Stylish Thanksgiving Centerpiece Crafts

Why would you spend hundreds of dollars on Thanksgiving decorations? Take a leaf from the book of grade school: making it yourself is so much more fun and fashionable. I don't mean pull out your scissors and school glue and make a hand print turkey for your wall, we are adults now after all (at least physically). But you can have fun making your own Thanksgiving decorations that will have your guests in awe.

The centerpiece is the hardest part of my Thanksgiving table. Most of the time there is no room for a centerpiece even when the side dishes are all put onto side tables and trays. But I always manage to come up with something inspirational and reusable. I always believe function over fashion, while fashion is good it is even better if there is a purpose behind its creation. So, all decorations should be functional. I like cornucopias, so I made one myself that was very functional, and a lot of fun to make and use.

Right before Thanksgiving most of the craft stores are getting rid of their fall inventory trying to make room for Christmas items. I can usually find a shell for a cornucopia and maybe even some bits of artificial straw or fall flowers and plants. If I cannot find the horn itself I can easily make one from a balloon in a funnel. Blow up a balloon until it is just big enough to fit about 1/3 of the way into the funnel. Then just papier mache around both and leave the top of the balloon open for the opening of the horn. Then pop the balloon, remove the funnel, and Viola! Fill the horn with butternut or acorn squash, small pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, an ear of corn, or other fall produce that you can use. Don't forget the wheat sheaths or fall flowers.

The best part is that after the feast and for the days of leftover turkey to come, you can then use your horn of plenty. Bake the butternut squash with some brown sugar and walnuts in the center. Prepare the pumpkins for a delicious pumpkin cheesecake. Corn and potatoes and tomatoes go with just about any meal! That's right. You can eat the best of the cornucopia, then save the horn for next year. This is a fun way to spice up those leftovers and still make your table beautiful for Thanksgiving.