Get crafty over the Thanksgiving break Webb Elementary art teacher shares fall craft ideas
Thanksgiving craft ideas
The Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to get creative. And Webb Elementary art teacher Ana Perez has some craft ideas to help you turn your Thanksgiving break into an art fest.
“We started with a nature walk,” Perez said about coming up with these craft ideas. “My daughter and I walked around the neighborhood and gathered leaves and sticks and anything else that looked interesting.”
Then she got creative and turned what they gathered into art.
Check out Perez’ ideas for leaf art and what she calls a “whimsical gratitude wall hanging.”
LEAF ART
There are all kinds of things you can do with leaves. Take a walk outside and gather some that you like. Then use any art supplies that you have on hand – markers, paint, watercolors, crayons or whatever you have – and see what you can come up with.
You don’t have to know what you’re going to create before you start. Just start and see what happens. You can always get more leaves!
“Sometimes, with the little ones, it’s more about the process than the product,” Perez said. “They enjoy it (the painting, coloring, etc.) so much.”
Here are some leaf art ideas:
- Paint the leaves: You can literally paint the leaves and create unique designs or pretty colors.
- Leaf crayon rubbing: You’ll need a leaf, paper and a crayon. See Perez’ step-by-step directions here.
- Marker print: You’ll need a leaf (you can use the crayon rubbing leaf you made above or a real leaf), aluminum foil and washable markers. See Perez’ step-by-step directions here.
- Trace print: You’ll need a leaf and paper and then markers, crayons and watercolors – or whatever you want to use. Perez said that the store 5 Below has good pads of watercolor paper. See the step-by-step directions here.
- Woodcut leaves: You’ll need woodcut leaves, paper, water and watercolors. Perez bought nine woodcut leaves at Hobby Lobby for less than $2. See the step-by-step directions here.
What other ideas do you have?
WHIMSICAL GRATITUDE WALL HANGING
Perez started outside again to create her whimsical gratitude wall hanging, using a stick she found for the pole from which all the elements hang. She also included some of the leaf art that she and her daughter made.
Most importantly, she made sure to incorporate gratitude.
“Take some time to be thankful,” she said. “Having the main theme of gratitude is very important.”
Among the elements she hung were several oval-shaped pieces of paper with the words of some of the things she is most thankful for right now, like family.
She also hung pom poms and accented the woodcut leaves with glitter paper.
But those are just ideas. Feel free to take inspiration from Perez but come up with your own ideas. It’s up to you what to include in this decorative piece. Make it your own.
And if you would rather make something else, go for it.
“There are so many different ideas around Thanksgiving and fall if you don’t want to do a wall hanging,” Perez said.
You could make a centerpiece, placeholders for table settings, placemats or whatever you can come up with.
The main thing is to be thankful and spend time with family.
Have fun and Happy Holidays!