Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays—and not just because it gives us an excuse to eat ourselves into a food coma and watch a day of football. We love the idea of gathering with friends and family and sharing what we are all most thankful for in our lives. Which is why we fell in love with this idea from HGTV.com.
It’s called a Thankful Tree and it is a great way for friends and family to visually share what they are thankful for while also providing you with a piece of home décor that will become a part of your Thanksgiving tradition.
Here’s what you need:
- A package of 36 large, die-cut paper leaves
- Black gel pens
- A hole punch
- Scissors
- Spool of baker’s twine
- 2 bunches of curly willow
- Postcard paper
- Picture frame
- Package of crayons
- Colored pencils
- Tall, sturdy vase
Directions:
- Place the bundles of willow into your vase—making sure they are spread out enough so people can hang things from the branches.
- Using the hole punch, make a hole at the base of each leaf.
- Cut baker’s twine into three-inch strips and thread the twine through the hole of each leaf, bringing both ends together to create a loop with a knot at the top.
- Create a postcard that gives guests details about the tree, including instructions. Put the postcard in a picture frame beside the tree.
- When guests arrive, give them a leaf and a black gel pen to write what they are thankful for. Be sure to encourage even the little “non writers” to participate by having crayons available for creating pictures instead of messages.
- Have each guest hang his or her leaf on the tree.
At the end of your celebration, have each guest share their message with the group and take their leaf home as a wonderful memory of the holiday.
Click here for full, visual instructions and share your Thankful Tree with us on Twitter or Facebook.
Talk to us: Let’s create a virtual Thankful Tree—what are you most thankful for this year?