Thanksgiving Craft: Wreath
There is nothing more special than to hang a Thanksgiving wreath on your front door. It is inviting as well as pleasing to the eye. For this Thanksgiving, why not involve your entire family in the craft of making a Thanksgiving wreath? Here are some suggestions.
Having ventured out to various stores, Thanksgiving items are already being displayed. One store had a beautiful wreath made of grapevine with fall-colored leaves attached. Although the leaves were plastic, it was a simple, yet elegant wreath. The more one looked at it, the more it seemed it could be spruced up by adding additional items such as berries, nuts, or perhaps a small pumpkin in the center.
Another wreath was quite impressive. This one used the basic grapevine, but the leaves were freshly picked and dried, then glued to the vine. In addition, there were feathers and beautiful red and green checked fabric which was used to tie berry branches to the vine as well.
One wreath that was quite unique was made out of a large 8-1/2×11 picture frame. The leaves covered the outer part of the frame with berries and nuts placed within the leaves. The center, however, was the focal point of the wreath. A picture of a family with small text indicating three things they were thankful for on this special day.
Thanksgiving, after all, is a day of giving thanks and signifying not only the beauty of the holiday but one’s sentiments as well. A Thanksgiving wreath is not only a lovely way to express the holiday’s meaning, but a gift to share with family, friends, and neighbors as well.
There are so many different wreaths one can creatively and ingeniously make to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. Your local craft store has all of the items you need to create a wreath unlike any other. Remember to take pictures for your scrapbook as well. If the Thanksgiving craft in wreath-making has been a tradition in your home for years, then every picture taken is a reminder of how much love and attention you have given in designing a special wreath for your family.
At a time when world events seem to invade our daily lives, this year it is especially important to show not only how thankful we are for all we have, but show our thanks for the freedom we enjoy every day. Perhaps a wreath with a teddy bear dressed in red, white and blue may be appropriate at this time.
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Thanksgiving Craft: Placemats and Place Holders
A beautiful table setting is the finishing touch to a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. By collecting a few simple things from around the house, and maybe a trip to the craft or fabric store, you have the makings of a festive table. Standard placemats start with a rectangle of construction paper, or fabric, in fall colors or white and come in endless varieties, limited only by your imagination.
Handy Turkey Placemats – Trace around a hand, with fingers spread, to create a turkey. The palm is the body, the thumb is the head, and the other fingers are the tail feathers. Each child can make their own. It can turn into a game, to try to find their handprint at dinnertime, to see who sits where.
Fall Foliage Placemats – Collect colorful fall leaves from your own yard to make a lovely, natural placemat. You can also use artificial leaves from the craft store, if you prefer. Cut two rectangle pieces of contact paper the size you need. Arrange the leaves neatly on the first piece. Carefully place the second piece on top, pealing part of the paper backing off a little at a time, and press in place. Give the placemat a boarder by gluing strips of construction paper about an inch wide along the edges.
Pilgrims and Indians – Draw or find a pattern for simple silhouettes of Pilgrims and Indians. Place one of each on either side of the placemat. Decorate them, or leave them as simple silhouettes. Craft feathers could be added for details around the edges.
Burlap Placemats – If you want to go with a more rustic look, cut rectangles of burlap. If you have a sewing machine, stitch around the outside edge about an inch in, with a zigzag stitch, to keep it from raveling too far. Decorated the placemat with ribbon or yarn.
Fabric Placemats – There are many lovely fall prints available that could be made into placemats. They could be bordered with a nice ribbon (make sure it’s washable) for a simple placemat. The ribbon could be attached with fabric glue or double stick tape. Just be sure to use the permanent kind, if you want to wash them. Alternatively, you could make a quilted placemat and finish it off with binding, for a very elegant looking table.
Placeholders or place cards, can also be a nice touch at the dinner table. These help to eliminate the arguments of who sits where at dinner. They can be made by taking a piece of card stock, or heavy paper, about four inches square, folded in half. Print the name on both sides. If someone knows how to do calligraphy, that can add a nice touch. With all the interesting fonts available, it is easy to print out nice ones, and even add small graphics that fit the theme of the season right at your home computer.
Taking the time to create an attractive table adds a bit of color and fun to the festivities that will be enjoyed by everyone.
Thanksgiving Craft: Necklace and Bracelet
When we were young girls, we were fascinated with making bracelets and necklaces using beads in all shapes and sizes as well as their brilliant colors. Today, your kids can make a necklace and bracelet for Thanksgiving as well.
One trip to your local craft store is all that is needed to begin the process of creating necklaces and bracelets at home. Choose a leather cord and a variety of beads in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Then put the cord through each bead until you have the desired look. Follow this same process for both necklace and bracelet.
In the old days, shoelaces were used. You can do the same as well. Choose black or white shoelaces, which are easier to push through the hole in the beads, and tie a knot at both ends and you have a lovely necklace or bracelet.
Perhaps your kids would like to use some of your costume jewelry instead of beads. If you have several loop type earrings, you can make a lovely bracelet from those as well.
If you kids would like to make “sweet” necklaces and bracelets, they can use lifesavers which come individually packaged. Pick up the variety bag, and the kids can have a great time making candy necklaces and bracelets as well.
Here’s another fun idea. How about using elbow pasta to make a necklace and bracelet? The kids can use sharpie pens in different colors and really make unique and colorful jewelry. Of course, there is the traditional popcorn bracelet and necklace but how about using caramel popcorn to add a bit more color?
Does this bring back fond memories for you? Well then join your kids in making these necklaces and bracelets for Thanksgiving and proudly wear them. Snap lots of pictures for your scrapbook and remember the important thing is to have fun creating jewelry using unique ideas and items around your home as well.
Thanksgiving Craft: Cornucopia Centerpiece
One of the most recognizable symbols of Thanksgiving is a cornucopia, or horn of plenty. It represents a bountiful harvest. It can make a lovely centerpiece on any holiday table. There are many different ways you could make a cornucopia, using different materials, many of which you can find around your home.
By using a wicker basket shaped like a horn, it is quite easy to do a basic cornucopia. Most craft stores carry them, usually in early fall, if not year round. Once you’ve selected a lovely basket, you can either fill it with artificial or real fruit and vegetables. If you chose to use real produce, it’s probably best to wait to fill the basket the day of your dinner so it doesn’t spoil before dinner. Some fall leaves scattered around the cornucipia are a nice finishing touch.
If the children want to make their own cornucopia, they could make it out of paper. There are many patterns online for adorable paper cornucopias. Have the children glue the horn to a green piece of paper and arrange the fruit anyway they want, gluing them in place. They could even be covered in plastic and used as placemats, in addition to a centerpiece. Younger children might need help cutting the more complicated shapes. Remember to supervise children as is appropriate during the cutting and gluing stages of any craft.
Salt dough clay could be used to create a one of a kind cornucopia. With a little patience, forming the horn isn’t very difficult. Start with a flattened piece of clay (use a rolling pin to flatten) and trace a circle using a plate. Cut out a wedge, so it can be curled around to make the horn. You can use a funnel to help hold the clay’s shape while it dries. Some types of clay can be dried in the oven. Once dry, paint the cornucopia tan. Then make the various fruits and vegetables that you want to fill the cornucopia, following the same drying procedure for the clay you are using. If you want the pieces to last longer, spray them with a clear sealant once the paint has dried completely.
A horn could also be made from paper mache’ by using a wire frame shaped like the horn. Some fruits and vegetables could be made over various size balloons. Again fresh or artificial produce could be used to fill the cornucopia as well.
With a little creativity, it does not take long to make a lovely cornucopia centerpiece for your table. Look around your house and you may find all you need already there. Saving some money is always something to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving Craft: Hair Bows
Hair bows have always been an attractive accessory to wear on any occasion. Thanksgiving is no exception. If you love making hair bows, here are a few suggestions for Thanksgiving hair bows which may be helpful in creating a unique and beautiful accessory for you and your daughter to wear on this special day.
Depending upon the outfit you are wearing on Thanksgiving, you can choose wide ribbons in the following colors: white, orange, or ivory. Black would be more appropriate for an adult. Choose satin ribbons since they are classic and elegant as well.
Next, decide what ornament you wish to place in the center of the bow. For Thanksgiving, you may want to choose one of the following: autumn leaves, a cornucopia, or a large sunflower. Next, tie the satin ribbon into a large bow. Find another ribbon of lesser width to place under the centerpiece of your choice. For example, if you are wearing a large sunflower, you may want to buy light brown ribbon and cut two pieces, make an X shape and glue or staple it to the center of the satin ribbon. On top of the brown ribbon, the large sunflower would be glued.
Depending upon the centerpiece you choose for your satin ribbon, you can choose among a variety of different color ribbons to highlight the piece. For a cornucopia, you can add red, green or whatever enhances the piece. Use a hair clip to attach the bow to your hair or that of your daughter.
Here’s another suggestion. You can decorate your Thanksgiving table by placing the bows at the bottom of the tablecloth and spacing them about 3 inches apart all around. If you have a particular color scheme, you can make hair bows that reflect the colors in your dining room or mix and match them to your table wear. Thanksgiving is not only a time for thanks, but creating an elegant look to your table will make it more special. Don’t forget to take pictures for your scrapbook, too!
Hair bows have been utilized for every day wear, evening wear, and exotic wear. No matter what the color, it adds a touch of class to anyone’s entire outfit. This Thanksgiving, check out the satin bows at your craft store, along with centerpieces they have on hand. You and your daughter will have a great time creating Thanksgiving hair bows.
