Ever since I started hosting Thanksgiving dinner many years ago, I have included a Thanksgiving grateful tree as our centerpiece. I usually send Mr. Mountaineer out (now a days there’s at least one little one following in his footsteps) to scavenge for some branches and I create circles (or turkeys… or even blank slips of paper if time has gotten the better of me) for guests to write their grateful thoughts on. It is also tradition at our house that we read aloud our grateful thoughts to the table before hanging it on the branches. Guests have come to enjoy sharing things that they are grateful for with each other.
I plan on continuing our Thanksgiving grateful tree tradition this year, but I wanted to add a little more of a natural touch to the tree. For our recent Thanksgiving kids table, I created a grateful tree using feathers and golden acorns. It’s easy to do and I loved bringing in more natural touches to my table setting. One of the best parts of the grateful tree is that it also serves as a decoration. You can place it on a side board, table centerpiece or entry table. It’s also sweet to watch guests read other’s thoughts as they enjoy Thanksgiving Day. We all have so many things to be thankful for.
You Will Need:
Colorful Medium Cardstock (about 60 pound) – a range of autumn colors works best
Scissors
Baker’s Twine
Gold or Copper Permanent Marker
1. Print the feathers directly onto your medium cardstock.
2. Cut out your feathers using scissors.
Cut inside the lines to give them a clean look on both sides. Add a small hole punch to the base of the feathers if you’re planning on hanging them.
3. At Thanksgiving, have guests write what they’re grateful for on their feathers. We recommend using a gold or copper pen so their writing is easily seen. Hang the feathers from branches or clip them to a bunting.
To set up your own grateful tree, I recommend smaller sized branches from a bush or small tree. You can place them in a vase or large mason jar. I added gold acorns (acorns spray painted gold) as a vase filler. You could also cover the vase in burlap, fill with small rocks or add some color with tissue paper.
Need some more Thanksgiving party inspiration? Check out our Thanksgiving Kids Table ideas and free Thanksgiving printables. It’s the perfect way to set a nature inspired table at your celebration this holiday.
Happy Celebrating,
Natalie
