Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is meant to be spent with family and friends; it is also a holiday that celebrates the things we are thankful for. One way to show that you are thankful for your family is to spend time doing various Thanksgiving activities with them, but it also increases the amount of time you get to spend with them.

Here are some Thanksgiving activities for the family to enjoy.

Paper-Mache Gourds and Pumpkins

If you have little kids they will require a lot of help with this activity, but older kids should be able to do it on their own. It should take you about 2 hours to complete the project, and you have to allow it to dry overnight.

• Supplies

Newspaper
Bag of 5 inch balloons
Shallow bowl
Mixing spoon
¾ cup flour
½ cup water
Popcorn kernels
Craft paints - orange, yellow, green, brown, and black
Paintbrushes
Clear acrylic finish spray
Felt - green and brown
Scissors
Glue gun
Wicker basket
Spanish moss, you can also use raffia

• Directions

• Blow up the balloons and tie a knot in the end to secure the balloons; you will need at least six balloons.


• Mix the flour and water together in the shallow bowl to form a paste. You want the paste to be thick enough to coat a piece of paper without dripping.


• Tear the newspaper into 1 inch wide strips


• Dip the paper into the paste and run your fingers down the paper to remove the excess paste. You want to ensure that the paper is evenly coated.


• Place the strip of paper vertically onto the balloon. Repeat this procedure until the balloon is covered in vertical strips of paper.


• Make sure you leave a hole at the top of the balloon where the knot is located.


• Now you will need to add horizontal strips of paper to the balloon until the balloon is covered with a ¼-inch layer of paper.


• If you want a bumpy texture for the gourds, you can place popcorn kernels between the layers of newspaper.


• Once all of the strips have been put in place press them to the balloon to keep the shape intact. You also want to rub some extra paste around the strips to smooth everything out.


• Make stems by twisting several pieces of newspaper together and then dipping them into the paste.

1. Allow everything to dry overnight.


2. Pop the balloons and pull it out of the gourd.


3. Glue the stem into the hole of each gourd.


4. Paint the gourds and stems and allow them to dry overnight.


5. Spray each gourd with a coat of clear acrylic spray and allow it to dry.


6. Using the felt make some leaves to glue to the top of each gourd


7. Place the gourds inside the basket that is filled with Spanish moss or raffia.