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The Craft Table

by Kari Walker

Ideas for keeping kids creative and leaving their mark on Thanksgiving dinner

The Craft Table
Ideas for keeping kids creative and leaving their mark on Thanksgiving dinner

By: Kari Walker
Nov. 1, 2013

The dressing is ready and the turkey's in the oven, but it's not quite time to eat - keep tiny hands busy (and away from the kitchen) with a few simple craft ideas. Set up a craft area and bring supplies for creating a few handmade decorations to add to the dinner that celebrates thanks. Guests will enjoy art they can take home as a memory of this year's gathering of family and friends. Once the crafts are finished, get the kids excited about helping set the table by including their work.

TURKEY THUMBPRINT PLACE CARDS
Nontoxic ink pads
Blank index cards folded in half
Assorted markers
Press thumb into ink and place on folded card for the turkey's body and use similar technique with fingertips to create feathers. Create beak, eyes and feet with markers.
Don't forget to add guests' names.

PHOTO NAPKIN RINGS
Copied family photos (1.5 x 1.5 in)
Scrapbook paper (2 x 2 in)
Glue sticks, tape and scissors
Take photos and scrapbook paper and cut into squares ahead of time.
Glue pictures onto scrapbook paper and secure a paper strip to back to make napkin ring.
Insert a rolled napkin and bring two ends of ring together and tape.
Secure mounted photo to napkin ring with a loop of tape.

HARVEST CORN PLACE CARDS
Yellow and green card stock
Corn template (visit www.theind.com/family for a download in this expanded online feature)
Acrylic paint
Glue stick
Cut corncob and husk shapes from card stock and squeeze paint onto a paper plate.
Dab child's finger tip into the paint and then onto the corncob to create kernels and let paint dry.
Attach husk shapes to the cob with glue stick. Fold a piece of leftover card stock into a triangle to create a stand and secure with glue, then glue stand to the back of the place card.