This post was contributed by Jamie of Hand Made Kids Art.
Add a Modern Kid-Made Twist to Your Thanksgiving Decor!
Every year I like to include the kids in making our table decorations for Thanksgiving. This is an easy way to not only have the table decorated but get the kids involved with the holiday. Thanksgiving crafts for kids can have a modern twist by pairing pops of color contrasted with natural materials.
We start early so we can enjoy the decorations over the course of the month and have them ready for our big Thanksgiving meal. Last year we incorporated leaf printmaking, watercolor placemats and our thankful leaf centerpiece. This year we are all about yarn and recyclable materials! I love the challenge of creating fun and beautiful crafts based on what is available in our home and not making a trip to the store to get supplies. We created a new way to display our thankful thoughts with our centerpiece that every guest adds too.
Please note these Thanksgiving crafts do take some time to make, especially if you are working with young artists, so start early!
Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: DIY Table Setting
Thanksgiving Table Centerpiece
Mix, match and arrange the pieces to fit your table and decor. I love the idea of creating multiple pieces to arrange on the table. Each child can create their own vase to be their part of the family decoration. We used a multi color yarn to add different pops of color to contrast the natural color of the sticks.
Materials:
- Plastic Water Bottle
- Yarn
- Tacky Glue or Modge Podge
- Paintbrush
- Sticks
Steps for Making Your Plastic Bottle Vase:
Step 1: Peel off wrappers from the plastic bottle.
Step 2: Starting at one end of the plastic bottle, use the paintbrush to apply glue onto one section of the bottle.
Step 3: Cut an arm’s length of yarn (I find working with an arm’s length of yarn makes it manageable for kids). Using one end of the yarn wrap around the edge of the bottle. You may need to hold with one hand and wrap with the other.
Step 4: Move up the bottle and apply glue to the next section. Add more yarn if needed. Continue to work until you reach the top of the bottle.
Steps for Making Your Yarn Wrapped Sticks:
Step 1: Go on a nature walk and collect sticks. Rub off any loose pieces of bark.
Step 2: Cut off an arm’s length of yarn. Tie one end of yarn to the stick (I did this part for my young preschoolers). Wrap the yarn around the stick. I demonstrated to my children how to hold the yarn tight and push the string together, but there is no wrong way to do it. Let your child have fun and experiment with different ways to wrap.
Step 3: Once you reach the end of the yarn, make a circle and pull the loose end through creating a knot to secure the yarn to the branch. Repeat with more yarn as desired.
** Full Disclosure: My three year old did not enjoy wrapping the stick with yarn, so I gave her some paint and she happily painted her sticks. This is a great alternative for younger artists who may get frustrated with wrapping the yarn.
Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids: Napkin Ring and Table Place Card
I like to remind my children what the holiday is about by reflecting on what we are thankful for as a family. I incorporated this activity into our place cards and centerpiece. Each of us wrote what we are thankful for on the back of our place card and then hung them on the sticks of our centerpiece.
Materials:
- Cardboard Tube
- Yarn
- Recycled Artwork
- Hole Punch
- Twine
- Permanent Marker
Steps to Make Your Thanksgiving Napkin Rings:
Step 1: Cut cardboard tube to desired width. Our tube was approximately 1”.
Step 2: Cut an arm’s length of yarn. Tie one end around the cardboard tube.
Step 3: Wrap around the cardboard. Add more yarn as needed. Once you have reached the end tie in a knot and cut off extra yarn.
Steps to Make Your Thanksgiving Table Place Cards:
Step 1: Cut out a circle from an old piece of artwork.
Step 2: Punch a hole in the circle and tie a piece of twine to create a loop big enough to go around the napkin ring.
Step 3: Use a permanent marker to write the names of the guests attending your holiday meal. Add a marker to the table setting to have guests write what they are thankful for on the back of their place card. Display everyone’s thankful thoughts on the centerpiece sticks.
Easiest DIY Thankgiving Placemat
A simple way to practice working with scissors and create an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids.
Materials:
- Wrapping Paper
- Scissors
- Pen
Steps for Making Your Placemats:
Step 1: Measure the size of your desired placemat. The benefit of creating your own is you customize it to the size of your table.
Step 2: Cut. That’s it! We found that the wrapping paper laid flat on its own, but if you need to flatten it, lay a few books on the corners for a couple days prior to your Thanksgiving meal.
Mix and match your favorite ideas and have fun creating Thanksgiving crafts for kids that can be your holiday table decor too! Share with us in the comments below your family table tradition for Thanksgiving.
More Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids:
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