Thanksgiving can be the ultimate family holiday especially if you involve the kids in making some great Thanksgiving centerpieces. Here are some wonderful ideas that are proven to be easy, doable, and most importantly kid approval winners!
Gratitude garland-while this craft can be hung anywhere it looks lovely draped or woven down the Thanksgiving table. Kids of all ages can be involved in making this project.
What you will need-
Colored construction paper (ideally 8 ½ x 11″ size) in fall colors: red, orange, yellow, brown and green. You will need at least one sheet of paper for each person participating.
Markers, crayons or pens (depending on the age of your kids or other participants) stapler
Scissors
Instructions for preparation-
This step is for an adult or an older child who can confidently cut with scissors). Begin by cutting the construction paper into strips that are about two inches wide. Cut lengthwise so that the strips are eleven inches long. This means that your loops will be large but everyone (especially the kids) will also have plenty of room to write on. You will need to cut out one sheet of paper for each person participating. So if you have eight family members, then cut eight sheets of paper into strips.
Once all of the colored paper has been cut into strips, mix the colored paper together so that people get colored strips in different colors (this will make your garland look very colorful) and give each person four strips. Also give them something to write with. Kids can use a marker or a crayon.
On the strips of paper let each child write something that they are thankful for. They can write anything that they are thankful for. If you want to do these as a group project have everyone share what they are thankful for.
After everyone has shared what they are thankful for, an adult should put together the garland. The easiest way to do this is to staple the garland links together. Stapling them will ensure that they will stay together and that you can use it right away.
Thanksgiving candleholders-This project makes simple but spectacular candle holders. Grouped together on the Thanksgiving table these candle holders can make quite an impact for a Thanksgiving centerpiece.
What you will need-
Baby Food Jars
Tea Candles
Decoupage
Tissue Paper
Paint Brushes
Thanksgiving Ribbon
Instructions for preparation-
The first step is to obviously clean out the baby food jars. Wash them with soap and water and allow them to air dry.
Next start tearing up the tissue paper. You can use almost any color tissue paper. You may want to stick with colors like orange, green, brown, and cream for great Thanksgiving impact. You could also use tissue paper with leaf patterns on it. Gold, silver, and other metallic tissue paper will also work well. You may want to consider whatever colors that will work with the rest of your Thanksgiving china or tablecloth.
Make a pile of the tissue paper. The pieces should be no larger than 1 to 2 inches square.
Paint the inside of your dry baby food jar with some decoupage. Start pressing the tissue paper bits into the inside of the glass jar. Add decoupage, as you need it to hold the paper in place.
Once you have the inside of the candle holder completely coated in tissue paper, add a final coat of decoupage medium.
Allow the inside of the candleholder to completely dry before moving onto the next step.
Tie your Thanksgiving ribbon around the mouth of the jar. You can use anything from satin to raffia ribbon.
Now, drop in your tea candles and you are finished.
Tips:
If you do not have any glass jars, then you can buy simple and inexpensive glass votives and apply that tissue paper to the inside of them as well.
Old drinking glasses also work well for this simple Thanksgiving candle votive project.
You could also use a large clear glass bowl and decoupage the inside of it. After finishing consider adding a candle garden.
If you have large clear glass platter, then decoupage the bottom underneath with some tissue paper. The Thanksgiving colors will show through and look great with a bunch of pillar candles piled high on it.
I find super cheap clear glass plates and platters at the dollar store all of the time. They also have super cheaper clear candle votives and drinking glasses as well.
