by M. L. Kiser

Created on: November 09, 2010   Last Updated: November 13, 2010

The holidays are the perfect time to engage the children in family crafts.  After all, if you’re going to make a Thanksgiving dinner, you are going to need things like: napkin rings and coasters; maybe even place cards.  Incidentally, these are all things that your kids can help you to provide for your Turkey-Day Dinner.

Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

Needed:

Safety or scrapbooking scissors, (scalloped edge)

Heavy card stock sheets in earth tone sheets, brown, green, red, yellow, white

Good paper craft glue like Aileen’s

Leaf Punches

Have the kids to cut strips from the card stock, about 2” wide by 8 ½” long with scalloped edge scissors.  Have them to make a ring that will fit over a napkin and glue the overlapping ends together tightly with just enough glue to hold them on about 1” of the ends; you don’t want so much glue  that the card stock puckers.

Punch out the leaves, 2 or 3 different varieties and earth tone colored papers if you have more than one punch shape and glue them onto the top of the napkin ring; about 3 or 4 should do it.  Let them dry and then slide over your napkins when you set your Thanksgiving table for an attractive display that you and your children will be proud to share.

These can also be made with colored Fun Foam, but it has a tendency to dull punches quickly.  If you do have a dull punch, you can punch a few pieces through aluminum foil with the punch in order to sharpen it a bit.  You can glue the Fun Foam with Fun Foam adhesive or even Hot Glue.  (Caution: Young children should not use hot glue or hot glue guns without close adult supervision).

Coasters

Needed:

Roll of Cork matting

Sharp Safety Scissors

Hot glue and gun

Sharpie’s in black and various Fall colors

A pumpkin or gourd template (Download from the internet and print off as many as you need). You can also use one from a coloring book or draw one yourself if you are a fairly decent artist.)

Heavy clear Mylar plastic sheets

Several old, useless computer CD’s

Have the children trace the outline of the CD shape onto cork with a black Sharpie pen.  Let them cut out the round, helping them to ensure smooth edges and hot glue it into place on the labeled side of the CD.  Make sure there are no jagged or off-centered edges; let dry for a few minutes while you are drawing the pumpkin or gourd.  This provides a non-skid backing that won’t harm your table or finish.

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