It’s nearing that time of the year where family traditions are shared amongst your loved ones. In preparation for the upcoming turkey day, I’d love to share with you a tradition that I’ve started with my kids, which carried over from something I used to love doing as a child and continued into my adult life. Thanksgiving name place cards. I actually have no idea how it started – it probably began one year with me coloring everyone’s name on an index card, glorifying them with fall related stickers. Either way, I remember it being something that I looked forward to doing every Thanksgiving. Now with my kids, it’s something fun and creative that we can do as a family and also creates a keepsake for years to come.

The basics:

• Start with some form of card stock, scrapbook paper, or even buy cheap pre-made place cards from local craft store.
• Write the names on the cards.
• Decorate with fun stickers, glitter, feathers and other crafty add-ons.
• Hint: tiny hands make for cute turkeys!

Here is one of my favorites from recent years past made courtesy of Brooks.

We cut glittery scrapbook paper into squares, added painted hand turkey with googly eyes, and finished them off with more glittery pumpkin stickers and glitter glue names.

 

Last year we took the easy road (aka waited until the last minute and also had a 7 month old) and bought the pre-made fold over cards and added giant 3-D turkey stickers.

This year we are going to “pimp out our pine cones”! Since there is no shortage of pine cones in Asheville, which is where we are travelling this year, I thought this would be an easy and cheap project. Going on the hunt for pine cones will be half the fun and I think any kid would love to paint them and who knows, maybe add a little sprinkle of glitter.

I’d love to hear about your family’s holiday traditions and ideas for place cards. Feel free to leave a comment below. Happy Turkey Day!