On Thanksgiving Day, dining room tables around the country will certainly be the center of attention. To keep your children happily engaged while the parents are preparing dinner, why not put them to work making the table decorations? Thanksgiving table decorations don't need to be expensive; all they really require is some imagination. With a few basic supplies, your children can create an assortment of decorations that are uniquely their own.

Decorated tablecloth

Inexpensive white vinyl tablecloths can be purchased at the dollar store for $1. Drape the cloth on a work area, and let the kids decorate the vinyl using felt markers. Have them draw turkeys, pumpkins, cornucopias, autumn leaves, or any other Thanksgiving symbol that comes to mind. For extra pizzazz, have them embellish the tablecloth with glitter glue and dimensional paints. If using this type of media, allow for at least 24 hours of drying time before putting the tablecloth to use.

Paper placements

Homemade paper place mats have been a Thanksgiving table staple for at least 50 years or more. Place mats can be either decorated sheets of construction or woven strips of paper. To make a woven place mat, cut slits from one end of a sheet of construction paper to another, leaving a one inch border all around the end. Cut a contrasting sheet of construction paper into 1/2 inch strips. Weave the paper strips through the slits to create this sturdy paper place mat.

Decorated pumpkin

Next to the turkey, pumpkins are the quintessential Thanksgiving decoration. Buy an assortment of pumpkins in different sizes, and have your children decorate their pumpkins with acrylic paints. Arrange the decorated pumpkins in the center of the table, tucking in autumn leaves around the pumpkins for a little variety.

Cranberry Tree

For this whimsical decoration, you will need a tall styrofoam cone and a couple of bags of fresh cranberries. To create the tree, attach the cranberries to the styrofoam cone with either hot glue or stick pins to create an unusual centerpiece

Autumn candles

Decorated candles are a favorite past time for children. For supplies, all that's needed are several white, stout candles and as assortments of dried leaves, acorns, seeds, pine cones, and other natural ingredients. Soften the candle by immersing in hot water for 30 seconds or so. While the wax is still soft, press leaves and woodland pieces into the sides. If desired, dip the decorated candle into melted paraffin to "seal" the embellishments.

Napkin Rings

Toilet paper rolls make terrific napkin rings for children to decorate. Simply cut a toilet paper roll in half, and let your children decorate the cardboard with bits of construction paper, dried leaves, or string.

Thanksgiving candle sticks

This is a fabulously fun craft that uses recycled wine bottles, decoupage medium, and lots of Thanksgiving pictures cut from old magazines. To make the candle stick, glue Thanksgiving and autumn pictures to the wine bottle, completely covering the bottle. It's OK to overlap pictures, in fact, the more overlapping that happens, the cooler the design looks. Once the pictures are in place, cover the entire bottle with decoupage medium. You may wish to use a brush, but for children, bare hands work best of all. The decoupage medium will need at least 4-6 hours to dry thoroughly.

Thanksgiving is a time of celebrating with our families. By letting your children participate in the festivities with their own special decorations, this holiday will become more meaningful for them as well.

Learn more about this author, C. Jeanne Heida.
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