Dear Lory: First of all, I hope you’re not asking me about food – as anyone who knows me can tell you, I use my oven for storing paints, paper scraps and overflow of brushes, sponges, etc. I LOVE to read cookbooks, but that is as far as I am willing to go on the subject.

BUT, if you want to do some fun things with the TABLE, and DECORATING, then yes, I think I can give you some ideas. Let’s start with the tablecloth. Rather than using either a pristine and pressed white linen, or resorting to one of those plastic “holiday covers”, try creating a wonderfully rustic and very “harvest time” looking tablecloth using rough natural burlap. Get a piece large enough to flow over the sides and ends of your table. Gather up fall leaves in various sizes and shapes. Press them for a week or so, then using brown, green, burgundy, rust and charcoal shades of acrylic paints, brush a light coat of color (or colors together) on the back of the leaves, then press them onto the burlap. They will leave color impressions of the leaf shape, and often the leaf veining. Let some overlap each other, leave open space in other places. Fringe the ends of the burlap by pulling the crossweave threads out. You can either leave the fringe loose or gather a few strands together to make a series of little “tassels” along the ends. This is a very attractive and very inexpensive look on a fall table – and it is a great project to do with the kids!

Although you may have special dinnerware that only comes out on this occasion, you might want to consider making some “harvest plates” You can buy inexpensive glass plates at some of the big discount stores. Choose a wonderful paper, either handmade or some great color or pattern that works with your theme and using a liquid laminate (we really like Beacons) laminate the paper to the underside of the plate, allowing the color/pattern to show through the glass. Apply more coats of the laminate, allowing it to dry between coats, and after 4-5 coats it will be safe to hand wash. Another fun variation on this is to use one or more of your pressed leaves on the plate underside, then ”sandwich” it in with the paper.

I may not do much cooking of food, but I know that Thanksgiving is ABOUT food, so why not use food (faux food that is) for the table decorations too? Like maybe a cabbage serving bowl? Made with paper cabbage leaves, our “cabbage compote” could hold bread rolls, or insert a glass bowl and use it for salad, fresh shrimp, or even coleslaw! Smaller versions use one paper cabbage leaf and are great for anything from pickles and olives to sauces and relishes. We really got carried away with cabbages a few weeks ago and took whole paper cabbages, removed the centers, filled them with dried hydrangea blooms and had a line of them down the center of a long harvest table. (instructions on our paper website paperproject.com).

Need more “food for thought”? Take artificial fruits and/or vegetables, carve out the top center (most are foam inside) and insert a glass votive cup for small candles. Hot glue scallions or carrots (faux of course) around a tall glass cylinder and add long loopy twigs (Kiwi or Curly Willow) with some fall foliage for a buffet centerpiece. Round faux food, like tomatoes, apples, etc. make great napkin holders when the center is carved out horizontally.