Easy Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts for Kids

Thanksgiving Projects for Children to Make for the Holiday Table

Nov 3, 2009

From glitter gourd centerpieces to metallic leaf garlands to fall-themed candle rings, beautiful yet easy Thanksgiving craft ideas kids can make for some holiday fun.

If looking for ideas for Thanksgiving crafts for kids to make in class or just to keep them occupied while trying to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, here are some beautiful but simple ideas that will also dress up the dinner table.

Thanksgiving Candle Rings

Purchase a variety of fall-themed floral “picks”. These are fake leaves, berries, twigs arranged on a wire stem. Craft stores like Michael's sell them as does Factorydirectcraft.com. Take a piece of craft wire and shape it into a circle that fits the base of the candle. Wrap the wire in green floral tape, and then let the kids take the picks and wrap the ends around the ring. They need to overlap the picks so that none of the ring is showing.

Glitter Pumpkins

Take miniature pumpkins or gourds and have the kids either brush on white paint or spray them with a spray adhesive and then roll them in glitter. Use glitter in colors such as deep purple, silver or brown. These glitter pumpkins and gourds are great for a centerpiece or decorating a mantle or sideboard. Tie a thin organza ribbon around the stem to finish.

Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

Napkin rings can be created easily out of inexpensive crystal craft beads. Have a variety of beads, the key is to make sure they are only in autumn colors such as orange, amber and brown. The kids can thread them however they like on a 3 inch piece of jewelry wire. Craftsnscraps.com even has beads that look like pilgrim heads that you could use as a middle bead, as well as ones that look like pumpkins and scarecrows. Kids could also do these on a smaller scale and make wine glass charms, each with a different character bead so guests know which glass is theirs. Just bend over each end of the wire so the beads stay on.

Metallic Leaves

Have the kids collect a variety of different shaped leaves, the larger the better and ones that are flat, no curled edges. They then trace around the leaves onto metallic or foil paper/cardstock and cut them out. The metallic paper makes the leaves shimmer. They can even outline the edges with a glitter pen to make them more dramatic. Have various shades of metallic paper such as gold, copper, brown, orange and red. The leaves can be displayed on the dinner table, taped onto the windows, hung from light fixtures or made into a garland to string across the room or around a doorway.

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Have the kids make place cards for the Thanksgiving dinner table. Blank place cards are available in the wedding supplies section of most craft stores. They can write the person’s name onto the card using a glitter pen, and then embellish the edges and back of the card using thanksgiving themed stickers, stamps or scrap booking embellishments. EK Jolie has a variety of fall and thanksgiving stickers.

The best part of all of these Thanksgiving crafts is not only are they easy for kids to make but they can be used as part of the holiday dinner décor this year and years to come.

The copyright of the article Easy Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts for Kids in Holiday Kids Crafts is owned by Gail Oliver. Permission to republish Easy Thanksgiving Arts and Crafts for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.