Thanksgiving is the perfect time to dust off the quirky, ornate tableware that can make any place feel like home. Here, Bon Appétit staffers share their most cherished pieces—plus ideas for new treasures with serious keepsake potential.

Kitschy Collectibles

There’s no china or silver making its way down my family tree. However, one heirloom has graced every Thanksgiving spread I can remember: the turkey shakers. My grandmother gifted my mother the first pair, and now these ceramic birds are a part of the Thanksgiving table I set in my own home, sure to become a part of my kids’ holiday memories too. –Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor

Colorful Glassware

I’m pretty sure I overdrew my bank account to pay for the turkey the first time I hosted Thanksgiving, which is to say that nice glassware was definitely not in my budget. Still intent on setting a beautiful table, I thrifted enough mismatched amber goblets to serve the random mix of friends, family, and near strangers I’d invited. Two decades later, those goblets remain a hallmark of my Thanksgiving dinner—along with an eclectic mix of guests. —Emily Farris, senior commerce writer

A Beloved Baking Dish

Every year, we make my grandmother’s mac and cheese. I wish I could prepare it in my mom’s beloved Japanese baking dish we used when I was growing up, but unfortunately, I broke it after placing the hot stoneware on a cold surface. One day, I’ll teach my daughter how to make the mac and cheese in a replacement, remembering my mom’s gentle response when her favorite piece shattered: “It’s just a dish!” –Hali Bey Ramdene, content director

Special Occasion Napkins

Thanksgiving was one of the first traditions I adopted when I moved to America. The holiday reminded me of the large family dinners we often had back home in India. My version is joyous chaos, filled with boisterous friends, rarely featuring a turkey, often ending with cake. But the one tradition I keep is setting the table just so with my vintage linen napkins. To me, these embroidered squares say “Thanksgiving” more than anything in a Norman Rockwell painting. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior Test Kitchen editor

Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness

A Dazzling Dessert Display

It wasn’t a holiday in my family without a 7-Up pound cake glistening under the (way-too-big) crystal-cut glass dome that held court on my grandma’s countertop. As a child, I’d sit with my head in my palms, listening to the clink of the heavy glass cloche as conversation drifted between the cake stand and the heavens. My grandmother has since passed, and different desserts now fill the oversized heirloom, but her memory is still all around us. I feel especially connected to her during the holidays, every time I hear that unmistakable clink. —Inés Anguiano, associate Test Kitchen manager

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