Top Five Easy Thanksgiving Crafts
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with close family and friends, reflecting on all that we are thankful for. Add fun and warmth to your Thanksgiving holiday with these crafts that are both inexpensive and easy to make.
A Warming Centerpiece
A Pumpkin Candle Holder adds ambience to the center of your Thanksgiving table. If you don’t have a pumpkin decoration to use like the one pictured, make your own candle holder. Hollow out a medium to large pumpkin and place a large pillar candle in the center. Fill the area around the candle with decorative acorns, silk leaves of varying colors, and sprigs of berries. If you don’t have these decorations at the ready, head outside and gather up acorns and leaves and use fresh cranberries from your kitchen instead!
Turkey-Themed Placemats
Turkey-themed placemats are a classic decoration that can be personalized for your guests ahead of time. Start with a brown circle about 4 inches in diameter, and glue onto the bottom half of a 12”x12” piece of scrapbook or construction paper – this is the turkey’s head. Around the top of the circle, glue silk or real leaves in a variety of colors for the turkey’s tail feathers. Decorate the turkey faces with googly eyes, markers and other craft materials. For an easy pre-dinner Thanksgiving activity, have each guest create their own turkey placemats on Thanksgiving Day using the materials mentioned above.
Napkin Holders
Turkey napkin holders are a natural complement to turkey placemats. To make this turkey craft, cut toilet paper or paper towel rolls into 2″ sections and paint brown if desired. When they’re dry, lay each cardboard piece horizontally (cardboard side up). Cut a small brown circle and glue on the top of the cardboard segment – this is the turkey’s face. Decorate the face with googly eyes and other craft materials. Add tailfeathers using leaves or cut paper, gluing them to the bottom of the cardboard segment.
Gobble Up The Bread!
Who doesn’t gobble up the rolls during Thanksgiving dinner? Make the most of your breadbasket by turning it into a turkey using a simple wooden spoon and a basket. Line the bottom of a wicker-style basket with colorful napkins or a kitchen towel and fill with bread or rolls. Place the wooden spoon in front of the basket handle-side down, and decorate the face of the spoon like a turkey. Cut decorative scrapbook paper into tailfeathers, and arrange along the back edge of the basket.
A Crafty Dessert
These sweet corn desserts are easy and fun to make. The base is made from sugar-cookie dough, and either homemade or store-bought will work great. Once the corncob-shaped sugar cookies are baked and cooled, frost the tops and cut green fruit leather to fit as cornhusks. Once the “husks” are in place, fill the center with candy corn or other candies of choice.
These fun and inexpensive crafts will be sure to delight all who gather around your Thanksgiving table.
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written by: Kelly Wilson
Kelly Wilson is an editor at Teaching Resource Center, a teacher supply store offering high-quality products and free lesson plans.
