Everyone knows that Thanksgiving centres around eating a turkey dinner with family, but wouldn’t it be great to take your holiday celebration to the next level this year?
Crafting unique Thanksgiving Day décor is the perfect way to turn a basic dinner into a festive (and impressive) Thanksgiving party.
I love the idea of getting the whole family involved in crafting and decorating for Thanksgiving. Start by searching Pinterest and checking out the dollar store for inspiration and inexpensive supplies.
Using natural items that are plentiful this time of year is fantastic too – start gathering them up early. Add some festive flair with a potted mum, a bowl filled with apples, real pumpkins and/or a vase of sunflowers.
Crafting simple, handmade décor is another wonderful way to create ambiance on a budget. Fall leaves provide the perfect inspiration for crafters of all ages. Kids can easily create a “fall leaf wreath” by scrunching up one-inch squares of orange, red and yellow tissue paper and gluing them onto a paper plate with the centre cut out.
Alternatively, kids can colour and cut out paper leaves, write something they are thankful for on each one, and hang the leaves from a branch they find on a trail or in the backyard. A “thankfulness” tree would make a delightful centrepiece at dinner.
Adults can create their own “fall leaf” inspired craft by wrapping a Styrofoam wreath form in yarn, adding colourful felt leaves, and wrapping twine around the leaves to create an argyle pattern. A cozy wreath hanging on the front door is a wonderful way to greet guests.
Of course, turkeys also provide adorable inspiration for Thanksgiving crafting. Kids can easily transform a paper plate into a colourful stained-glass turkey. Using white glue, kids can cover the entire surface of a thin paper plate with one-inch squares of tissue paper. When it is dry, the kids can add a circle head, googly eyes, a red paper wattle (the red thing that grows under the turkey’s throat), a yellow paper beak, and orange paper feet.
Kids can also help make a turkey candy dish for guests to enjoy. This is a delightful craft that kids and adults will both love! Trace children’s hands onto coloured cardstock, cut out the handprints, and use hot glue to attach the paper “feathers” to the back of a glass bowl. Then, use hot glue to attach googly eyes, a felt beak, and a felt wattle to the front of the bowl. Finish by filling the bowl with fall-coloured candy. I chose Reese’s Pieces for mine, but any sweet treat will work.
Candy is guaranteed to be a hit with the kiddos, but your adult guests might prefer something a little different. A bottle of wine transformed into a turkey is perfect for grown ups. Use hot glue to attach a few dollar store fall leaf “feathers” to the back of the bottle’s neck. Then, attach two google eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. Everyone will smile when they see this whimsical piece of Thanksgiving décor sitting on the dinner table.
Thanksgiving décor doesn’t need to be expensive or elaborate. Just a few handmade crafts are all that is needed to add a personal touch that will make this year’s Thanksgiving dinner fun and memorable for family and friends.
Gina Bell writes the East Coast Mommy column, which runs every second week. Follow her blog at www.EastCoastMommy.com or contact her at [email protected].
