Thanksgiving Crafts for the Kids' Table

By Jeanne Benedict

Make your Thanksgiving kids' table a work of art by decorating it with crafts made by their little hands.

One of the best ways to involve children in the holiday is by engaging them in creative activities.

While you prepare the holiday meal, your kids can make Pinecone Turkey Place Cards, Leaf Print Napkins, and a Thanksgiving Garland Centerpiece to adorn their very own table.

Crafts

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Pinecone Turkey Place Cards

This craft is an oldie but goodie where the kids collect pinecones and turn them into turkeys.

We thought this classic art project would be ideal as a Thanksgiving place card. Simply write each guest's name right on the turkey's paper tail feathers.

Best of all, this craft is easy for small children with just a bit of cutting (or you can pre-cut shapes), coloring and pasting!

Materials:

Pinecones
Light brown paper
Kid-friendly scissors
Crayons or markers
Glue

Steps

Refer to the Pinecone Turkey Place Card photo above as an example of this craft.
Draw a turkey head and tail feathers shape on the light brown paper. Make the shapes proportionate to your pinecones.
Make copies of the turkey paper. Cut out turkey heads and tail shapes for young kids.
Place turkey shapes on a table along with materials listed above.
Make one Pinecone Turkey as an example.
Color the turkey head and tail feather shape and cut them out.
Write the guest name on the top part of the tail feather to make it a place card.
Insert the turkey shapes into the pinecones and use glue to keep the shapes in place.
Allow the glue to dry and then set the Turkey Pinecone Place Cards on the kids' dinner table.

Leaf Print Napkins

Beautiful designs can be made on cloth napkins using a simple leaf and fabric paint.

The idea is that the veins on the back of the leaf make an imprint when brushed with paint and then pressed on to the napkin.

Choose cloth napkins that match your table’s color scheme and then pick complementary paint colors for your design.

Be sure to take one of the napkins to the craft store when choosing your paint to find tones that suit your color palette!

Materials:

Leaves
Fabric paint
Artist’s paintbrush
Cloth napkins

Steps

Brush the back of a leaf with a light coat of fabric paint.
Press the painted leaf on to the cloth napkin and gently lift off to reveal the design.
Repeat the process, if you like, using a different leaf for each color. Or use several colors on a leaf to create the look of an autumn leaf.
Reapply paint to the leaf for each pressing.
Allow paint to dry completely before using the napkins.

Thanksgiving Garland Centerpiece

Rather than a cornucopia spilling on to the table in one area, create a

bountiful garland that extends down the table as a festive centerpiece.

This garland is a true community effort where the kids add layers of

autumn botanicals and fall decorations on top of a bed of leaves.

When the kids are finished designing their table display, ask them to create a centerpiece for the grown-ups' table!

Materials:

Autumn leaves (clean and dry)
Miniature pumpkins
Assorted small gourds
Acorns and small pinecones

Steps

Lay a bed of autumn leaves along the center of the table.
Decorate with additional materials to create a Thanksgiving garland.

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