Skip the turkey and fixings this year and throw a Thanksgiving pie party for your friends and family with this easy-to-follow guide.
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Hosting A Thanksgiving Pie Party
The countdown to Thanksgiving is on, and I’m teaming up with my supper club friends to share our best tips for hosting a holiday gathering.
But this month’s celebration isn’t your typical Turkey Day feast – we’re talking all things desserts with a Thanksgiving pie party. It’s a festive and delicious way to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and bring friends and family together.
Welcome To Supper Club
If this is your first time joining our monthly supper club parties, or your first time visiting here, welcome!
Each month, I join my friends Rachel, Stacy, Ann, AnnMarie, and Michele to share table styling ideas, hosting tips, and recipes to create a menu – all centered around a theme.
We shared our first party back in January of 2021. And here we are, more than 30 parties later, still going strong!
Each month, we also invite a guest blogger to join us, and we are thrilled to welcome Diane from South House Designs.
If you love to entertain, I would love to have you subscribe and join the MWLS family!
As a subscriber, you’ll receive emails with updates on all the latest happenings here on the blog, including the newest tablescapes, recipes, DIYs, and more!
And, if you’ve missed out on any of our past supper club parties, be sure to catch up here. You’ll find even more hosting tips and seasonal menus to take the stress and hard work out of planning all your upcoming holiday gatherings.
Table of Contents
- The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Thanksgiving Pie Party
- Download Your FREE Hot Cocoa Bar Printables HERE
- Shop The Post
- Did You Enjoy this Post? PIN It for Later!
The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a Thanksgiving Pie Party
Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and, of course, pie! If you’re a regular here at MWLS, you know I have a slight love affair with sweets. Dessert is my favorite part of any meal.
So, hosting a Thanksgiving pie party is my dream come true!
If you’re thinking about hosting a Thanksgiving pie party, then this post is for you!
I’m sharing everything you need to know to throw a festive Thanksgiving gathering, from setting up your buffet to creating a centerpiece and how to package leftover pie for your guests using bakery boxes and my beautiful, free printable Thanksgiving gift tags.
Pie Lovers Unite: How To Invite Family And Friends To Your Party
To begin planning for your Thanksgiving pie party, start by creating and sending out invitations. While it’s common to plan gatherings with family and friends via text these days, there’s something special about sending invitations that adds a personal and thoughtful touch to your Thanksgiving party preparations. Even if the invitation is sent electronically through email.
Not only does it show your guests that you’ve put thought and effort into making the event special, but an RSVP gives you an idea of how many guests plan to attend.
Invitations also give you the opportunity to ask your guests to share the type of pie they plan to bring to your Thanksgiving party.
For popular pies like apple, pumpkin, or pecan, it’s not a bad idea to have more than one so there’s plenty to share.
How to Create a Buffet That Is Both Festive and Functional
For a Thanksgiving pie party you want to create a festive buffet, but most importantly, functional. This is where your guests will be gathering to get their fill of pie, so it’s important to make sure it’s well-organized and easy to navigate.
Make sure your table is large enough to display all your pies and your guests can easily move around both sides.
Next, set the stage by laying down a neutral tablecloth as your base, and place a fall table runner down the center of your buffet table.
To style my pie party buffet, I draped a gray and tan plaid throw blanket over a linen tablecloth to create a makeshift table runner.
Table Styling Tip: Don’t be afraid to get creative with your table decor! Before you spend money on something new, look around your home for items you can reuse. Old quilts, scarves, and even bits of fabric like muslin or cheesecloth can all be transformed into unique and beautiful table decorations.
Buffet Table Zones: The Secret to Stress-Free Entertaining
Have you ever been to a buffet where you couldn’t find what you were looking for? Or where the food was all mixed up and it was hard to tell what was what? That’s where creating zones on your buffet table comes in.
On a buffet table, a “zone” is a designated area where certain food and drinks or serving ware are grouped together.
Zoning your table is a great way to keep your Thanksgiving pie party organized and make it easy for your guests to find what they’re looking for.
Since the pies are the star of the show they easily double as decor for your Thanksgiving table. Use risers or other stands to create different levels on the buffet to make it easier for guests to see and reach all of the pies.
A vintage crate that I found on my grandparents’ farm makes the perfect elevated serving station. And rustic wood slices stacked on top of candle holders serve as DIY cake stands.
Place a stack of plates, silverware, and napkins near one end of the buffet. I used my favorite white stoneware plates.
But, if you want to cut down on your post-pie party clean-up, festive Thanksgiving paper or plastic plates are great too.
For a more elegant feel, I paired gold silverware with gray and white ticking stripe napkins, complementing the table’s neutral-colored linens.
And don’t forget about the drinks! Stack cups or mugs on the other end of your Thanksgiving table to serve coffee, tea, and water.
Hosting Tip: Make sure to have extra knives and pie servers handy in case your guests forget to bring one.
Pie Party Picks: The Most Popular Thanksgiving Pies
Of course, the most important part of any Thanksgiving pie party is the pies! When choosing pies to serve, make sure to offer a variety of flavors and types so that there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Here are a few crowd-pleasing favorites:
- Classic pies like pumpkin and pecan pie are always a hit at Thanksgiving. Or you can try making individual pies like mini caramel apple pie bites.
- Fruit pies such as cherry, blueberry, strawberry, and peach are popular choices on my Thanksgiving menus.
- Cream pies, such as chocolate silk, coconut, and banana, are a decadent and delicious alternative to fruit pies and other classic Thanksgiving desserts.
And, if you’re looking for even more amazing pie recipes, don’t miss out on 7 of the best pies to serve for Thanksgiving.
Pie Party Prep: Create Printable Pie Labels
To make your holiday gathering even more festive, create labels for each dessert using my free Thanksgiving pie party printable labels!
You can easily print them at home on cardstock or craft paper in just a few minutes.
Download Your FREE Hot Cocoa Bar Printables HERE
If you are already a subscriber to Midwest Life and Style, my pie party printables can be found by visiting the printables tab located on the main menu. The password is located at the bottom of each e-newsletter.
Once you are finished, just cut out each label, write the name of each pie, and place the labels where your guests can see them so they know all of the pies that are available to try.
How To Create A Festive Thanksgiving Centerpiece
A Thanksgiving pie party is all about family, friends, and of course, the pie! So when it comes to decorating for your party, less can be more.
Think about the overall theme of your party and choose decorations that will complement your linens and other seasonal decor.
A festive centerpiece is a great way to dress up your pie party table and add a touch of whimsy and fun. It can also serve as a conversation starter and help to create a welcoming and inviting atmosphere for your guests.
I recently made a DIY pumpkin and floral centerpiece for my pie party. I paired it with some faux pumpkins of a variety of sizes and vintage brass candlesticks for ambiance. It was a simple and easy project, but it made a big impact on the overall look of my table.
Here are a few other ideas for DIY pie party centerpieces:
- Fill a rustic dough bowl with magnolia leaves and other fall accents.
- Make Thanksgiving candle rings to go with some hurricane candles and faux pumpkins.
- Use a variety of faux fall florals and rustic feathers to create a Thanksgiving harvest cornucopia
- Get creative and come up with your own unique centerpiece design!
Pie Party Favors: Take Home Boxes With Printable Gift Tags
DIY printable gift tags are a sweet and thoughtful way to end your Thanksgiving pie party.
These fun and festive gift tags can be easily attached to a small take-home bakery box with some craft twine.
The takeaways are the perfect way to clean up any leftover pie and send your guests home with a sweet treat!
Your Guide To Throwing The Ultimate Thanksgiving Pie Party
If you’d like to recreate the look, I’ve linked all the items I used to style my Thanksgiving buffet below for easy shopping. Or, if you have questions about any of the items I used, leave me a message in the comments
Shop The Post
Want to recreate this look at home? I’ve linked all the finds I used in this post below! Please note, that sometimes things sell out quickly, so if something isn’t available anymore, I’ve linked a similar item that you might love just as much. Happy shopping!
More Thanksgiving Pie Party Inspiration
Thanks for stopping by! I hope this guide with helpful tips inspires you to host a fun and festive Thanksgiving pie party.
As always, don’t forget to see the rest of my friends’ creative tables and hosting tips too. You can see all the posts below!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Pie Party Inspiration
Stacy at Bricks ‘n Blooms | Michele at Vintage Home Designs | Jen at Midwest Life and Style
Anne and AnnMarie at Simply 2 Moms | Diane at South House Designs | Rachel at The Ponds Farmhouse
Did You Enjoy this Post? PIN It for Later!
Wow your center piece is so gorgeous!
Thank you, Stacy! I’ve always wanted to create a floral pumpkin centerpiece like this…what better time than Thanksgiving!
Jen,
Your table looks amazing and I loved the take home boxes. Such a great idea.
Thanks so much, Rachel. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftover?!? Especially when it’s pie!
I’m loving this so much, Jen! The boxes to bring home pie with the tags are such a thoughtful touch.
Thank you, Kim. Thanksgiving leftovers are the best, aren’t they. Especially when it’s dessert!😉
Love your pretty table, Jen. The printables and the gift boxes are an awesome idea! And of course, that centerpiece is beautiful!!
Thank you, AnnMarie! I hope you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for inviting me to join in this month! I love your to-go boxes and how fresh and bright, but cozy your table is.
Thank you, Diane. It was such a pleasure having you with us. I hope you can join us again sometime soon!
This is such a fun idea. I would love to share this on my Saturday newsletter. Hugs to you.
Thank you, Renae. I always appreciate you sharing. I hope you enjoyed your weekend.