Festive Thankful Tree – Thanksgiving Activity

It’s that time of year again…you know what I am talking about.  The time of year when everything seems to pick up pace tenfold and before you know it, the holidays are here in the blink of an eye…literally! This time of year is so much fun getting everything ready for the big day.  I mean Christmas.  The time for reflection, giving, helping, and receiving. It’s a magical time of year, yet it can be overly stressful as we let the lists, tasks and shopping get the very best of us. This is why I am so excited to share with you what has become one of our most favorite family traditions. It really helps to set the mood for Christmas and just how much we have to be thankful for.

 

While out shopping at our local thrift store I came across this beauty and knew right away that it would be perfect for what I wanted to do.  So, for a stellar $1.00, I brought her home.

 

After a nice bath and a little scrubbing, I was able to get the remainder of the stripes off and was left with a nice big glass jar, just the way it was meant to be.

I knew that I wanted a good filler and something that reminds me of Thanksgiving, so while on my weekly grocery shopping trip, I came across these beautiful corn kernels and the vision started to form.

Now for the fun part.  Time to get it ready to fill up!  Here’s a little cheaters guide if you will.  If you don’t want to fill the whole thing, but have it look full, insert a cup upside down to take up some space and ta-da! Pretty cool right? And you would never guess there’s a little surprise in the middle.

I found a few dead branches in the back yard and pulled out my Cricut. I had some fall colors of cardstock on hand and got to work.  I used the Straight from the Nest cartridge, set it at a 9 and started to cut out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s how the leaves look all cut out. Aren’t they so pretty and festive?!

While at the store I picked up some baker’s twine. I measured at 5” and made my cuts. I ended up with quite a bit once I was done. Punched my holes with a small paper punch, put the string through, tied them up and put them in a basket next to the jar with the branches in it.

If you don’t have a Cricut, this is a project you can still you have fun with.  Just trace a simple leaf and cut it out.

Here it is our Thankful Tree!  Every night before we go to bed, we write something that we are thankful for on a leaf and add it to the tree.  I love this tradition.  It helps us remember just how much we have, how lucky we are, and helps us develop a deep sense of gratitude! I hope you enjoy this and have fun making your Thankful Tree!

Happy Thanksgiving!