Make · Occasion
Thanksgiving projects
31 things to make for Thanksgiving, sorted by who is making them.
3 projects
Toddlers
Pumpkin pie playdough
Soft orange dough that smells like pumpkin pie, made in 10 minutes from pantry staples.
Handprint fall tree
A brown handprint tree with fingertip leaves in red, orange and yellow, and a fall keepsake to frame.
Paper plate turkey
A round turkey with bright paper feathers your toddler glues around the edge.
5 projects
Preschoolers
Handprint turkey
A rainbow handprint becomes a puffed-up turkey, the classic Thanksgiving keepsake for the fridge.
Thankful tree
A paper tree on the wall where everyone adds a leaf with something they're thankful for, all November long.
Thanksgiving collage placemat
A wipeable placemat your preschooler designs for their own seat at the Thanksgiving table.
Bubble wrap corn
Paint bubble wrap and press it on paper to print bumpy rows of corn kernels for a fall harvest picture.
Turkey feather counting game
A paper plate turkey with numbered clothespin feathers that your preschooler counts, clips and matches.
5 projects
Kids
Fall leaf mason jar lantern
Glue real or paper leaves onto a mason jar with Mod Podge, drop in a battery candle, and it glows amber all evening.
Thankful turkey
A paper turkey with feathers your family fills in, one thing you're thankful for on each one.
Corn husk dolls
Soak dried corn husks and tie them into a little doll, an old fall craft that only needs string and patience.
Paper bag pumpkins
Stuff a lunch bag with newspaper, twist the top into a stem, paint it orange, and it stands on the table like a real pumpkin.
Leaf rubbing art
Collect fall leaves, put them under paper, and rub with crayons to reveal every vein and edge.
2 projects
Teens and students
7 projects
Grown-ups
Hand-dipped beeswax tapers
A pair of tall honey-gold taper candles built up one dip at a time, the old way, slow and oddly calming.
2x4 wood pumpkins
Chunky little pumpkins cut from a single 2x4, painted in fall colors and topped with real twig stems.
Dried flower fall wreath
A grapevine wreath tucked with dried wheat, eucalyptus and strawflowers that looks good from September through Thanksgiving.
Velvet fabric pumpkins
Plush velvet pumpkins with real dried stems, the high-end fall decor look for a few dollars each.
Leaf-printed cloth napkins
Plain cotton napkins printed with real fall leaves for a Thanksgiving table that looks pulled together.
Scented cinnamon pinecones
Foraged pinecones baked clean and scented with cinnamon, for bowls and baskets that smell like the holidays.
4x4 tealight candle holders
A trio of chunky wood blocks drilled to hold tea lights, a quick rustic centerpiece that sells well at fairs.
9 projects
Seniors and grandkids
Clove orange pomanders
Oranges studded with cloves in swirls and stripes, an old-fashioned holiday decoration that smells wonderful for weeks.
Thanksgiving place cards
Folded name cards decorated with real pressed leaves or stamped acorns for every seat at the holiday table.
Pine cone turkeys
Little Thanksgiving turkeys with paper feather tails, made from pine cones you pick up on a walk.
Leaf rubbing cards
Fall leaves rubbed onto cards with crayons, so every vein shows up like magic as you color.
Yarn-wrapped pumpkins
Soft, round pumpkins made by winding chunky yarn around a cardboard ring, as soothing to make as they are cute.
Fall potpourri sachets
Little fabric bags filled with cinnamon, cloves and dried orange peel to tuck in drawers or give away.
Thankful tree
A branch in a jar hung with paper leaves where everyone writes something they're grateful for.
No-carve painted pumpkins
Pumpkins painted with simple patterns, faces or dots that last for weeks longer than carved ones and need no knife.
Fall grapevine wreath
A full, rustic front-door wreath of faux leaves, berries and mini pumpkins tucked into a grapevine base.