Holiday Decorating Planner 2026
A free, three-page printable from Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26 to New Year: dated steps, a table plan and 13 measurements, 8 of them sourced.
Page 1 of 3, as it prints. Drawn and typeset on this site, no stock images.
What is on the three pages
Page 1: Thanksgiving to New Year, week by week
13 dated steps, Saturday November 14 to early January. The Thanksgiving week is built around the turkey, because it occupies the fridge: a 20 to 24-pound bird thaws for 5 to 6 days. The Christmas weeks follow the order the house is decorated in, tree first, then mantel, then the front door. The reasons behind each step are in our Thanksgiving table guide and our Christmas decor ideas.
Page 2: The table plan
How many guests fit at each table length at 24 inches a place, a quarter-inch grid for sketching the seating, and fourteen lines for the dishes: what each is served in, who brings it, and whether it goes on the table or a buffet. Butterball's 2025 survey puts the average Thanksgiving at nine guests, which is more than most 6-foot tables seat. The full table arithmetic is in our Christmas table decor guide.
Page 3: The numbers to decorate by
13 numbers on one page, from tree height to candle distance, each marked either with its source or as a rule of thumb, plus blank lines for your own ceiling, mantel, door and table. The details are in our guides to Christmas tree ideas, mantel decor and the front porch.
How to use it
Print all three pages before Saturday, November 14, the first date on page 1. Fill in page 3 first: measure the ceiling, the mantel, the front door and the dining table, because every later step depends on those four numbers. Then count the guests and list the dishes on page 2. Page 1 goes on the fridge.
The dates are for 2026. If you print it in a later year, the order still works; only the dates move. For the rest of the season in one place, see Fall & Christmas 2026.
The numbers on page 3
| What | The number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas tree height | Ceiling height minus about 1 ft | rule of thumb |
| Mini lights on the tree | About 100 per foot of tree height | rule of thumb |
| Ornaments | 10–20 per foot of tree height | rule of thumb |
| Tree stand water | 1 quart per inch of trunk diameter | National Christmas Tree Association |
| Tree and heat | At least 3 ft from fireplaces, radiators, heaters, vents; water daily | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Candles | At least 12 in from anything that burns | U.S. Fire Administration |
| Mantel garland | 1.5–2 × the mantel length | rule of thumb |
| Front door wreath | Door width minus 12 in (24 in on a 36 in door) | The Painted Hinge |
| Place at the table | At least 24 in of table edge per guest | Dimensions.com |
| Centerpiece height | Below a raised fist (about 12–14 in), or thin and above eye level | rule of thumb |
| Turkey thawing (fridge) | 24 hours per 4–5 lb | Minnesota Dept. of Health |
| Food on the table | Back in the fridge within 2 hours | Minnesota Dept. of Health |
| Pomegranates as decor | 1–2 weeks at room temperature | UC Master Food Preservers |
Sharing it on your blog or in a roundup
You are welcome to. The planner is licensed CC BY 4.0: post the preview images, include it in a holiday printables roundup, or print copies for a class or a church sale. The one condition is credit with a link to this page. A line like this is enough:
<a href="https://stylefusionhomes.com/tools/holiday-decorating-planner/">Holiday Decorating Planner</a> by StyleFusion Homes Please link to this page rather than straight to the PDF, so readers always get the current version. Images you can use with the credit:
- Pinterest pin, 1000 × 1500 px
- All three pages, landscape, 1200 × 630 px
- Page 1: Thanksgiving to New Year, week by week, 1000 × 1294 px
- Page 2: The table plan, 1000 × 1294 px
- Page 3: The numbers to decorate by, 1000 × 1294 px
Questions people ask
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026 — Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November. The planner counts back from that date: the turkey goes into the fridge between Friday the 20th and Monday the 23rd depending on its weight, and the table is set on Wednesday the 25th.
When should I put the turkey in the fridge to thaw?
Allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. For Thanksgiving 2026 that means Friday, November 20 for a 20 to 24-pound bird, Saturday the 21st for 16 to 20 pounds, and Sunday the 22nd for 12 to 16 pounds.
How many lights do I need for a Christmas tree?
The usual rule of thumb is about 100 mini lights per foot of tree height, so 700 to 750 for a 7.5-foot tree, with 10 to 20 ornaments per foot. These are trade conventions, not measurements, and the planner labels them as such.
How far should a Christmas tree be from the fireplace?
At least 3 feet from fireplaces, radiators, space heaters, candles and heat vents, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, which also says to water a real tree every day. Candles should stay at least 12 inches from anything that can burn.
Can I share the planner on my blog?
Yes. The planner is licensed CC BY 4.0: you can post the preview images, include it in a roundup or hand out printed copies, as long as you credit StyleFusion Homes and link to this page. Please link to the page rather than the PDF file, so readers always get the current version.
Sources and method
Every sourced figure on the planner was read at the source on October 2 or 3, 2026; figures marked "rule of thumb" are trade conventions repeated across decorating guides, not measurements. Thanksgiving 2026 is the fourth Thursday of November.
- U.S. Fire Administration, holiday safety
- National Christmas Tree Association, care tips
- Minnesota Dept. of Health, turkey thawing and cooking
- Dimensions.com, dining room clearances
- The Painted Hinge, wreath size and placement
- UC Master Food Preservers, pomegranates
- Butterball Togetherness Report 2025
More free tools: the rug size calculator, the hanging height calculator for wreaths and garlands, and the full tools list.