Decorate Your Home for the Holidays with a Thanksgiving Tree
by Michelle Jones
Looking for a simple but meaningful way to celebrate the holidays? Why not make a Family Thanksgiving Tree? Though it's good to start this wonderful holiday project a week before Thanksgiving Day, it's really never too late to make one!
Our family has been making Thanksgiving Trees for several years now and they really make our holidays even more special. As we see our homemade tree hanging up on the wall each day throughout the holiday season (we keep ours displayed all the way through Christmas), it reminds us of how much we are blessed, even with just one quick glance.
It can be so easy to get overly stressed during the holidays, especially
when money is tight or someone in the family might be out of a job or even
seriously ill. But we all really do have so much to be thankful for.
It's amazing how a fun and easy project like this can help everyone get in
the spirit of Thanksgiving, but it truly does!
Here's How to Make a Thanksgiving Tree
First, Create a Tree with Any of the Following...
Poster Board - With a black or brown marker, draw a large tree on a poster
board (forming the outline of a tree trunk and branches), then use small
pieces of scotch tape to attach the poster to a closet or pantry door.
Construction Paper - Tape together several sheets of brown construction
paper to form a tree and branches (use sheets of paper cut in half
lengthwise for the branches), then use small pieces of scotch tape to attach
the tree to a closet or pantry door.
Real Tree Branch - Use a real tree branch that's somewhat flat and attach it
to the door somehow (I haven't tried this method yet but I'm sure it could
work!), or place it in a bucket of sand and pinecones.
Be creative and make your tree bases however you want!
Next, Make Some Leaves to Write on...
Using construction paper or other similar material, cut out a stack of
leaves (preferably the fall colors of red, orange and yellow). Make enough
so that each member of the family will have plenty of leaves to write out
individual things they are thankful for, and even a few extra for holiday
visitors.
Sometimes I like to attach a small envelope to the door to hold the unused
blank leaves, but a small decorative container to place nearby would be even more festive.
Daily Thanksgivings...
At some point during each day, have everyone take a leaf and write something that they are thankful for, or someone's name. If your family is large you might want to limit each person to one thanksgiving leaf per day, otherwise you can write as many as you'd like.
Attach the handwritten leaves (each day) to your tree with a small piece of
scotch tape or a glue stick, turning them in different directions like the
leaves on a real tree. After a few days your Thanksgiving Tree will be full
of blessings and thanksgivings, for everyone to enjoy!
Making a Thanksgiving Tree has become one of our family's treasured holiday traditions. No matter how we make them they are always beautiful to me. And the meanings within our leaves, of all the things we are thankful for (including each other), are the most beautiful of all.
One night when my husband came home from work, the children ran to the tree to find a leaf for him to write on. When they asked him what he was thankful for that day, he answered "I'm thankful for Michelle," and proceeded to write my name on the leaf. The kids just thought that was so cool, because earlier that night I had written his name on my leaf too.
I hope you will try making a Thanksgiving Tree with your family this year,
and every year!
Copyright © by Michelle Jones. All rights reserved.
Michelle Jones, author of Dealing with Debt and Frugal Family Recipes, and
publisher of Living a Better Life: The Free Money-Saving Tips Ezine, is a
frugal mother of 4 who's dedicated to helping families live a better life,
not by spending more money, but less! If you'd like a free subscription to
