Thanksgiving Crafts & Decor
I love a good excuse to decorate my home for an occasion! I have a stocked pantry of candles, sparkles, pinecones, and nicknacks that I break out around the holidays. Since my house is the go-to spot for holiday family gatherings, I take pride in my holiday decor. With a family as big as mine (can we say, 40 for a casual Thanksgiving at my place!?) gathering for our Thanksgiving feast, having the house decorated helps set the mood for our holiday celebration.
This year I did some redecorating right before the holidays began so I wanted to keep my seasonal decorations low cost so I didn't break the bank. I used easy-to-find supplies to make a beautiful Thanksgiving table. In our busy day-to-day world, I cherish the opportunity to get creative and have fun expressing my own personal style.
I've talked about getting the kids involved before, and here's another opportunity. Fall is the perfect time to bring the outdoors in to use for decor. I have my kids collect acorns, leaves, and pinecones and I use them in my centerpieces. I sprinkle them around store bought glitter pumpkins or candles and everyone always "ooh's" and "ahh's" at the finished product! Dining room centerpiece's tend to intimidate some, they don't have to be big and glamorous. (After all, the smaller the centerpiece the more food you can fit on your table!) You can do a mixture of low decorations all spread out or fill a few glass vases with acorns, birdseed, berries, or twigs. I always toss some sparkle in, sprinkling festive confetti around the table for a finishing touch which brings the whole thing together. Get creative and have fun!
If you don't live somewhere where these are readily available outside your door, or if you don't like the idea of nature on your dining table - you can purchase decorative pinecones at a crafts store or even sometimes at your local grocery store. You can even get cinnamon scented pinecones to add to the festive feel of the house! Pick up some festive ribbon and tie one or two pinecone's around each chair using the ribbon to make a bow. This adds a little bit of charm to each chair and also fills the room with a fabulous cinnamon scent that makes everyone ready to feast.
Thanksgiving is about appreciating and being thankful for the blessings in your life, so another thing we like to do is "thankful place cards." You can purchase blank place cards or simple fold note cards so they stand up. Have your kids write everyones names on one side and on the reverse side have them write something special about each family member or guest coming to your Thanksgiving meal. You can suggest they think about what each person does that makes them feel thankful ("I am thankful that Grammy always reads me stories before bed," "dad always give me good advice") Before we indulge in our Thanksgiving feast we go around the table reading each card aloud and hearing what my children are thankful for. It is a moment I look forward to every year.
This Thanksgiving I am most thankful for my family, each person filling every day with love and energy! What are you thankful for this year?
Joan Lunden truly exemplifies today’s modern working woman. An award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, one of America’s most recognized and trusted television personalities, this mom of seven continues to do it all. As host of Good Morning America for nearly two decades, Lunden brought insight to top issues for millions of Americans each day. The longest running host ever on early morning television, Lunden reported from 26 countries, covered 4 presidents and 5 Olympics and kept Americans up to date on how to care for their homes, their families and themselves.