Kid-Crafted Thanksgiving Centerpiece: Basket of Thanks

Do you have young children who would just love to help make something for the Thanksgiving holiday? Well, here's your answer: Let them make a centerpiece for your dinner table! Don't worry: This is a craft that even kindergarteners can make (but, it is also suitable for older kids, too). This Basket of Thanks is a simple centerpiece, but it ends up being very cute. And, it will keep your little ones busy while the guests are arriving. What could be better?

Set up a crafting area for the kids so that they can work on this project out of the way of the adults (but not too far out of the way-the kids need to be supervised and adults need to be nearby in case kids have questions or need help). Have an adult explain to the children how to make the Basket of Thanks and make sure to have all of the necessary supplies ready. An adult will need to make one of the supplies ahead of time-the leaf patterns. You can go online and get some patterns HERE -simply print those out, trace them, and then cut out some cardboard templates for the kids to use as patterns.

Supplies needed:

--Construction paper or cardstock in red, green, orange, and yellow

--Traceable leaf pattern templates

--Pencils (one for each child)

--Scissors (one for each child)

--Craft sticks

--Glue sticks

--Wicker basket

--Floral foam block that will fit in the wicker basket

--Fine point Sharpie markers or black pens

Directions:

Children should be able to do all of these steps after an adult has explained them.

Step 1: Take a leaf pattern and trace it with a pencil 2 times onto a piece of construction paper or cardstock in any color. Cut out both leaves.

Step 2: Place one leaf on your work surface. Using a glue stick, put glue around all over the leaf. Place a craft stick in the middle of the leaf, as if it were the stem of the leaf. Then, place the other leaf on top, matching it to the pattern of the first leaf. Press down so that the glue will stick. Set aside to dry.

Step 3: Repeat the above steps, making more leaves with stems. Make sure to have at least one leaf for each person who will be coming to your Thanksgiving dinner.

Step 4: Place the floral foam in the wicker basket.

Step 5: Have the kids ask each person at the house to fill out a leaf, writing down what they are thankful for on it. Kids should fill out leaves, too. Then, all leaves can be "planted" in the floral foam by sticking the craft stick into the foam.

Step 6: As the guests arrive to the holiday dinner, ask them to choose leaves and a marker or pen. Tell them to write what they are thankful for on their leaves. After they are finished, the kids can take each leaf and "plant" it in the floral foam.

At any point, the basket can be put on your dinner table or wherever you would like your centerpiece to be-the kids can just keep building upon it by adding more leaves as guests arrive. Don't have many guests coming to your Thanksgiving dinner? Change the idea a little; instead of having people fill out only one leaf, challenge each person to fill out two or three.

You can also turn this centerpiece into a fun after-dinner activity. Have diners take turns choosing a leaf from the basket. Ask them to read their chosen leaf and then try to guess who might have written that particular leaf. This is a wonderful way to get conversation going about being thankful!

Let your kids be a part of creating your Thanksgiving holiday this year by giving them this project to do. They will be very proud seeing everyone enjoy their work, and this Basket of Thanks centerpiece will be a great addition to your holiday table.