Bring your family together with a fun and fulfilling Thanksgiving craft activity that will bring the practice of gratitude into your family celebration. Ask your family to share their thankful thoughts while making pretty custom Thanksgiving plates, created by Crafty Chica, using a simple technique anyone can do.
Thanksgiving is all about spending time with those closest to you and focusing on the parts of life that we are most grateful for. Practicing gratitude for even 10 minutes a day can have lasting health benefits and can positively affect your relationships, so it makes sense to introduce a fun gratitude-inspired activity into your Thanksgiving celebration.
ALSO MAKE: Create your own sage bundles for a festive holiday decoration
For this Thanksgiving craft, each family member will put their name on a plate, and the rest of the family will decorate dinner plates with written expressions of gratitude about that person. These plates will become special keepsakes that can be used for Thanksgiving dinner from year to year. To prepare for this craft, you need plain white porcelain plates and permanent markers, which you can find at your local home store or dollar store.
Or, as a fun family field trip idea, visit your local pottery-painting studio and have each person make a plate using underglazes for ceramics. These plates will become heirlooms that will last a lifetime.
Before you begin
Set up your dining table as a workspace for this craft. Cover the table with a vinyl tablecloth, and lay out a plate for each person. Provide plenty of permanent markers or ceramic paint markers. Wipe the plate with an alcohol pad to clean it and prepare the glazed surface for the permanent ink. After they are completed be sure to only handwash your plates.
>> Click here to jump straight to the craft instructions
Start with your name
Each person will start with their own plate and write their name on the rim of the plate in their chosen color of permanent ink.
Pass the plates
After each person has labeled their plate with their name, pass the plates to the right. Choose another color to write all the things you are thankful for about that person.
Be sure to decorate only the rim of the plates, but not any place where food will touch the plate. If you make a mistake, wipe off with an alcohol pad.
Continue to pass the plates around the table until your plate returns to you, now covered with statements of gratitude from each member of the family.
Finishing up
Place plate on a cookie sheet in the oven. Set oven for 350F and let it heat up while the plates are inside. Bake for 45 minutes. Let the plates completely cool down before removing from oven.
Such a special and unique touch to your holiday dinner!
Incredibly fun and creative
A great way to make everyone feel cared for
They can be funny, heartfelt or even a poem…the options are endless!
Materials:
- Porcelain plates
- Permanent markers, or ceramic paint markers
- Oven
- Alcohol pad
Directions:
- Wipe the plate with the alcohol pad.
- Plan out your name and placement.
- Write out the name and then choose another color to write all the things you are thankful for about that person.
- If you make a mistake, wipe off with an alcohol pad.
- Place on cookie sheet in the oven.
- Set oven for 350F and let it heat up while the plates are inside.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Let the plates completely cool down before removing from oven.
- Decorate the rim of the plate only. Wash by hand only.
ALTERNATIVE: Visit a local pottery painting shop and use underglazes for ceramics — your keepsake plate will last a lifetime.
