by Trenna Sue Hiler

Created on: November 01, 2009   Last Updated: January 21, 2010

One way to let the family know we are celebrating is by using a centerpiece as a sign of a special occasion. Since dinner is the one of the main activities of the day it is a good time to introduce a creative Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Use things that are around the house and in the cupboards. These are easy to find and with a little ingenuity they can be turned into centerpieces and decorations of the Thanksgiving feast. This year ditch the turkey decorations and celebrate with a Native American theme. After all, they were invited guests at the first Thanksgiving feast.

Since it is not legal to have actual artifacts, we will have to settle for some cute crafts that can be made at home and still have that interesting Thanksgiving flair.

Lets get to the extras and then put together our centerpiece runner. Take some basic cream colored place mats. These are going to be pumped up with a few corn cobs and some fabric paints. Bold rolls of the corn cob after it is dipped in the paint will make a great design similar to a rug.

Napkin rings dress up any table. These are designed to remind the guest of Indian corn.
Supplies:
*felt
*popsicle sticks
*small paint brush
*bottle cap (off a plastic soda bottle)
*tacky craft glue
*lots and lots of simple colorful buttons
*scissors

1. Cut felt into 4 X 5 1/2 inch pieces for each napkin ring. Use a light brown felt for the best results.

2. Put a little glue in a bottle cap and use the paint brush to spread the glue. Start flush to one end of the felt at the short end of the rectangle. Center the popsicle stick so the overhand is even. Glue on twelve stick. Lay them side by side, but glue them to the felt, not to each other. There will be an over hang of felt. Allow them to dry.

3. Once the glue dries, take the overlapping felt to the inside felt and form a ring. Allow to dry.

4. Spread out the buttons and glue them on the sticks in a pattern that comes to resemble an ear of Indian corn.

Those are extras. Now lets get to the centerpieces that will run the length of the table. These are simply Indian tepees and fires. Along with some felted leaf garland to hold the look together.

The fires are made by taking baby food jars and simply gluing small stick to the outside of the jar. Make sure they are tall enough to cover the neck of the jar. For this project use spray adhesive that is resistant to heat. Drop in tea lights and light them as dinner begins. The fires will have a nice little glow.

Tepees
Supplies:
*cake decorating icing
*sugar cones
*confectioners'

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