Thanksgiving Traditions

With Thanksgiving coming this Thursday, there’s lots to do. This morning, on WUSA9 News, reporter Peggy Fox and Liz McConville, the Resource Editor for FAMILY Magazine talked about some really fun crafts you can do with your kids for Thanksgiving.

In our family, we love traditions. A couple of years ago my grandkids made name place cards for our holiday table and then assigned where each person would sit. We use these cards every single year (Christmas and Thanksgiving) just adding the new people when there are new ones at our holiday table. The kids get the place cards out and talk about when they made them. They also talk about how much better they can write now! But it is fun and really gives me a warm feeling to hear the conversation when they are arranging the table and assigning seats. It is a hoot!

Some of Liz’s decorations are really cute and such good ideas I think we will incorporate them this year.

Finger Stamp Place Cards
Materials
• Card stock
• Nontoxic stamp pads in brown, red, orange, and yellow
• Glue
• Googly eyes
• Paint markers

Instructions
1. For each bird, fold a piece of card stock as shown (ours were roughly 3 by 4 inches). Set out nontoxic stamp pads in brown, red, orange, and yellow. Using your thumb or index finger, stamp rings of yellow, orange, and red, and a brown turkey body.
2. Glue googly eyes in place, then use paint markers to draw on a beak, snood, and feet and to write a guest's name below the bird.

For more crafts like this one, check out: http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-craft-decorations/thanksgiving-table-nameplates/finger-stamp-place-cards-673438/


Indian Corn Napkin Rings
By: Amanda Formaro

What you'll need:
• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Tissue paper: yellow, orange and burgundy
• White craft glue
• Pencil with an eraser

How to make it:
1. Cut construction paper vertically in strips about 1.5” wide. Each strip will yield two napkin holders.
2. Cut each strip in half to get 2 napkin holders.
3. Cut tissue paper into 1” squares.
4. Cover a 1” section of the construction paper strip with white craft glue.
5. Twist a square of yellow tissue paper around the pencil eraser and push down onto the glue. Remove pencil, leaving the tissue paper on the construction paper.
6. Repeat step number 5 with tissue paper, alternating orange and burgundy for every 2-3 yellow.
7. Cover entire strip of construction paper, leaving only ½” at the end without tissue paper.
8. Bend into a “ring” and glue together.
9. Let dry completely then carefully insert a napkin.

For more crafts like this one, check out: http://crafts.kaboose.com/indian-corn-napkin-rings.html


Why not decorate the table with these festive crafts that the whole family will enjoy making as well as using in the future?

From all of us here at FAMILY Magazine we wish you a happy and joyous Thanksgiving.

Brenda