Having some themed Thanksgiving crafts on hand is a great way to entertain your younger holiday guests over what can be a long day, but I’m never quite sure what to do with all the finished projects after the kids are done with them.
So, this year I’ve been tracking down plenty of Thanksgiving crafts for kids that can double as your table’s centerpiece or work as a place setting. Because, how adorable is that?
Take a look! Plenty of them work with materials you probably already have at home — some may require a quick run to the craft store. On your way to pick up all those last minute back-up frozen pie crusts, of course.
At top: Thankful Turkey at Crafts by Amanda; pie slice place cards at Brite and Bubbly
Related: Free Thanksgiving coloring pages that help kids express gratitude
For a dramatic centerpiece that the kids can help with, consider this wonderful idea for a DIY Gratitude Tree at The House that Lars Built. The kids can gather the sticks from the yard or park, and they can make sure everyone fills out a leaf to hang from the branches. There’s a template for cutting the leaves in the post, although I think arming the kids with a leaf craft punch might be easier.
Related: Free Thanksgiving coloring pages to help children express gratitude
I know, I know…these DIY pumpkin place cards at Fun 365 look pretty chic (and, therefore, intimidating) in terms of a Thanksgiving craft for kids. However the pumpkins can be ordered through a link in the post ready for your kids to paint. And I actually think they’d be a lot cuter with your kids’ messy artwork on them. Of course, if you have tweens or older who want to pull off this sophisticated look, that’s awesome too.
We shared our own tips for making a DIY thankful turkey, but I love the shape of this cute thankful turkey Thanksgiving craft for kids at Crafts by Amanda, allowing guests to fill it with their own thankful thoughts. As you sit around the table to eat, read from the cards in the box and celebrate all the wonderful things you’re thankful for this year.
Related: A collection of culturally and historically accurate Thanksgiving coloring pages for kids
These cute printable corn cob gratitude books from Handmade Charlotte make perfect place cards for your Thanksgiving dinner. Your kids who are good with scissors can cut them out from the template and assemble them, then encourage everyone to fill theirs out and share them after they fill their plates.
Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner, and these cute DIY pie slice place cards at Brite and Bubbly are such a fun surprise on the plate. My kids would love taking the time to make this Thanksgiving craft — one for each member of our family — and they’d get such a kick out of hiding a piece of chocolate under each name card while we wait for our guests to arrive.
