With Thanksgiving creeping up, you may be wondering how you’ll make your home a welcoming haven for your family and friends on turkey day. After all, there’s nothing like a splash of harvest decorations to add that little something to a Thanksgiving gathering. And there are plenty of easy, DIY options for making your own decorations. Even if you’re not the one hosting, these projects could make great host gifts, too.
By turning to a little DIY, you can also keep it green by incorporating recycled paper, reused vases or whatever else you have around to reuse. Below are 15 ways to add a little DIY to your Thanksgiving.
1. Thanksgiving place cards
This cute craft is perfect for any Thanksgiving table. The burlap gives the item a rustic, harvest appeal, like it would have come from a sack of grain. And the paper leaves could come from some recycled paper. Plus, it’s a great upcycle project for old clothespins. You can find the full tutorial at Typically Simple.
2. Acorn vase
This is an item that would look great as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece, or just as a home accent for when guests are over. The acorns give it that perfect harvest feel. You can see the whole tutorial at Eclectically Vintage.
3. Autumn décor plaques
These wonderfully easy home plaques would be great to have out during Thanksgiving, especially if they’re bearing messages of thanks. The messages were just painted on using some stencils, which the crafter made using a Silhouette machine. It’s a great use for reclaimed wood. You can find the whole tutorial at 100 Things 2 Do.
4. DIY tablescape
This table layout makes the best of nature and dollar store items. This entertainer actually reused some wood slices from another project. Some pinecones and leaves round out the natural look. The candles came from the dollar store, though you can also consider making some homemade ones out of organic materials. The placemats were made from some poster board, which the blogger embellished with some metallic markers. You can see the full post with photos at Bless’er House.
5. Thanksgiving wreath and autumn decorations
This Thanksgiving wreath would look cute greeting family and friends on turkey day. You’d only need to glue some faux leaves to a wreath base and add ribbon with the word “Thankful” painted on it. The crafter also used faux leaves to create the cute fall indoor tree in the photo above. The project also includes some lovely, rustic jute-wrapped candles. You can see the full post detailing this display at Make The Best of Things.
6. Clothespin Thanksgiving wreath
This is a great upcycle project for any old clothespins you have lying around. It was made by painting some clothespins and clipping them to a wreath base. Guests can write what they are thankful for on the clothespins. It’s an easy project with a big impact that even works as a sort of party game. Find out more at Chica and Jo.
7. Thanksgiving banner
This banner was made with clipboard letters for added dimension. It’s a perfect way to spice up dull doorways and empty wall space around Thanksgiving. You can find out more about the project at The Autocrat.
8. Be thankful jar
Here’s another easy craft that can be turned into an interactive party activity. Visitors can write down what they are thankful for and put it in the jar. It’s a great upcycle project for old jars, as well. Some raffia and wood covered with chalk paint give this project instant charm. You can find out more at That’s What {Che} Said.
9. Thanksgiving glass centerpieces
This project would make great use of any old vases you have around. The crafter actually attached some candlestick holders to some standard glassware with Gorilla Glue. Finding these items used at places like Goodwill is also a great upcycling option. You can find the whole project at The Life You Live.
10. Thankful and grateful printable
Pintables are a great option for DIY décor. They’re quick, easy, inexpensive and require no artistic talent. They could be glued to a reused item like reclaimed wood, put in a picture frame or made into placemats. You can print them on reused paper using a refillable ink cartridge to keep it green. And you can even reuse the printable year after year.
The Thanksgiving printable above from periwinkleinc at etsy is a perfectly easy little embellishment for around the home. In the photo above, it’s been placed beautifully into a picture frame. Here’s where looking at reuse shops of old frames will come in handy.
11. Eucharisteo printable
This printable features the Greek word for thanksgiving. This is another great use for recycled/reused paper and a vintage picture frame. You can find the downloadable from TheMeekBoutique at etsy.
12. Table runner pattern
Here’s a project for sewing types. This classic Thanksgiving design is perfect for traditional home designs, and the “Thank You, God” wording makes it perfect for religious/spiritual homes. You can find the pattern from 2SistersAtHeart at etsy.
13. White pumpkin pattern
This cloth pattern is great for harvest decorations all through the fall season. The pattern comes as a digital download from chestnutjunction at etsy.
14. Burlap wreath
This is a great all-purpose project for fall that will look charming around Thanksgiving. Again, burlap adds to the harvest feel, making it seem like your materials were pulled from used sacks of grain. You can also use some Thanksgiving themed fabric with the burlap to make it specific to the holiday. This wreath was made by looping the fabric through a wire wreath frame. You can learn how at Kenarry.
15. Turkey wreath
How cute would this look greeting your Thanksgiving guests? It was primarily made by wrapping some ribbon and tulle around a foam wreath base. The turkey’s face was also made from some basic craft foam parts. You can find out how to make this fun craft at Occasionally Crafty.
