thanksgiving craft: the thankful tree

i was in a store yesterday and the christmas music was already blaring. really?! what about thanksgiving?! you know......that silly little holiday between halloween and christmas? ugh. personally, i really enjoy the spirit of thanksgiving. couldn't we all use a little reminder of what we already have before jumping into the "don't haves", "needs" and "wants" that surround christmas? this thankful tree is going to do the trick in our home this year.

supplies needed: 
fall colored construction paper
scissors
ribbon, twine or leather cord
pen
hold punch
a branch of a tree (no leaves)--this can be as large as you like it to be, just remember to scale the size of the leaves accordingly.
tall vase or pot 


step 1:
use template to trace leaves onto various fall colored construction paper colors (enlarge with copier, if needed)

leaf template

step 2: 

cut out leaves

step 3:

use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the leaf

step 4:

tie small loops of twine or ribbon through hole in the top of the leaf for hanging

step 5:

write "is thankful for....." in the middle of each leaf.

step 6:

have each of your family members write their name and what they are thankful for and hang their leaf on the tree.

this would be a wonderful daily project for a small family to write daily what they are thankful for during the weeks leading up to thanksgiving. this would also be a fabulous activity for a large thanksgiving family celebration.

do you have any fun holiday crafts that you do with your family to remind you of being thankful for the blessing in your lives?