Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner and I’m feeling sentimental. Feeling all the thankful feels of this holiday season. Thanksgiving, above all other holidays, gently reminds us to count our blessings.
And, so…I write on chalk boards, on plates propped on easels or on dry erase boards angled in corners of rooms.
I write words like:
Blessed!
Thankful!
Welcome, Thankful Hearts!
Thankfulness Welcomed Here!
Be Thankful!Give Thanks!
My Top 2017 Thanksgiving Creative Ideas Are:
Pretty Thanksgiving table runners.
Scatter small picture frames along your table with pictures of those you are thankful for this year. This is also a great way to remember those who cannot be with you for some reason or another—military duty, death, etc….
Scatter colorful leaves all about and votive candles, too.
Print Scripture verses about being thankful in all things and hot glue them to the leaves before scattering them.
The leaves can be placed on each plate and read before your special Thanksgiving meal. And, if you prefer clip-on picture stands, try using old fashioned wooden clothes pins to create standing picture displays to use beside each dinner plate.
A small tree branch gathered from your yard will work nicely as a Tree of Thankfulness. You can keep the bark in its natural state, or take creative leverages by spray painting your branches in metallic gold, silver, or your favorite Fall color. Then, stick the branch into a block of floral foam, place into a pretty pot, tuck Spanish moss all around it, and…voila!
Add ribbon to colorful leaves (real or fake).
Display pictures of your loved ones by gluing beloved faces in the center of each leaf.
On a few other leaves, write this sentence: “I am thankful for…”
During your special gathering, each guest will take a leaf from your Thankfulness Tree to complete the statement by sharing one thing he or she is thankful for this year.One of my favorite memories was how my mother placed Scripture verses underneath each plate and instructed her guests to read them aloud. Look up verses about gratitude, thankfulness, blessings. Print them on stripes of paper.
Gather your creative friends and allow yourself room to be inspired by their ideas, while sharing a few of your own. You’ll be amazed how creative juices will begin to flow. So let the collaborating begin! You might be surprised by how other creative people can generate unique ideas you might not have considered before.
Whatever you do, decorate to create inspiring environments that sets the mood for thankfulness to flow.
I am excited to share a few photographs that happened while collaborating with my crafty friends, Victoria and Sandy:
Collect:
Pumpkins
Paper or cloth table runners
Fall ribbon
Candles
Potted floral arrangements (pansies and such)
Fresh rosemary, mint, thyme, or basil plantsHand-painted pumpkins (real or fabricated)
Bowls of fresh lemons placed here and there, add a touch of crisp, fall tones of yellow. And experiment with ribbon—a bow here and a knot there, creates a mood of thankfulness everywhere.
Enjoy the process of creating off-the-cuff inspiring centerpieces.
Trust me, your guests will be enthralled and inspired.
Display pretty dishes filled with candy corn and dry roasted peanuts, just in case someone has a snack attack before mealtime.
Desserts displayed like eye-candy atop tiered trays are a lot more interesting when embellished with fall ribbon.
YUMMMM! Makes me feel THANKFUL!
May your hearts and your homes be filled with more love and thanksgiving than ever before.
Decorate your world with thankfulness and love.
I’m super-thankful for each of YOU.
Happy Thanksgiving
By: LaTan Roland Murphy is a writer, speaker, and teacher who also has a decorating business – Interior Elegance by LaTan. LaTan loves encouraging families to be thankful for what they have and helping them use what they have to create beautiful things. Visit LaTan at http://latanmurphy.com.
Comments