Thanksgiving is coming up, and while the main focus for so many is travel and food, there is a very important part of Thanksgiving that people need to pay attention to: decorations.

That’s right, the decor of your Thanksgiving set up is a vital part of the entire experience. What so many people like to do is get their Martha Stewart on and get crafty.

There are so many fun Thanksgiving crafts you can make on your own or with your kids that will provide a few hours of enjoyment and make your home look festive.

Let’s take a look at a few.

Pumpkin Place Cards

A perfect way to set any table is to use mini gourds as part of the decor. Use a knife to cut a small slice in the stems and insert place cards in each of them. The cards can be blank and handwritten, or you can use your computer and printer to create them, choice is yours.

If you want to get fancy, or involve the kids, gather a couple of glue sticks and as much glitter as you can find to decorate the gourds. Rub the glue on the pumpkins and go crazy!

Thanksgiving Wreaths

Thanksgiving Wreath

This is where you can get your kids involved. Send them outside to pick up some twigs, colorful leaves, pine cones, acorns, or whatever else they can find.

Then, grab a round Styrofoam circle or square from your local crafts store, and glue all the goodies collected from outside onto it. Your best bet here is going to be using a glue gun, so watch the kids with this one. Once cooled, the wreath can serve as the perfect wreath to welcome your guests.

Egg Cup Candy Holders

This is another fun craft you can do with the kids. Convert your standard egg carton into little personalized holders for you after dinner mints or candy for your guests.

All you have to do is cut the egg carton up to start, then you can leave the rest to your pint sized guests. Leave them plenty of supplies like glue sticks, felt, glitter, crayons, markers, and googly eyes. They’ll have a ton of fun decorating the cups and filling them with a couple of candy treats.

Table Runners

For a fun yet more sophisticated look for your table, consider making your own table runners. Essentially, any long and thin piece of fabric will do, or you can be rustic and use a material like burlap.

Cut the fabric so it is about two feet longer than the length of your table, and about a third of the width. Then decorate as you wish. Many people use stencils to add turkeys, or phrases.

Thankful Cards

If you want to use the day to truly appreciate your friends and family, make it part of your new Thanksgiving traditions. Place blank cards and markers (or crayons depending on the crowd) at each place setting.

Then, ask your guests to write out something they are thankful for or appreciative of for the person sitting to their right. This gives everyone a chance to have a nice treat, and celebrates giving thanks.

These are just a few of the fun Thanksgiving crafts you can try adding to your celebration this year. What are some of your favorites? Let us know in the comments!