This time of year the lists of “I want” and “Give Me” can get fairly long. It can be hard to develop a heart of gratitude, especially in my own kids. Gratefulness often needs a bit of space and stillness in order to show up and that isn’t always easy to carve out this time of year. For our family, one of the ways we’re giving space for thanksgiving is with a simple Thanksgiving Tree.
With just a few simple items, you can easily make your own Thanksgiving Tree for your family to use this week as you prepare for the holiday. Or why not ask guests to help you fill it as you welcome others to your table on Thursday? I put mine together in under 15 minutes and for less than $5.00.
Start by finding a stick in your backyard or even heading to the park to look for one. The more scraggly-looking the better. You want lots of little branches to be able to hang the tags from. I stuck my branch in a small galvanized flower pot I already had but you could use a bowl or vase. I supported it with pea gravel but sand, larger rocks or even florist foam with a bit of moss on top would hold it nicely.
I picked up the tags from the Target dollar bin. They tend to have great choices for gift tags and with 6 for $1 you can’t be the price. Other craft stores carry similar tags or you could cut some from construction paper or cardstock. Use what you have and don’t let lack of materials keep you from trying it out. Perfection is not your goal for this project!
I set a glass out with some silver pens and the tags as an invitation to my family and almost instantly my kids were intrigued. I told them they could write down or draw whatever they were thankful for. We’ve very casually added to this over the course of the month and I’ve been surprised by my older son’s initiative in adding his own tags. I appreciate that this isn’t an activity I have to “keep up” (I’m looking at you, Elf on the Shelf). Instead, it’s just a simple way to bring a bit more gratitude to this season and it couldn’t be easier to set up.
I’d love to hear how you cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your family. Leave a comment with your best advice.
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