Thanksgiving decorating goes beyond the dining table. With football on and appetizers to share, the living room deserves a little holiday attention, too. This year, I decorated ours with autumn pillows, layered fall garlands, and pheasant candleholders, then filled the coffee table with a turkey charcuterie board, mashed potato pizza, and homemade apple pie.
I’m excited to partner with Wayfair once again to share Thanksgiving decorating and entertaining ideas for a comfortable afternoon at home. From my beautiful new leather sofa to seasonal accent pieces, timeless decor, football mugs, kitchen appliances, and serving essentials, Wayfair has so many wonderful pieces to help your home feel holiday-ready. I also love that they offer free shipping!
Whether you’re serving snacks before Thanksgiving dinner, enjoying dessert during the game, or making something delicious with leftovers over the weekend, here’s how I brought it all together.
Create a Comfortable Living Room for Thanksgiving Football
With everyone spending time in the living room watching football on Thanksgiving, I wanted to make it feel festive and comfortable. I added pillows in warm fall colors to our new leather sofa and arranged appetizers, dessert, and football mugs on the coffee table.
My beautiful new Canora Grey genuine leather sofa anchors the seating area. The rolled arms and nailhead detailing work so well with the stone fireplace and wooden coffee table, while the dark leather provides a beautiful background for lighter pillows and warm fall colors.
For a gathering like this, consider the space around your furniture as much as the furniture itself. Guests should be able to move between the seating and kitchen easily, reach a serving board, and find a place to set down a mug.
If your coffee table is smaller, keep one main appetizer in the living room and use a nearby console or kitchen counter for additional dishes. You can still create the same welcoming atmosphere with a more compact arrangement.
Layer Fall Pillows in Rust, Olive Green, and Cream
I paired rust pumpkin pillows with olive green and soft white pillows to give our leather sofa a cozy fall look.
The rust pumpkin pillow covers add seasonal pattern through their raised pumpkin design. I love how the texture gives them dimension while keeping the arrangement easy to coordinate.
Behind them, white faux fur pillow covers brighten the dark leather. The combination of soft white and warm orange feels especially pretty for late fall. These beautiful faux fur pillow covers are also perfect for the holidays, winter, and early spring!
At the ends of the sofa, olive green chenille pillow covers bring in another color from the coffee-table greenery.
To finish an arrangement like this, Wayfair’s Autumn Fields cornucopia lumbar pillow is a lovely seasonal choice. A rectangular accent pillow gives the eye a resting place between the larger square pillows and introduces a little harvest detail.
Styling tip: Start with your largest pillows toward the back, layer the smaller pillows in front, and repeat a few colors elsewhere in the room. Here, the rust and olive tones connect the sofa to the autumn garlands.
Decorate the Coffee Table With Layered Fall Garlands
For the coffee table, I mixed my pumpkin garland with my pampas garland. The combination gives the arrangement fullness, with autumn leaves and pumpkin details woven through the softer, feathery texture.
I placed the garlands along the back of the table, allowing a few pieces to trail toward the side. This creates a seasonal backdrop for the food while keeping the front available for serving.
Wayfair has beautiful fall garlands for creating this kind of layered arrangement, including a pumpkin, berry, and autumn leaf garland and pampas and feather garland options. Mixing different textures makes a coffee-table display feel more collected and gives you flexibility when arranging it around serving pieces.
A rectangular wood table offers a generous foundation for this look. If you’re furnishing a living room, the Ophelia & Co. Emmett Solid Wood Coffee Table is a beautiful option to consider for a traditional room with rustic wood accents.
When styling your own table, set out the largest serving pieces first. Then arrange the garlands around them so the decorations complement the food and leave room for guests to help themselves.
Add Pheasant Candleholders and the Glow of Taper Candles
My Fitz and Floyd Fall Harvest Pheasant Candleholders bring such beautiful color and detail to this Thanksgiving setting. Their rich feathers and autumn leaves work naturally with the garlands and rust pillows. These beautiful candleholders are not only perfect for your coffee table, console, or mantel, but they will also look amazing on a tablescape!
I grouped the pair at one end of the coffee table, where their height balances the lower serving boards and pie dish. They give the arrangement a decorative focal point without taking over the center.
The battery-powered taper candles add a warm glow as the afternoon light changes. They’re a practical choice for this arrangement, with decorations and serving pieces sharing the table.
If you love the pheasant theme, Wayfair also has beautiful dinnerware, including the Spode Woodland Dining Set. This would be a lovely and timeless way to carry the look onto your Thanksgiving dining table or serve a more substantial meal during the game.
Make a Turkey Charcuterie Board With a Sourdough Bread Bowl
The turkey charcuterie board was one of the most fun parts of putting this gathering together. A little sourdough bowl filled with spinach dip becomes the turkey’s body, while crackers, cheese, and folded meats create a fan of feathers behind it.
I arranged everything on a rectangular wooden board, giving the feathers room to spread out. For a presentation like this, Wayfair’s Ophelia & Co. Mango Wood Cheese and Serving Board is an option for building a generous appetizer display.
How I Made the Turkey’s Face
The face is made with simple ingredients:
- Head: An oval cracker positioned at the front of the spinach dip.
- Eyes: Small pieces of black olive attached with cream cheese.
- Beak: A triangle of cheddar cheese (attached with cream cheese).
- Wattle: A small strip of red bell pepper beneath the beak (attached with cream cheese)
How to Arrange the Turkey Board
Start by placing the filled bread bowl toward the front of the board, leaving plenty of space behind it. Arrange round crackers in a wide fan, then add layers of cheese and folded meats in front.
I used different cheese colors to define the layers, with folded salami and sliced turkey adding more texture. Clusters of red grapes, pecans, and fresh rosemary finish the edges.
The broad feather shape is the key to the design. Build the fan first, then add the smaller ingredients and the turkey’s face.
This makes a festive Thanksgiving football appetizer because guests can choose what they enjoy while sharing the spinach dip in the center.
Serve Mashed Potato Pizza for a Thanksgiving Leftovers Idea
Mashed potato pizza brings a little comfort food to the football spread. We made ours with leftover mashed potatoes, adding cheese, bacon, and red onion for a savory pizza that fits right into a Thanksgiving weekend menu.
The creamy potatoes, melted cheese, and golden crust make it a substantial addition alongside the charcuterie board. It’s also a creative answer to the question of what to do with leftover mashed potatoes.
I served the pizza on a pumpkin-shaped wooden board to carry the fall theme into the presentation. Wayfair has a pumpkin-shaped wood serving board that would be a festive choice for pizza, cheese, or smaller appetizers.
For a gathering with several dishes, cut the pizza into smaller slices so everyone can sample a little of everything. It would make a wonderful addition to a casual meal over Thanksgiving weekend, especially when you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers in a new way.
Wayfair’s fringed cotton napkins would be a pretty finishing touch beside the appetizers or folded into a basket for guests.
Bake an Apple Pie With a Leaf Crust Border
For dessert, we made an apple pie and decorated the edge with pastry leaves. The open center shows off the apple filling, while the leaves create a beautiful Thanksgiving border.
I used my LG range to bake our apple pie, then brought it into the living room to complete the spread.
A white ceramic pie dish works beautifully with the golden pastry and warm wood serving pieces. The Juliska Berry & Thread Pie Dish in Whitewash is an elegant option for bringing a homemade dessert from the kitchen to the table.
Serve a slice with coffee or tea when everyone is ready for something sweet.
Bring in the Football Theme With Mugs and a Scalloped Tray
The Godinger football mugs are such a fun part of this gathering. Their brown color and white lacing bring the football theme directly onto the coffee table while coordinating with the wood and autumn decorations.
I grouped four mugs in my scalloped woven tray, which gives them a dedicated spot beside the apple pie. The curved edge adds another texture and makes the mugs feel like part of the decor.
Coffee, tea, or warm apple cider would all be wonderful choices for serving in them. Set out your drinks nearby, then bring the filled mugs into the living room when it’s time to enjoy dessert.
The football detail works so naturally here because it’s part of something useful. Together with the pheasant candleholders and fall pillows, it tells the story of a Thanksgiving afternoon at home.
Plan a Thanksgiving Football Menu That Works for Your Gathering
You can adapt this spread depending on when you’re hosting.
For appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner, make the turkey board the centerpiece and serve smaller portions of the dip. For a football gathering over the holiday weekend, add the mashed potato pizza and finish with apple pie.
| Menu item | How it fits the gathering |
| Turkey charcuterie board with spinach dip | A festive centerpiece for sharing |
| Gournay cheese topped with bruschetta | A creamy appetizer with bread or crackers |
| Leftover mashed potato pizza | A hearty dish for Thanksgiving weekend |
| Apple pie with pastry leaves | A homemade seasonal dessert |
| Coffee, tea, or apple cider | A warm drink to enjoy in football mugs |
Setting out your serving pieces before preparing the food makes arranging everything easier. Decide where the board, pizza, pie, and mugs will go, then fill in the decorative details around them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Thanksgiving Football Parties
How do you decorate for a Thanksgiving football party?
Combine fall colors and seasonal decorations with a few football details. For my living room, I used rust, olive green, and cream pillows, layered autumn garlands, pheasant candleholders, and football mugs. Repeating those colors across the seating and coffee table helped the room feel coordinated.
What appetizers work well for Thanksgiving football?
Charcuterie boards, spinach dip, Gournay cheese topped with bruschetta, and pizza are all shareable options. A turkey-shaped board adds a festive centerpiece, while a warm or hearty dish helps round out the menu.
How do you make a turkey charcuterie board with a bread bowl?
Use a small sourdough bowl filled with dip as the body. Arrange crackers, cheese, and folded meats in a fan behind it to form feathers. Add an oval cracker for the head, olive pieces for eyes, a cheddar beak, and a red bell pepper wattle. PS: Cream cheese works as a great adhesive for the eyes, beak, and wattle!
What can you make with leftover mashed potatoes for game day?
Mashed potato pizza is a delicious option. Our version combined leftover mashed potatoes with cheese, bacon, and red onion. Cut it into small slices to serve alongside other Thanksgiving football appetizers.
Can you serve Thanksgiving appetizers on a coffee table?
Yes. Use boards, trays, and serving dishes to organize the food, and leave room for guests to set down a plate or mug. Position taller decorations toward the back or one end, with the main appetizers easy to reach.
A Welcoming Place to Enjoy Thanksgiving Weekend
Putting this room together reminded me how much a few thoughtful details can add to a gathering. The fall pillows bring color to the sofa, the pheasant candleholders make the coffee table feel festive, and the football mugs give the whole setting a playful touch.
With a turkey board to share, homemade pizza, and apple pie ready for dessert, the living room becomes another place to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a setting made for settling in, enjoying good food, and spending an afternoon together.
Disclaimer: #ad Thank you to Wayfair for partnering with me on this post. Opinions are my own, as always. #wayfair #wayfairpartner
