Thanksgiving Crafts

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Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving is one of the biggest family holidays of the year. Here are some great Thanksgiving craft ideas.

Thanksgiving Crafts - Hair Bows

Hair bows have always been an attractive accessory to wear on any occasion. Thanksgiving is no exception. If you love making hair bows, here are a few suggestions for Thanksgiving hair bows which may be helpful in creating a unique and beautiful accessory for you and your daughter to wear on this special day.

Depending upon the outfit you are wearing on Thanksgiving, you can choose wide ribbons in the following colors: white, orange, or ivory. Black would be more appropriate for an adult. Choose satin ribbons since they are classic and elegant as well.

Next, decide what ornament you wish to place in the center of the bow. For Thanksgiving, you may want to choose one of the following: autumn leaves, a cornucopia, or a large sunflower. Next, tie the satin ribbon into a large bow. Find another ribbon of lesser width to place under the centerpiece of your choice. For example, if you are wearing a large sunflower, you may want to buy light brown ribbon and cut two pieces, make an X shape and glue or staple it to the center of the satin ribbon. On top of the brown ribbon, the large sunflower would be glued.

Depending upon the centerpiece you choose for your satin ribbon, you can choose among a variety of different color ribbons to highlight the piece. For a cornucopia, you can add red, green or whatever enhances the piece. Use a hair clip to attach the bow to your hair or that of your daughter.

Here’s another suggestion. You can decorate your Thanksgiving table by placing the bows at the bottom of the tablecloth and spacing them about 3 inches apart all around. If you have a particular color scheme, you can make hair bows that reflect the colors in your dining room or mix and match them to your table wear. Thanksgiving is not only a time for thanks, but creating an elegant look to your table will make it more special. Don’t forget to take pictures for your scrapbook, too!

Hair bows have been utilized for every day wear, evening wear, and exotic wear. No matter what the color, it adds a touch of class to anyone’s entire outfit. This Thanksgiving, check out the satin bows at your craft store, along with centerpieces they have on hand. You and your daughter will have a great time creating Thanksgiving hair bows.

Thanksgiving Craft: Necklace and Bracelet

When we were young girls, we were fascinated with making bracelets and necklaces using beads in all shapes and sizes as well as their brilliant colors. Today, your kids can make a necklace and bracelet for Thanksgiving as well.

One trip to your local craft store is all that is needed to begin the process of creating necklaces and bracelets at home. Choose a leather cord and a variety of beads in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Then put the cord through each bead until you have the desired look. Follow this same process for both necklace and bracelet.

In the old days, shoelaces were used. You can do the same as well. Choose black or white shoelaces, which are easier to push through the hole in the beads, and tie a knot at both ends and you have a lovely necklace or bracelet.

Perhaps your kids would like to use some of your costume jewelry instead of beads. If you have several loop type earrings, you can make a lovely bracelet from those as well.

If you kids would like to make “sweet” necklaces and bracelets, they can use lifesavers which come individually packaged. Pick up the variety bag, and the kids can have a great time making candy necklaces and bracelets as well.

Here’s another fun idea. How about using elbow pasta to make a necklace and bracelet? The kids can use sharpie pens in different colors and really make unique and colorful jewelry. Of course, there is the traditional popcorn bracelet and necklace but how about using caramel popcorn to add a bit more color?

Does this bring back fond memories for you? Well then join your kids in making these necklaces and bracelets for Thanksgiving and proudly wear them. Snap lots of pictures for your scrapbook and remember the important thing is to have fun creating jewelry using unique ideas and items around your home as well.

Thanksgiving Craft: Greeting Cards

There are cards available for just about every holiday out there, and Thanksgiving is no exception. But who wouldn't love receiving a handmade card as a keepsake? With a little creativity, imagination and time, you can create wonderful cards for family and friends. There are quite a few techniques and mediums that can be used to create cards from the heart. Children and adults alike can have fun making the cards.

One of the simplest Thanksgiving cards to create is the standard "hand turkey" that can be cut out and glued to either folded construction paper, card stock or even scrapbook paper. This is a great project to do with younger kids. First, trace your child's hand on a piece of paper, being sure to have them spread their fingers as far apart as they can. Make it dimensional, by not gluing the finger feathers down. Use a pencil to curl the feathers, so that they stand out off the paper a little.

There are many rubber stamps available in holiday themes, sometimes combined in kits. Different inks, embossing powders and paper can be combined to create unique looks, even when you use the same stamps. Practicing on scrap paper before making your final product can sometimes provide ideas that you might not have thought about, such as overlapping the same stamp a couple times, with different colors, offset a bit. This particular technique provides a shadow effect.

Stencils are also a simple way to make a nice design on your greeting cards. Using either stencil brushes or sponges can give you totally different looks. Playing with different layouts such as overlapping things can allow you to create many different and unique designs.

Stickers can also be used to create simple cards or can be combined with other mediums. There are many kinds of stickers including those with metallic accents. There is enough variety of stickers that make it easy to create a nice scene on the front of the card complete with turkeys, Pilgrims and Indians. There is also a lot of free clip art available in graphics programs and online. Many of which can be printed on sticker paper or on regular paper and glued in place.

By using some scrapbooking techniques, you can create some very artistic looking cards. Layering different kinds of paper together, changing angles, ripping edges, etc. will allow you to create an almost old fashioned look. Accenting it with stickers, paper cutouts or other details will give your card some wonderful finishing touches.

If you know calligraphy, or someone who does, hand lettering can really set off a handmade card nicely. Even if you can't do calligraphy, there are many nice fonts that can be found on your computer. Print the words out on a nice paper, cut out creatively (scrapbooking edge scissors are great for this) and glue onto your card.

Even if you feel like you have no artistic talent at all, there are many options available to make card making easy and enjoyable. As with most handcrafted items, it doesn't have to be perfect. That's what makes it special; they are made with love, not mass-produced in a factory. So try your hand at a handcrafted card this Thanksgiving and let your loved ones know how thankful you are they are in your life.

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