Family Fun: Easy Thanksgiving Craft Projects
The Internet is chock full of free Thanksgiving images that have a variety of fun uses. They can be used to impart a traditional Thanksgiving feel on web pages or blogs, or can be pressed into service for those old-time favorites: Thanksgiving crafts. For example, making craft projects out of vintage holiday cards made for Thanksgiving are easy-as-pie, because vintage images are both versatile and very effective at getting a point across. These pictures also usually cost nothing to download and their use doesn’t have any repercussions because their age puts them beyond copyright protection.
Doing a quick Web search for “vintage Thanksgiving cards” will produce a large selection of free images from which many cool crafts projects can be made. And, of course, if you don’t like vintage, contemporary Thanksgiving images or free Thanksgiving scrapbooking paper can also produce great craft projects.
Here are some examples of simple projects virtually anyone can make by using free images found online:
* Thankful Garlands *
Crafting Thanksgiving garlands is as simple as having guests or family members write their blessings on leaves cut from construction paper. Then, download and print an assortment of vintage Thanksgiving cards and using miniature clothespins, affix the cards and the leaves in an alternating pattern onto a long piece of ribbon or yarn. In the absence of clothespins, you can use paper clips, colorful clamps you can get at the office supply store or tape to hold everything in place. If you want, you could also use contemporary Thanksgiving clip art instead of the cards to alternate with the leaves. Once finished, drape the garland over a windowsill or a mantelpiece to show off everyone’s good work!
* Handmade Thanksgiving Cards *
Once you’ve gone online and downloaded the image you would like to use, paste it into a Word, PowerPoint or OneNote document. You can make the card virtually whatever size you want using the software’s settings. Position the image on one half of the card, so it can be folded in half once it’s printed. Print the card on sturdy stock, fold it and use a little glitter glue to make it sparkle. You can also make your own envelopes or just get some at the dollar store.
* Thanksgiving Place Cards *
The Thanksgiving dinner table is much prettier when you use table place cards. Fortunately, these can be made quite easily using vintage cards or free clip art images. Just download the image or images you want to use and paste them into a table in your word processing program. The table should have two columns and six or eight rows, depending on how long and thin you want the cards. Place your chosen art into every other cell, leaving room to write people’s names. Then, print the page onto card stock, cut them out using a paper cutter or a ruler and craft knife and they’ll be ready to fold in half. Voila! That’s it. Your holiday table will be that much more festive.
I hope you have a great time making these Thanksgiving craft projects and that you have a great holiday!
Tags: fall scrapbook paper, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving clip art, Thanksgiving scrapbook paper, vintage Thanksgiving cards