MNN - Mother Nature Network

'Tis the season for giving thanks and counting our many blessings.  And what better way to think about what you are grateful for than with a beautiful craft?  Particularly one that doubles as a cute holiday decoration.  Here are a few great crafts that the entire family can do together to get everyone thinking about what they have to be grateful for this year.

 

Gratitude turkey.  Roll up some yarn, cut out a few simple feather shapes and leave it all together with a pen or crayons.  Ask guests to write their reasons to be thankful and watch your turkey grow!

 

 

 

 

Thankful jar. No time for a fancy craft? This is the perfect solution.  Just take a plain old jar - decorate it if you have time; skip it if you don't.  Leave out slips of paper and ask guests to write down the reasons they are thankful this season to add to the mix.  Another idea is for you to write reasons to be thankful and ask family members to pick from the jar and do the task suggested.  For example, one slip could say, "I'm thankful for my family. Go give them all a hug!"  

 

 

Gratitude rolls. If your kids love fortune cookies, they will love this idea for a fun Thanksgiving side that bakes the thankfulness right in.  These make for a yummy treat on the dinner table and an excellent conversation starter, all rolled into one.

 

 

 

Thankfulness cookies.  Speaking of fortune cookies...This craft is a cool way to mimic the fun of fortune cookies, without adding another side dish to your holiday meal.  You can customize these for all of your dinner guests and use them as place settings to be opened when everyone finds their seat.

 

 

 

Gratitude garland.  The idea here is simple - each family writes down something they are grateful for on one of the leaves.  Then the leaves are strung together to make a beautiful garland you can appreciate all season long.