With the upcoming holiday season, I find myself diligently trying to come up with ways to keep my kids appreciative and aware of their blessings. Oddly enough, I find that it gets a little more difficult as they get older. They “think they know”, and they “get it, Mom”. I have nearly perfect kids, but they can always be more appreciative, right?
I’ve made and talked about Thanksgiving garlands and thankful trees in the past, so it was a project I knew I wanted to do again. I used my shape cutter at school to make these leaves for a project last year but didn’t end up using them. You hold onto to something long enough around here, it’ll get used again!
I strung some small jute back and forth and secured it with thumb tacks on the edges. Then I just clipped the leaves in place.
The lettering (if that’s what you call that artistry) was traced on using an overhead projector. One of the many talents I wish I possessed? Chalkboard art. One of the many talents I don’t possess? Chalkboard art.
Cost? Free. Skills required? Tracing. And some eyeballing. So what do you do? Trees? Garlands? Spray painted messages on the walls? Feel free to share! And feel free to count up all the question marks I used in this post.
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Love it, turned out so cute. I don’t do anything. My problem is the follow through. I have a good idea and get my kids on board and then it fizzles out, and in the end I feel bad because it looks like we aren’t thankful.
I was so super impressed with the chalkboard writing!!!! You totally burst my bubble with the overhead projector…but pretty clever idea! If I wrote it, my family would stand there going, ‘what’s that say? Jave Pranks???’ (my family thinks they’re funny) Love this idea tho, and I won’t tell your school you used their equipment for your own personal use.
I love it. I started a thankful project, but my boys have been such ungrateful beasts lately, I’ve given up. Why do they always turn on you when you want to do something crafty, fun, and meaningful for them?!
I ended up with a bunch of bags of those silk fall leaves from the Dollar Tree. I had the beasts saying one thing they are thankful for each night, and my master plan was to write their thanks on leaves, with their name & the year. Those leaves would be used to make them progressive “Thankful Trees” using plain styrofoam cones (dressed with something cute to cover the nakedness of course!) Something I can use and reflect on, and then pass to each of the boys when they eventually have a home of their own.
Oh Chris, This takes me back to when you and your brother were kids. I was always trying to do those things with you both. Looks like it took! You are a wonderful mother and have two wonderful kids. Love your Thankful garland. Very pretty.