Want to have a Thanksgiving dinner but don't have the formal china?  Don't worry because you can use casual dinnerware as nicely as fine china and still have a nice Thanksgiving Day table setting. Don't broadcast to  guests that it is casual. Instead have a nice table setting where each has their own matching plate set.  What's important is making it look nice and the most important part of Thanksgiving is having friends and family over for dinner. No one will care if you have plastic plates or fine china. Have fun and enjoy your guests.

This is what Jean did on a very limited budget:

1. The center cupcake tier was constructed with two thrift store vases and plates. She filled the vases with colorful potpourri from the dollar store.
2. She used mismatched plates from a variety of thrift stores that she gathered over a period of months. However, each place setting matched in color.
3. Jean purchased the table flowers wholesale at a local wholesale club where she was a member.
4. On Ebay Jean purchased her flatware at a very discounted price.
5. Jean didn't feel her handwriting was very nice so she created the place cards on her computer with Avery Tent Cards  using a nice handwriting font.  She decorated them with Thanksgiving stickers she bought online at the Oriental Trading.