Let's Be Thankful - Thanksgiving Centrepiece Craft

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalms 9:1

It’s that time of year where families gather together, enjoy great food, and spend time catching up. It’s also a time to reflect upon the things in our lives for which we are thankful. Some have the tradition of every person sharing something they are grateful for around the table before they eat or simply thanking God in a unison prayer of thanksgiving. 

An Attitude of Gratitude

Sometimes we are grateful when we have an abundance, but for others, it may be hard to be grateful when we are wanting. However, gratefulness goes beyond the things we have or don’t have. It starts in our hearts. There is always something to be grateful for, and it takes practice. The more we are grateful, the more we see the blessings around us and the less we start to complain. Something as simple as having a new day to live, our health, family, and friends can start off our list of gratitude. 

Exercise Your Gratefulness

Pray

When you pray, thank God for something He’s done or given for you. Make it a habit of doing this every day. If you find yourself complaining or grumbling about something, stop and think about it. Is there something about your situation that you can see as a blessing in disguise? Maybe it could be worse than it is, or maybe, after some consideration, it’s not as bad as it seems. 

Keep a Gratitude Journal

This helps you record moments in your life where you saw the blessings and helps you to count them. You’ll be surprised how blessed you really are when you can see it written down on paper. It will be an encouragement as well for those tougher times when you can’t see the blessings right away. You’ll be able to trust that since God has been faithful in the past, He will be in the future.

Share your Gratitude - It’s Contagious!

Tell others about your gratitude! Your story might be what someone else needs to hear to get them through a tough time. By seeing that you choose to see your blessings, they might be encouraged to do the same.

Benefits of a Grateful Heart

• Keeps you humble - When staying in a place of gratitude, you remember the times you did not have or remember that you could not have the things you already have. 
• Keeps your heart from bitterness and anger - There’s no room for anger or bitterness if your heart is softened with gratitude. You can look beyond the hurts and wrongs and stay focused on the things that matter.
• Keeps your heart cheerful - A heart of gratitude makes room for the joyful things, like peace, joy, and love. 
• Makes you generous - When you are grateful, you want others to join you! This is why we gather with family and friends to share company and great food - because we want to share!

A Fun Craft for your Thanksgiving Table

Here’s a little craft you can make to encourage a grateful heart. Print one for everyone in your family to make while the turkey is cooking!

Here’s how to make it:

1. Print out your craft pieces on card stock. You can print your feathers on regular printer paper if you want lighter feathers, but you’ll need the cardstock to make sure your turkey and stand are sturdy enough.
2. Cut out your turkey (page one) and colour him in.
   
   
3. Cut out the feathers (page two) and colour them too. 
4. With markers, write down one thing on each feather that you are thankful for. You can print more copies to get more feathers if you wish!
5. Then glue or tape them on to the back of your turkey.
   
   
6. Cut out the stand piece and fold it in half to get a crease down the centre.
7. Set your finished turkey on top.
   
   

Everyone can make one and decorate your table with them all. Your friends and family will have something to read and talk about while you enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner. Then you can keep your turkey centrepieces as a reminder of the things you are grateful for all year round.

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  
1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
Colossians 3:17 KJV

These verses also remind us that God wants us to be grateful in everything we do. Keep those verses in your hearts and your minds this Thanksgiving. So many times we take for granted the little things around us, but hopefully with the help of this article and the family Thanksgiving craft, you will be able to have that extra reminder to practice being grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.