Keeping teens and kids busy during Thanksgiving break can feel like a challenge.
Screen time takes over, and boredom sets in quickly. Parents often struggle to find activities that actually hold their attention.
This blog promises simple, fun Thanksgiving crafts for teens and kids. No fancy supplies needed, just everyday items most families already have at home.
Each idea helps kids celebrate Thanksgiving while making memories together.
Thanksgiving Crafts for Teens
Teens want creative projects that match their skill level. They appreciate crafts that look grown-up and serve real purposes around the house.
1. DIY Gratitude Journals
Teens create custom journals to document what they’re thankful for throughout the season.
They decorate blank notebooks with fall colors, pressed leaves, and inspiring quotes.
This craft combines creativity with mindfulness, giving them a personal keepsake. The journals become meaningful gifts for family members, too.
2. Autumn Leaf Mason Jar Lanterns
This project changes ordinary mason jars into beautiful candleholders perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. Teens collect colorful fall leaves and attach them to jars using Mod Podge.
When candles glow inside, the leaves create warm, filtered light. These lanterns add atmosphere to any holiday table setting.
3. Thanksgiving Wreath Making
Teens design wreaths using grapevine bases, artificial flowers, and seasonal decorations.
They choose their own color schemes and add personal touches like ribbons or pinecones.
The process teaches basic floral design skills while creating front door decorations. Finished wreaths last through the entire fall season.
4. Hand-Painted Pumpkin Centerpieces
Instead of carving, teens paint small pumpkins with intricate designs and patterns. They use acrylic paints to create geometric shapes, mandalas, or autumn scenes.
These painted pumpkins won’t rot and can be displayed for weeks.
The project lets artistic teens showcase their painting skills beautifully.
5. Turkey String Art Boards
This craft combines woodworking with design as teens hammer nails into wooden boards and wrap colorful string around them.
They create turkey silhouettes or fall patterns using different colored threads.
6. Fall-Themed Friendship Bracelets
Teens make bracelets using autumn colors like burnt orange, brown, mustard yellow, and deep red.
They learn traditional knotting techniques or try new patterns they find online.
These bracelets become perfect gifts for friends during the holiday season. The portable craft works for group activities too.
7. Rustic Wood Slice Place Cards
Teens cut small branches into thin rounds and sand them smooth for place card holders.
They write guest names using paint pens or wood-burning tools.
Small slits cut into each slice hold name cards upright at the table. These natural place cards add rustic charm to Thanksgiving dinner.
8. Painted Tote Bags
Children collect real leaves and use them as stamps to decorate plain canvas tote bags. They brush fabric paint onto leaf surfaces and press them firmly onto the bags.
Different leaf shapes and colors create unique patterns that won’t wash away.
9. Harvest-Inspired Candle Holders
Teens decorate glass containers with fall motifs using glass paint or etching cream. They create designs featuring wheat stalks, acorns, or autumn leaves around simple votive holders.
When lit, these candles cast beautiful shadows through the decorated glass. The holders make thoughtful homemade gifts.
10. Personalized Thankful Tree Display
This meaningful project involves creating a small tree where family members hang notes of gratitude. Teens arrange branches in a vase and cut leaf shapes from cardstock.
Throughout November, everyone writes what they’re thankful for on leaves.
The growing display reminds families to appreciate life’s blessings daily.
11. Fabric Scrap Patchwork Table Runners
Teens sew together fabric scraps in fall patterns to create functional table runners. They choose complementary colors and prints, then stitch squares or strips together.
These Thanksgiving crafts for teens teach basic sewing skills while producing practical home decor. Each runner becomes unique based on fabric choices and arrangement.
Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
Kids love hands-on projects that let them get messy and creative. These crafts use simple materials and produce colorful decorations that they’re excited to share.
12. Handprint Leaf Garlands
Children trace their hands on colored paper, cut them out, and string them into festive garlands. Each handprint becomes a fall leaf in shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown.
Kids write what they’re thankful for on each hand before connecting them. The personal touch makes these garlands special family keepsakes.
13. Pinecone Turkeys
Kids collect pinecones and turn them into adorable turkey decorations using colorful feathers and felt. They glue feathers into the pinecone’s back sections to create tail displays.
Small felt pieces form turkey heads with googly eyes and orange beaks attached. These natural crafts bring outdoor elements inside for Thanksgiving.
14. Corn on the Cob Bubble Wrap Painting
Children dip bubble wrap in yellow paint and press it onto paper to create corn textures. They cut the painted paper into corn shapes and add green construction paper husks.
This sensory craft teaches about harvest crops while making satisfying popping sounds. The textured paintings look surprisingly realistic when finished.
15. Pilgrim Hat Crayon Holders
This functional craft changes small containers into a pilgrim hat pencil or crayon holders. Kids cover containers with black paper and add construction paper brims and yellow buckles.
The holders organize school supplies while decorating desks for the season. They make practical gifts for teachers or classmates during Thanksgiving week.
16. Fall Leaf Suncatchers
Children arrange colorful tissue paper pieces between clear contact paper to create leaf-shaped window decorations. When sunlight shines through, the tissue paper glows in brilliant autumn colors.
Kids cut the finished sheets into leaf shapes and hang them in windows. The translucent effect brightens rooms on gray November days.
17. Paper Bag Turkey Puppets
Children stuff paper lunch bags and decorate them as turkeys with construction paper feathers. The bag’s bottom flap becomes the turkey’s head that moves when opening and closing.
Kids add colorful tail feathers and draw faces with markers or crayons. These puppets come alive during imaginative play and storytelling activities.
18. Acorn Cap Necklaces
Kids collect acorn caps during nature walks and turn them into wearable jewelry. They paint the tiny caps in colors or leave them natural brown.
String or thin ribbon threads through holes punched in each cap’s top. These simple necklaces connect children with nature while creating unique accessories.
19. Feathered Gratitude Crowns
Children create paper crowns decorated with colorful construction paper feathers around the band. They write things they’re thankful for on each feather before attaching it.
The crowns fit their heads perfectly and make them feel festive during celebrations. Kids wear their gratitude proudly while learning about giving thanks.
20. Tissue Paper Pumpkins
Kids crumple orange tissue paper and stuff it into clear plastic bags to form pumpkin shapes. They twist green pipe cleaners around the tops to create stems and curling vines.
Black marker adds jack-o-lantern faces or leaves them plain as harvest decorations. These puffy pumpkins are lightweight and safe for even small children.
21. Turkey Feather Headbands
Children decorate paper headbands with colorful construction paper feathers pointing upward like turkey tails. They arrange feathers in rainbow patterns or traditional fall colors around the band.
The headbands adjust to fit different head sizes using staples or tape. Kids become turkeys themselves while wearing these playful accessories during Thanksgiving activities.
Other Activity Ideas for Thanksgiving
Crafts aren’t the only way to keep teens and kids engaged during Thanksgiving.
These activities create memories while celebrating the holiday spirit together.
1. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
Create lists of fall items for kids to find outdoors or around the house. Include things like acorns, red leaves, pinecones, or specific decorations. Teams compete to find everything first, and winners get small prizes.
2. Family Recipe Cook-Off
Let teens and kids prepare their own versions of classic Thanksgiving dishes.
They compete for best stuffing, creative side dish, or most original dessert. Everyone tastes and votes on favorites after the cooking finishes.
3. Thanksgiving Movie Marathon
Choose family-friendly films with Thanksgiving themes and create a cozy viewing space. Pop popcorn, make hot cocoa, and let everyone vote on which movies to watch.
Classics and newer films both work well for different ages.
4. Volunteer Together
Find local food banks, shelters, or community centers that need help during the holiday. Teens and kids learn about giving back to their communities.
The experience teaches valuable lessons about gratitude and service.
5. Backyard Turkey Bowl
Organize a family football game in the yard before or after Thanksgiving dinner. Mix ages on teams so everyone participates regardless of skill level.
The friendly competition burns energy and creates hilarious moments that everyone remembers.
6 . Thanksgiving Trivia Game Night
Create questions about Thanksgiving history, family memories, and holiday traditions for an evening game. Include categories everyone can answer, from easiest for young kids to challenging for teens.
Wrapping It Up
These Thanksgiving crafts for teens and kids offer something for every kind of skill level in the family.
Most crafts use materials already sitting in closets or kitchen drawers. No expensive shopping trips required, and finished projects become real decorations that families display with happiness.
Thanksgiving celebrations grow richer when children participate in creating the atmosphere.
Whether making centerpieces, decorating tables, or building memories through craft time, these activities teach gratitude in practical ways.
Pick one project to start today.
