Holiday Crafts Holiday Crafts

Thanksgiving Decorations Thanksgiving Decorations Kids Can Make Kids Can Make

ThanksgivingThanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday! Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday! What a spiritual renewal to take a What a spiritual renewal to take a day to reflect over the past year day to reflect over the past year about just how good God has been to about just how good God has been to you and your family, to give you you and your family, to give you harvest and shelter, health and hope. harvest and shelter, health and hope.

Christmas.Christmas.

To get the most out of this joyous To get the most out of this joyous occasion, make some holiday crafts occasion, make some holiday crafts with your children. These days, with your children. These days, Thanksgiving often gets squeezed Thanksgiving often gets squeezed out by Halloween’s spooky out by Halloween’s spooky decorations and the lights and gala decorations and the lights and gala of Christmas. of Christmas.

holiday craftsholiday crafts

With the following holiday crafts, With the following holiday crafts, your home can be decorated for this your home can be decorated for this quieter but important celebration.quieter but important celebration.

““Project”Project”

Turkeys are a natural choice for Turkeys are a natural choice for decorations. A familiar project at this decorations. A familiar project at this time of year is for a child to trace time of year is for a child to trace around her hand and make the around her hand and make the resulting drawing into a turkey. The resulting drawing into a turkey. The thumb is the head and the fingers thumb is the head and the fingers are the tail feathers all displayed. are the tail feathers all displayed.

““Food”Food”

While many of the turkeys that are While many of the turkeys that are raised for food are now the domestic raised for food are now the domestic white variety, the turkeys eaten by white variety, the turkeys eaten by the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving were the wild brown ones. The tail were the wild brown ones. The tail feathers on a wild turkey are brown, feathers on a wild turkey are brown, but they are iridescent. but they are iridescent.

Catching light and appearing to be Catching light and appearing to be multi-colored. This is why children multi-colored. This is why children color the tail feathers in bright colors. color the tail feathers in bright colors.

The turkey's head has a wattle under The turkey's head has a wattle under the beak. This is a vertical flap of the beak. This is a vertical flap of loose skin that is red colored. Be loose skin that is red colored. Be sure to draw this in order to make sure to draw this in order to make the hand turkey look like a turkey. the hand turkey look like a turkey. Add skinny legs and bird feet. Add skinny legs and bird feet.

When done, the children can cut out When done, the children can cut out the turkeys and hang them on the the turkeys and hang them on the wall. It's really cute to make a whole wall. It's really cute to make a whole flock of these turkeys in the sizes of flock of these turkeys in the sizes of all the hands in the family. The little all the hands in the family. The little hand shapes are particularly sweet.hand shapes are particularly sweet.

Another nice turkey decoration to Another nice turkey decoration to make when making Thanksgiving make when making Thanksgiving holiday crafts is a turkey door holiday crafts is a turkey door decoration. Make a brown decoration. Make a brown construction paper body and head of construction paper body and head of a turkey. Now make a large number a turkey. Now make a large number of colored feather shapes of colored feather shapes

Each family member writes on a Each family member writes on a feather something he or she is feather something he or she is thankful for before attaching as part thankful for before attaching as part of the turkey's tail. Repeat until all of the turkey's tail. Repeat until all the feathers are used, and hang the the feathers are used, and hang the turkey on the front door to greet turkey on the front door to greet visitors with a message of gratitude. visitors with a message of gratitude.

Make a sign to accompany the turkey Make a sign to accompany the turkey that says "Give thanks to the Lord for that says "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good!" or simply "Be thankful!" He is good!" or simply "Be thankful!" Or "We're thankful for you!" or Or "We're thankful for you!" or whatever you like. whatever you like.

Children love making construction Children love making construction paper chains. To further decorate paper chains. To further decorate the house for Thanksgiving, let them the house for Thanksgiving, let them make a paper chain in fall colors as make a paper chain in fall colors as one of their holiday crafts. Using 9 one of their holiday crafts. Using 9 by 12 inch construction paper cut the by 12 inch construction paper cut the paper in half across the long side and paper in half across the long side and cut the halves into one inch thick six cut the halves into one inch thick six inch long strips. inch long strips.

Use a stapler to attach the ends Use a stapler to attach the ends of the strip into a circle. of the strip into a circle.

Loop the next strip into the circle and Loop the next strip into the circle and staple it. Continue the process staple it. Continue the process alternating colors of brown, red, yellow, alternating colors of brown, red, yellow, and orange. When the chains are long, and orange. When the chains are long, you can drap them along the ceiling or you can drap them along the ceiling or stair rail. If you don't make the door stair rail. If you don't make the door turkey, the children can write turkey, the children can write something they're thankful for on each something they're thankful for on each strip of paper before adding it to the strip of paper before adding it to the chain.chain.

Thanksgiving is too nice a holiday to Thanksgiving is too nice a holiday to let the other more commercial let the other more commercial holidays crowd it out. By making holidays crowd it out. By making holiday crafts to decorate the home holiday crafts to decorate the home for Thanksgiving, you can keep this for Thanksgiving, you can keep this day special, too. day special, too.

The extended family, aunts, uncles, The extended family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc., will be pleased to grandparents, etc., will be pleased to see the holiday crafts the young ones see the holiday crafts the young ones have made to decorate the house have made to decorate the house and make it cheerful for their visit.and make it cheerful for their visit.