variety of colors in the feathers to add those earthy, natural tones.

Tip: Add a corn husk.

If I had a corn husk, I would have tucked in a long stem of a corn husk for even more texture. At the same time, the corn husks add a touch of earthy fall colors too. I love using corn husks for fall arrangements, centerpieces, and styling. Often, we think of using them in the outdoors. However, there are also so many fun ways to decorate with them inside too!

There are so many creative ideas you could use to decorate a cornucopia centerpiece. You could even hang thankful leaves, hanging on the branches that you’ve added in the cornucopia. Thankful leaves are a really great quick craft to make with young children. At the same time, you can also help teach them about gratefulness! We made these one year for a fun centerpiece, but of course, I don’t have a picture of them to show you! ????

gourds and dried greenery falling out of a cornucopia

close up of gourds and greenery in a cornucopia

Make Unique Place Settings with Thanksgiving Feather Decoration Ideas

The best part about using feathers is that they are small and inexpensive. This makes them perfect for place settings because you can add a festive touch to each place setting without a lot of extra cost!

corduroy ribbon tied around flatware and a feather tucked in

Make a DIY Thanksgiving Napkin Ring

Simple materials needed:

Pine cones
Pheasant or turkey feather
Twig of rosemary or even fresh cedar
Pretty ribbon, such as velvet
Simple jute twine

How to Make an Easy DIY Thanksgiving Napkin Ring:

Gather materials: pine cones, feather, twig of rosemary, pretty ribbon or twine
Lay ribbon or twine flat on the table.
Assemble pine cone and feather, tuck twig of rosemary in the middle
Tie together tightly
Tie a loop on the backside to slide the napkin through.

overhead view of a table scape featuring variously shaped gourds, feathers, and faux greenery

Feathers can be a really fun way to add a festive touch to your individual place settings.

Here are a few really simple ways:

Tuck a feather into a napkin ring along with the napkin to add extra texture and interest.
Make a DIY napkin ring with pine cones, feathers, rosemary, and twine.
Tuck a feather into a place card holder with a simple place card.
Lay a clean feather on a charger beside a menu or FREE PRINTABLE Thanksgiving verse or quote.

close up of feathers in a silver chalice

Use Thanksgiving Feather Decoration Ideas for a Centerpiece

What are the easy centerpieces for Thanksgiving table?

One of the best ideas I’ve used pheasant feathers for is by incorporating them into my Thanksgiving tablescape centerpiece. I love how they add texture and earthy fall colors. Also, if you are creating a Thanksgiving table for kids, this could be a fun opportunity to tuck colorful feathers into greenery, branches, or stems. This is a fun way to make the “kids'” Thanksgiving table feel child-friendly and happy!

To create this look, I started with laying THIS realistic eucalytpus garland down the center of my table. If I want my centerpiece to go all the way to the ends, I use two garlands. I love how it makes the table look so full with a finished look.

Next, I layer THIS norfolk pine garland. It looks so incredibly real, especially with the greenery mixed and layered. As I layer the garlands, I gently pull some stems through to show. However, for Thanksgiving, the pine garland is the main attraction.

How do you make Thanksgiving centerpieces easy?

Then, I add other home decor elements, such as candles, pumpkins, or dried gourds. THESE are my favorite realistic flameless candles. The spiral taper adds an elegant style and the wax finish makes the candles look so realistic. Plus, I don’t have to worry about any safety issues at the dinner table!

For a finished look, I add pheasant feathers down the middle of the table. In some places, I tuck one feather and in other places, I may put two or three feathers together. What gives this a really natural look.is to not be too “perfect” with the feathers. They should have a random, yet balanced, look. For this table, the feathers serve double duty by adding some natural fall colors and texture at the same time.

Gold candlesticks, greenery and faux gold greenery down the middle of a table, with feathers and gourds

Are you inspired to try some Thanksgiving feather decoration ideas now?

Even though there are so many different ideas and creative ways to use feathers in your decor, these are just a few things I’ve actually done recently myself. I am loving this look around our home for Thanksgiving home decor.

One of the best things about Thanksgiving decoration is that simple truly is better. Incorporating natural elements like pheasant feathers, corn husks, branches, and leaves are budget-friendly ways to make your Thanksgiving decor look inviting and beautiful!