While Thanksgiving is a day when loved ones gather to take part in celebrating life and sharing what they're thankful for, every year the pressure is on to outshine last year's event. Some elements remain the same each year: family, stuffing, turkey, dessert and the inevitable food coma. However, your décor and table setting should be unique each Thanksgiving to prevent it from becoming just another dinner.

There is nothing better than sitting around a beautiful table with your loved ones and good food after a long year of hard work. We have listed some Thanksgiving decorating ideas for a fabulous turkey day.

Create a warm, welcoming glow with the right lighting

Soft, warm lighting creates a very cozy atmosphere - perfect for intimate family dinners. You can create beautiful lighting effects with paper Wish Stars or even string lights. For the best effect, hang Wish Stars in clusters around the room and watch how their intricate design illuminates beautiful patterns against the walls and ceiling. These are sure to leave your guests in awe. For a more bold effect, place beautifully designed hanging string lights in front of a window by hanging them from the curtain railing or create a focus piece against a wall.

Create your own placemats and nametags

Instead of using plain cardboard nametags, do something memorable like writing your guests' names on autumn leaves, mini pumpkins or an acorn on a string. You can also place a pencil and a card with each person's name and blank lines to write down five things for which they are thankful. This will provide for lively conversation around the dinner table when you all share what you wrote.

To keep the little ones entertained around the table, you can print out Thanksgiving themed coloring sheets to use as placemats. To mark their places at the table, wrap a box of crayons and stick on a nametag with each child's name. They'll have fun coloring in autumn leaves, acorns and cartoon turkeys before and after dinner.

Go the extra mile with food presentation

We're living in the digital age where pictures of every meal, designer latte and table setting gets posted on social media. Make sure your dishes are Instagram-worthy by taking care how you present them. This means dusting off the special plates and bowls you keep only for special occasions. Decorate each dish with accompanying herbs or spices, for example: lightly sprinkle the bowl of mashed pumpkin with cinnamon and top off with a few whole cinnamon sticks in the center. You can also add a whole aniseed star for decorative purposes. When placing your turkey on the serving plate, surround it with brightly colored vegetables and sprigs of fresh herbs. To add a wow-factor to your desserts, simply sprinkle with some edible glitter and it will be camera-ready.