I love that November brings a fairly universal focus on expressing gratitude (at least in the US, as it's Thanksgiving), but I think it's important to express what you're thankful for on a regular basis, whether it's November or Feb. 29.
That said, the ideas I have to share today are fun Thanksgiving Day ideas to consider. I'll be sharing each of them today on Studio 5. But know that they'll apply any time. The more you want to express what you're thankful for, the merrier!
Gratitude Garland
Wanting a very visual idea for our Thanksgiving—a place where we could capture and display what we're thankful—I created this Gratitude Garland.
“Write what you’re thankful on a strip of fabric, hang it on the garland, and watch as the gratitude fills your home with love.”
Isn't it cool that you can write on fabric with a Micron Pen and it will be permenant? I didn't know this until my awesome new friends at Pine Needles, a fabric shop in Gardner Village, shared the tip. I'm definitely thankful for that bit o' wisdom!
Wanting to bring a little variety to my garland, I was sure to hang things of different lengths and textures, including strips of torn fabric, pieces of yarn, lace trims, and a few elements I made from the same fabric.
For the actual sentiment, "give T-H-A-N-K-S," I wrote directly on the fabric using my Stickles glitter glue from Ranger. It was a fast and effective way to make a statement. But you do have to remember the drying time (I let mine sit overnight).
If you're worried guests won't love the idea of free-form writing, look at providing prompts. Even something as simple as "I'm thankful for..." can help direct thoughts and guests.
Tea Towel Thanks
Keeping with the beautiful fabric theme, I also created a gift for our Thanksgiving hosts. I sewed a few pieced bits of fabric to the towel using my sewing machine. I then wrote a message of thanks to them on the back using a fabric marker.
Yeah, this is supposed to say "Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go." BUT, I ran out of orange embroidery floss, so it's partially complete at the moment. And I ran out of room for "Grandmother's." so "Grandma's" will have to do. :-/
Gratitude Journals
For this project, I repurposed an old book, using an adorable new True Friend collection from Fancy Pants Designs to fill in the details.
TIPS
* Leave room between pages of the book to allow enough room for everyone to write a nice note about each guest.
* Don't forget the photos. If you have pics of your guests, add them. They create an added personal touch and immediately turn a gratitude journal into a mini album.
* You'll want to offer some wiggle room in the book, which may mean removing a few of the pages of your book so it has some wiggle room. I simply tore out a few of the pages here and there before starting the project.
* Don't over think it. Simply set up sections for each person at your Thanksgiving table, pull out some pens, paints, and other art supplies, and let guests have fun filling in those details.
Paper Chain Prosperity
This is something I've done for about a year now. Every day, I write a note of thanks on a scrap piece of paper, and I add it to my growing prosperity chain. It's a lovely way to count my blessings and remind myself that life is good, even on the hard days.
To make this exercise/craft easier, consider cutting a bunch of strips ahead of time and having them in a central location where you can write a note and add it to the chain without any trouble.
For this chain, I used the beautiful new Vivienne line by BasicGrey. Isn't it a sweet approach to fall, y'all?
A Word of Thanks
Speaking of offering up thanks, I'd like to give a great BIG thank-you to Marcia with Gardner Village (and my new crafty friend) and Holly, who owns the delightful Pine Needles quilt shop. They've both supported my creative efforts in such a big way, which means the world to me! And they were so wonderful to meet with me and go over fun banner possibilities, and their fabrics are fresh and beautiful, making it such a pretty trip!
Thank you for the very happy day, Gardner Village! My mom, daughter and I had so much fun and want to visit regularly to keep this girls'-day-out idea alive. :)
And thank YOU for visiting today. November and always, I'm thankful for your continued love and support. It touches me that some of what I do connects with you. It offers me purpose in a way I'm not even sure I'm able to put into words. So, please know that I thank you from my heart!
Warmly,
Megan