Special Replay: Thanksgiving Kids Crafts

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

Thanksgiving Kids Crafts

Episode 235

Thanksgiving kid’s crafts are so much fun! I love crafts – especially holiday crafts like Thanksgiving crafts for kids. In this episode of Vintage Homeschool Moms, I’ll share some great Thanksgiving crafts that are easy to make. So much fun and so decorative.

Stack up on different colors of foam – it is easy to cut and available at craft stores or online.
Glue is a must, with paint brushes to apply

Ideas for Thanksgiving crafts for kids:

  1. Crafts for fun:
    1. Turkey bag puppets – cut-out construction paper shapes – turkey.
    2. Door hangers – cut a hole for the know, put on a turkey head and feathers (of course). Use a thick paper or craft foam.
    3. Turkey table decorations – layer the front (a turkey head), then scallop shapes – then the feathers. Use craft foam.
    4. Turkey shapes out of a pie plate.
    5. I am thankful – use two paper plates, and divide one with a marker into six or eight pie shapes (like a pizza). Have the children label each triangle and draw a picture about something they are thankful for…Take the “top” plate and cut only one triangle out. Then, layer each plate on top of the other.
  2. Crafts for decorations
    1. Collect pine cones for a natural arrangement. Glue pinecones to popsicle sticks and fit them into a flower arrangement.
    2. Collect fall leaves – glue them onto clear glass jars (or containers). Use glue or a permanent adhesive like Modge Podge – it dries clear and hard. Use as gift containers or place flowers or for table decorations.
    3. Use smaller glass containers, glue on leaves, and use these on tables with battery-powered lights or flower arrangements.
    4. Give Thanks – or Happy Thanksgiving – use one sheet of paper (thick or watercolor paper). Color background and hand letter or stencil letters to each sheet of paper, then thread with rope – hang on the walls, on the mantle or in bedrooms.
    5. Name tags with pilgrims
    6. Thyme – make into a wreath and tie it with twine, then decorate with ribbon. Place it on each place setting.
    7. Thankful wreath – create a wreath with construction paper shapes of leaves. Have the children label each with a “thankful word.”
    8. Use leaves (construction paper or craft foam) and label each with a thankful word. Glue in the shape of a wreath.
    9. Glass containers with  cut-out (tissue paper) leaves. Use glue to affix. Place a battery-powered candle in each container.
    10. Cut out a pumpkin, fill it with floral foam, and use it as a vase for flowers.
    11. Use the words Happy Thanksgiving – use one sheet of paper for each letter. Use glue and glitter or fancy letters.
    12. Pine cones – paint the edges with paint and use them for table decorations.
    13. Cut out shapes – turkeys, pilgrims, etc. and string them together as a garland.
  3. Crafts for gifts
    1. Fall leave containers
    2. Bracelet – with orange, brown, and yellow – “fall” colors – give to guests or have this as a craft for kids.
    3. Trail mix – have the kids fill festive containers they’ve decorated. Use stickers on dollar store plastic containers.
    4. Party favors – decorate an envelope with foam cutouts (turkey, fall leaves, etc.) and slip in a candy bar or other treats.
    5. Glass container (above) with leaves
    6. Candy corn or candy with a clear baggie – tie it with a ribbon and have the children write a poem, use a scripture verse, etc.
    7. Use a circle sheet of tissue paper, place candy in the middle, and gather it in the shape of a pumpkin. Use green tape to make a stem.
    8. Paper cups with a scripture verse on the front or a “thankful” word – fill with candy. Use a popsicle stick to glue a “Thanksgiving character” and place in the cup with candy. (Fill a small planter or vase as well.)
    9. Oranges. Use a knife (or a special utensil) to carve our designs, dot with cloves. Give as gifts. (It does not work well in Florida and will mold – but it is great in cold climates.
    10. Turkey coaster. Take a circle of cork and glue it to a turkey shape. A great gift.
    11. Use craft foam and cut out a rectangle for a photo. Decorate with Thanksgiving designs, etc. Give it as a gift.
  4. Crafts that encourage character
    1. Thankful jar – daily, add a card about what you are thankful for that day.
    2. Read a card to the family (randomly draw it out) at dinner
    3. Write one word (or more) and slip it under a plate. Each person does this for the members of the family. If you have a larger family, maybe assign numbers (select randomly) or assign.
    4. Placemats – A Thankful scene or things the children are thankful for…you can cover it with clear contact paper to make it last longer.
    5. Thankful tree – use construction paper for the tree trunk. Use this as an ongoing project during the month. Each leaf holds one thing the children are thankful for.  [Listen to this podcast encouraging children to be thankful here.]
    6. Use a tree branch and place it into a vase or a planter. Decorate the branches with cut-out leaves with “thankful” words on each leaf.

Websites to check out:

Thanksgiving Desserts for Kids

Turkey Napkin Folding

Extra thankful gift tags with printable

Pumpkin bread with free printable

Gratitude Pumpkin Craft


 


Turkey Hand Wreaths

A Production of the Ultimate Homeschool Podcast Network.

 TurkeyHandPrintWreaths_HomeForLearning

I love doing crafts! At one time I though I wanted to be an art major. That is before I took one art course in college (and survived, with an “A”, thank-you very much) but I realized it wasn’t for me…to do professionally anyway! So, happily I married, had children that loved to do crafts and now grandchildren so I can continue on the tradition.

One of my favorite and easy-cheap-fun craft is turkey hand wreaths. They cover all the points a good craft must contain. One it is a memory – you can date the hand prints of the kids to remember the size they were that year. Two, it is cute and easy. Three it is cheap. Four the kids love making them! Five it is cheap.

Simply you cut out hand prints and glue the construction paper on a wreath.

So, here we go – super simple and quick!

Supplies:

  1. Fall colors construction paper
  2. Pencil, crayon or maker
  3. Hands – Right & Left
  4. Scissors (blunt points for the little ones
  5. A wreath. [More on this below.]
  6. Hot glue gun

Instructions:

Take pieces of construction paper and trace the children’s right and left hands. Allow the children to cut out their hand prints. This takes some dexterity and skill so, plan on helping the little ones. Once the hands are cut out – about 15-30 for a fuller wreath, you can lay the colors out on a table and layer them to see how they look. I try to overlap different colors – or some like to keep the wreath all one color and decorate it with ribbon that is orange if you use yellow construction paper, or yellow ribbon with orange and brown hand prints.

Use a hot glue gun to glue the hand prints on the wreath. Be careful! The glue if very hot and can burn. This should be done by an adult only. Even if you use low temperature glue. Use pine cones, ribbon, acorns, or other embellishments to create a beautiful decoration.

Note: Wreath – my uncle use to craft wreaths out of grape vines. If you are crafty this is an option if you don’t want to purchase a wreath at a craft store. You may also use Styrofoam wreaths and pin the hands on the wreath instead of gluing them. Another idea is to bend a wire coat hanger (keep the hanger hook to hang the wreath) and bend the wire into a circle. Use the hands to cover the wire. You will need lots of hand prints to do an adequate job. This is my least favorite version of the craft – although I’ve done every one listed here at some point in my homeschool career!

Most of all have fun, make memories and take lots of pictures!! I’ll be updating this post soon with the grandkids creations! We are still working on it.

Have you created a wreath like this? How did it turn out?