50 Thanksgiving Crafts for Families Who Love the Outdoors

Creating Thanksgiving crafts that celebrate the outdoors is a wonderful way to connect with nature and give thanks for the beauty of the world around us. Here are 50 Thanksgiving crafts with more detailed step-by-step instructions and a list of items needed for each craft, perfect for families who love the outdoors:

1. Leaf Place Cards:

• Items Needed: Colorful leaves, metallic pen.
• Steps:
  1. Collect colorful leaves from your outdoor surroundings.
  2. Use a metallic pen to write the names of guests on the leaves.
  3. Place the personalized leaves on the Thanksgiving table as place cards.

2. Pinecone Turkeys:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, googly eyes, felt, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones from the outdoors.
  2. Attach googly eyes to the pinecone as eyes.
  3. Cut out a felt beak and attach it.
  4. Glue feathers onto the back to create the turkey's tail.

3. Acorn Napkin Rings:

• Items Needed: Acorns with caps, cardboard, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Gather acorns with their caps.
  2. Cut a strip of cardboard to the desired length of your napkin ring.
  3. Glue the acorns around the cardboard strip to create the ring.

4. Nature Wreath:

• Items Needed: Twigs, pinecones, leaves, circular frame, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect twigs, pinecones, and leaves from your outdoor environment.
  2. Attach them to a circular frame using hot glue, arranging them in a pleasing pattern.

5. Thanksgiving Tree:

• Items Needed: Branches, vase, colorful paper, string.
• Steps:
  1. Collect branches and place them in a vase.
  2. Cut out colorful paper leaves.
  3. Write what you're thankful for on each leaf.
  4. Attach the leaves to the branches using string.

6. Pine Needle Placemats:

• Items Needed: Pine needles, twine.
• Steps:
  1. Gather pine needles from the ground.
  2. Bundle them together and secure them with twine to create rustic placemats.

7. Cornhusk Dolls:

• Items Needed: Dried cornhusks, string, fabric scraps, markers.
• Steps:
  1. Soak dried cornhusks in warm water to make them pliable.
  2. Create a body shape by folding and tying cornhusks with string.
  3. Add fabric scraps for clothing and use markers to add details.

8. Gratitude Stones:

• Items Needed: Smooth stones, paint, brushes.
• Steps:
  1. Collect smooth stones from outside.
  2. Paint the stones with things you're grateful for.
  3. Let them dry and use them as decorations or reminders of gratitude.

9. Pumpkin Seed Bird Feeder:

• Items Needed: Small pumpkin, birdseed, string.
• Steps:
  1. Hollow out a small pumpkin.
  2. Fill it with birdseed.
  3. Attach a string to hang it outside for the birds.

10. Gourd Candle Holders:
– Items Needed: Small gourds, tealight candles.
– Steps:
1. Hollow out small gourds.
2. Place tealight candles inside them to create unique candle holders.

11. Leaf Lanterns:

• Items Needed: Colorful leaves, wax paper, iron, glass jars, candles.
• Steps:
  1. Collect colorful leaves.
  2. Place leaves between sheets of wax paper.
  3. Iron the wax paper to seal the leaves.
  4. Glue the wax paper leaves onto glass jars.
  5. Insert candles into the jars for a warm glow.

12. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt:

• Items Needed: Prepared list of outdoor items.
• Steps:
  1. Create a list of outdoor items such as pinecones, acorns, specific leaves, or wildlife.
  2. Give each family member a copy of the list.
  3. Explore the outdoors together and check off items as you find them.

13. Painted Pinecone Garland:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, paint, brushes, twine.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Paint them in fall colors.
  3. Once dry, thread twine through the pinecones to create a garland.

14. Nature-Inspired Centerpiece:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, leaves, branches, vase.
• Steps:
  1. Gather pinecones, leaves, and branches from the outdoors.
  2. Arrange them in a vase as a beautiful natural centerpiece.

15. Leaf Crown:

• Items Needed: Colorful leaves, ribbon or string, scissors.
• Steps:
  1. Collect colorful leaves.
  2. Cut a length of ribbon or string to fit around your head.
  3. Attach the leaves to the ribbon or string, creating a leafy crown.

16. Pine Needle Broom:

• Items Needed: Pine needles, twine.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pine needles.
  2. Bundle them together and secure with twine to make a small broom.

17. Thanksgiving Rocks:

• Items Needed: Smooth rocks, acrylic paint, brushes.
• Steps:
  1. Collect smooth rocks.
  2. Paint them with Thanksgiving-themed artwork or messages.

18. Leaf Rubbing Art:

• Items Needed: Leaves, crayons, paper.
• Steps:
  1. Place leaves under a sheet of paper.
  2. Rub crayons gently over the paper to reveal the leaf patterns.

19. Turkey Feather Decor:

• Items Needed: Turkey feathers, wooden sticks, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect turkey feathers.
  2. Attach them to wooden sticks to create decorative displays.

20. Nature-Inspired Place Mats:

• Items Needed: Pressed leaves, clear contact paper, scissors.
• Steps:
  1. Press leaves between sheets of clear contact paper.
  2. Trim them to the desired placemat size.

21. Gratitude Jar:

• Items Needed: Jar, decorative materials, small notecards.
• Steps:
  1. Decorate a jar to make it visually appealing.
  2. Place small notecards and a pen next to it.
  3. Encourage family members to write down things they're thankful for and put them in the jar.

22. Leafy Candle Holder:

• Items Needed: Glass candle holder, leaves, Mod Podge.
• Steps:
  1. Apply Mod Podge to the outside of a glass candle holder.
  2. Carefully attach leaves to the Mod Podge-coated surface.
  3. Let it dry, then place a candle inside for a warm, leafy glow.

23. Handprint Turkeys:

• Items Needed: Construction paper, scissors, markers, googly eyes, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Trace the hands of family members on construction paper.
  2. Decorate the handprints with markers to resemble turkeys.
  3. Glue on googly eyes for a fun touch.

24. Thanksgiving Sun Catcher:

• Items Needed: Leaves, clear contact paper, string.
• Steps:
  1. Collect colorful leaves.
  2. Place leaves between sheets of clear contact paper.
  3. Cut out shapes like pumpkins or turkeys.
  4. Punch holes and thread string through for hanging.

25. Leafy Table Runner:

• Items Needed: Pressed leaves, paper runner, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Press leaves between sheets of paper and heavy books.
  2. Arrange the pressed leaves along a paper runner.
  3. Secure them with glue to create a unique table runner.

26. Pumpkin Seed Art:

• Items Needed: Canvas, pumpkin seeds, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Apply glue to the canvas in the desired pattern.
  2. Carefully press pumpkin seeds onto the glued areas.
  3. Allow it to dry to create pumpkin seed artwork.

27. Acorn Frame:

• Items Needed: Picture frame, acorns, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect acorns.
  2. Glue them onto a picture frame to create a natural border.

28. Leafy Place Mats:

• Items Needed: Pressed leaves, clear contact paper, scissors.
• Steps:
  1. Press leaves between sheets of clear contact paper.
  2. Trim them to the desired placemat size.

29. Cornhusk Wreath:

• Items Needed: Dried cornhusks, wreath form, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Soak dried cornhusks in warm water to soften them.
  2. Attach the softened cornhusks to a wreath form using hot glue.
  3. Overlap them to create a wreath shape.

30. Pinecone Place Cards:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, name cards, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Attach name cards to the pinecones using hot glue for a unique place card holder.

31. Fall Foliage Lanterns:

• Items Needed: Colorful leaves, glass lanterns, Mod Podge.
• Steps:
  1. Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the outside of glass lanterns.
  2. Carefully press colorful leaves onto the Mod Podge-coated surface.
  3. Allow it to dry to create leaf-covered lanterns.

32. Pinecone Garland:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, string, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Attach pinecones to a string using hot glue to create a festive garland.

33. Leaf Coasters:

• Items Needed: Pressed leaves, clear contact paper, scissors.
• Steps:
  1. Press leaves between sheets of clear contact paper.
  2. Trim them to the size of
  coasters to protect your table.

34. Thanksgiving Bunting:

• Items Needed: Painted leaves, ribbon or string, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Paint leaves in various fall colors.
  2. Once dry, attach them to a ribbon or string using hot glue to create a decorative bunting.

35. Acorn Ornaments:

• Items Needed: Acorns, small eye screws or hooks, ribbon.
• Steps:
  1. Collect acorns and clean them.
  2. Insert small eye screws or hooks into the acorns.
  3. Thread ribbon through the eye screws to create unique ornaments.

36. Leafy Candle Centerpiece:

• Items Needed: Glass tray, candles, colorful leaves, Mod Podge.
• Steps:
  1. Apply Mod Podge to the bottom of a glass tray.
  2. Arrange colorful leaves in the Mod Podge.
  3. Let it dry and then place candles in the center for a stunning centerpiece.

37. Gratitude Stones:

• Items Needed: Smooth stones, paint, brushes.
• Steps:
  1. Collect smooth stones from your outdoor environment.
  2. Paint the stones with things you're grateful for, using small brushes for detail.

38. Pumpkin Seed Mosaic:

• Items Needed: Canvas, pumpkin seeds, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Apply glue to the canvas in the desired pattern or picture.
  2. Carefully press pumpkin seeds onto the glued areas.
  3. Allow it to dry to create a pumpkin seed mosaic.

39. Leafy Table Settings:

• Items Needed: Pressed leaves, dinner plates.
• Steps:
  1. Press leaves between sheets of clear contact paper.
  2. Place the pressed leaves under dinner plates as beautiful table settings.

40. Thanksgiving Wind Chimes:

• Items Needed: Leaves, small sticks, twine or string.
• Steps:
  1. Collect colorful leaves and small sticks.
  2. Attach the leaves and sticks to a string or twine to create a charming wind chime.

41. Pinecone Turkey Place Cards:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, construction paper, googly eyes, markers, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Cut out turkey shapes from construction paper.
  3. Decorate the turkey shapes with googly eyes and markers.
  4. Attach the turkey shapes to the pinecones to create place cards.

42. Fall Leaf Garland:

• Items Needed: Colorful leaves, twine, hole punch.
• Steps:
  1. Collect a variety of colorful leaves.
  2. Use a hole punch to make holes near the stems of the leaves.
  3. Thread twine through the holes to create a beautiful leafy garland.

43. Nature-Inspired Greeting Cards:

• Items Needed: Blank cards, leaves, twigs, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect leaves and small twigs from your surroundings.
  2. Arrange them on blank greeting cards.
  3. Glue them in place to create unique nature-inspired greeting cards.

44. Corn Kernel Art:

• Items Needed: Corn kernels, white glue, paper.
• Steps:
  1. Squeeze white glue onto a piece of paper in the desired pattern or design.
  2. Carefully press corn kernels onto the glued areas.
  3. Allow it to dry to create corn kernel art.

45. Leafy Luminaries:

• Items Needed: Glass candle holders, Mod Podge, leaves.
• Steps:
  1. Apply Mod Podge to the outside of glass candle holders.
  2. Carefully press colorful leaves onto the Mod Podge-coated surface.
  3. Allow it to dry to create leaf-covered luminaries.

46. Pinecone Turkey Centerpiece:

• Items Needed: Large pinecone, small pinecones, felt, googly eyes, feathers, glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect a large pinecone for the turkey's body.
  2. Attach googly eyes and a felt beak to the large pinecone.
  3. Glue feathers to the back of the large pinecone to create the turkey's tail.
  4. Attach small pinecones as the turkey's feet and wings.
  5. Place it in the center of the table as a festive centerpiece.

47. Thanksgiving Tree Ornaments:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, paint, brushes, twine.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Paint them in fall colors and let them dry.
  3. Attach twine to create unique ornaments for your Thanksgiving tree.

48. Leafy Mason Jars:

• Items Needed: Mason jars, Mod Podge, leaves.
• Steps:
  1. Apply Mod Podge to the outside of mason jars.
  2. Carefully press colorful leaves onto the Mod Podge-coated surface.
  3. Allow it to dry to create leaf-covered mason jars, perfect for vases or candle holders.

49. Acorn Wreath:

• Items Needed: Foam wreath form, acorns, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect acorns and clean them.
  2. Attach the acorns to a foam wreath form using hot glue to create a stunning acorn wreath.

50. Pinecone Place Settings:

• Items Needed: Pinecones, name cards, hot glue.
• Steps:
  1. Collect pinecones.
  2. Attach name cards to the pinecones using hot glue for a unique and natural touch to your table settings.

These crafts combine the beauty of the outdoors with the spirit of Thanksgiving, making them perfect for families who love nature and want to celebrate together. Enjoy your creative and nature-filled Thanksgiving!