Hello, crafters! It’s that time of the year again when we’re all on the hunt for creative and fun crafting ideas to decorate our homes or keep the kiddos busy. Yep, you guessed it right! We’re talking about Thanksgiving crafts. Thanksgiving is a holiday full of tradition, family, good food…and some downtime. Having a few craft projects up your sleeve is an excellent way to make beautiful decorations for your home and keep any little ones entertained throughout this festive season.
Table of Contents
1. Paper Plate Turkey
One of my personal favorite Thanksgiving crafts has to be the classic paper plate turkey! This cute and super easy project is perfect for kids of all ages.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Paper plates
- Construction paper (in a variety of fall colors)
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Scissors
Start by cutting out feather shapes from your construction paper – let the kids choose their favorite colors! Then, simply glue these ‘feathers’ around the top edge of your paper plate to create your turkey’s tail feathers.
Next up, cut out a small triangle from orange construction paper for the beak and a ‘wattle’ shape from red construction paper (that’s the funny dangly bit under the turkey’s neck!). Stick them onto another paper plate along with two googly eyes – voila! You’ve got your turkey’s face. All that’s left is to attach the head to the body, and you have a pretty awesome paper plate turkey.
2. Thanksgiving Tree
A Thanksgiving tree is a lovely way to bring the family together and reflect on what we’re all grateful for.
You’ll need:
- A large piece of poster board or cardstock
- Brown construction paper
- Fall-colored construction paper (red, orange, yellow)
- Glue
- Scissors
- Marker
Start by cutting out a tree shape from the brown construction paper – make sure it’s big enough to fill most of your poster board! Stick this onto your board as your ‘tree trunk’.
Then, cut out lots of leaf shapes from your fall-colored construction paper. On each leaf, write something you’re thankful for – it could be anything from family and friends to pizza! Once you’ve filled out all your leaves, stick them onto the tree branches.
3. Pine Cone Turkeys
If you want a craft that also involves some outdoor fun, then pine cone turkeys are perfect!
What you’ll need:
- Pine cones
- Feathers (real or craft ones)
- Googly eyes
- Orange felt or construction paper
- Hot glue gun
Collect some pine cones from outside (or buy them if they’re not available). Then glue feathers at their back for making tail feathers. Stick googly eyes on one side and add an orange triangle-shaped beak below them. That’s it! You’ve got adorable little turkeys now!
4. Corn Husk Dolls
Corn husk dolls are another traditional Thanksgiving craft with roots in Native American culture.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Corn husks (you can often find these in the grocery store around Thanksgiving)
- String or rubber bands
- Scissors
Soak the corn husks in water until they’re pliable. Then, choose a few for your doll’s body and tie them together at one end. Separate a section of the husks to make arms, then tie again to create the doll’s waist. You can also use pieces of corn husk to make clothing for your dolls!
5. Fall Leaf Mason Jars
Last but not least, fall leaf mason jars are a beautiful addition to any Thanksgiving table setting.
You’ll need:
- Mason jars
- Mod Podge
- Sponge brush
- Artificial autumn leaves
- Tea lights
Start by coating your jar with a thin layer of Mod Podge using your sponge brush. Press on your leaves and then coat another layer over them to stick them properly onto the jar surface. Once it dries out, place tea light inside and enjoy the warm autumn glow.
Well folks, there you have it – five easy and fun Thanksgiving crafts that you can do at home with just a few simple materials! Remember that crafting is all about having fun and expressing creativity – there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do any of these projects. So gather up your supplies, round up the kids (if you have any!), crank up some festive music…and get crafting! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
