Entertain guests and show your appreciation with these “thankful” Thanksgiving crafts. Best of all, they’re so easy, even your little pilgrims can help.
1. Grateful Napkin Rings
Cut strips of paper, decorate, and write things you’re thankful for. Then simply glue, staple, or tape the ends together to create a napkin ring.
This can make a fun guessing game at dinner, too. Try to guess which person created which ring.
2. Personalized Place Cards
Trace around little hands to create turkeys or just use store-bought place cards. Then decorate them and write the name of each guest on the front. When guests arrive, have them write something they’re thankful for about each person on the back of the cards.
Use these to indicate where everyone should sit, for place cards that are treats in themselves.
3. Recipe Memento
Get a scrapbook and have everyone write down the recipe for a dish they made this year or an all-time family favorite. Then have the kids decorate the pages with crayons, paint, pictures, stickers, etc.
For added fun (and a good laugh years ahead), have the kids write down their favorites and how they think they’re made. For those who can’t write yet, transcribe their responses. Make sure to date them, too.
You can either create a book just for this year or one you’ll add to year after year.
4. Family Hall of Fame
Use this template (which has room for a picture, too) or create your own award “plaques” by decorating pieces of paper. Make sure you have one for each person and call out something special about everyone. Then use your plaques to decorate your kitchen, entry way, or dining room.
Here are some ideas: Best Joke Teller, Most Creative, Best Hugs, Biggest Football Fan, Best Dancer, Most Contagious Laugh, Best Cook, Best Dish Washer, Most Adventurous, Best Hair, Best Listener, etc.
You could save your awards in a scrapbook and add to it annually, or take photos of the recipients with their awards and create a digital book on a photo site like Shutterfly, Snapfish, or Target Photo. Easier yet, print the photos and slip them into a no-fuss album.
5. Award Certificates
Similar to the previous idea, create award certificates (with the template below or your own design). Then either present them after dinner (I’m imaging “Chariots of Fire” playing in the background … ) or roll them up, secure with a ribbon, label by name, and use them for your place cards.
Here’s to all the things we’re thankful for this holiday, not the least of which are our families, friends, and shared times together.
Have your own favorite “thankful” Thanksgiving crafts? Please share!
My Castle Heart Publications 
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