Thanksgiving Decorations Made with Acorns

Thanksgiving is coming and it's time to start thinking about fall decorating ideas. Fall is when Mother Nature is really showing her colors so it is a perfect time to use natural materials for decorating.

Why acorns?

First of all they are free and we can all use some money saving ideas during the Thanksgiving holiday as we're already stretching our budgets for the Thanksgiving dinners, not to mention Black Friday shopping.

Acorns are also perfect because they remind us animals "gathering" for winter. They remind us of the bounty of the fall harvest and the need to save for winter too.

Acorns are also plentiful and just gathering them will give us (or the kids or grandchildren) some exercise and fresh air.

Acorns have a nice array of brown hues that are perfect for fall decorating and the shiny shells and course caps provide some appealing visual textures.

Lastly, acorns are super easy to use in Thanksgiving decorating whether you're "filling" or "hot gluing."

Don't overlook simple: Filling baskets and glass containers

We'll get to some easy and even more involved Thanksgiving crafts but don't overlook the simple touches for decorating your Thanksgiving tables. A small basket full of acorns is super easy and attractive. Acorns are also pretty in glass containers from ginger jars to cider jugs. It's a great way to reuse your glass apply cider jugs.

A wreath represents the circle of family: Decorate a fall wreath for the door or table

Start with a basic grape vine wreath and a hot glue gun you can create an elegant fall wreath or even table wreath. I like to put the wreath on the Thanksgiving buffet table and sit side dishes or even sauces inside. It's attractive and helps organize the abundance of Thanksgiving dishes.

For my Thanksgiving table centerpiece I hot glued on acorns and some old cinnamon sticks. I also threaded through some dried cornhusks. Use your imagination and keep it within a neutral color scheme for fall.

My favorite acorn craft: The jar candleholder

This is my new favorite Thanksgiving craft using acorns. I used a small jar, one tapered candle, a hot glue gun and lots of acorns.

I held the candle centered and upright in the jar and fill in the sides with acorns to the top. Next I hot glued acorn caps around the rim of the jar. This super simple Thanksgiving craft took just minutes and makes a unique Thanksgiving decoration.

Of course you could also hot glue acorns onto flower vases or even inexpensive napkin rings. I warn you that using acorns for fall decorating is so fun that it can become addictive. I've given the squirrels some competition this year.