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Thanksgiving Fun
Turn a Nature Walk Into Art! By Donna Smith
At home, cover a table with a layer of newspaper to catch any dirt or other debris that may be in your bag. Have your child sort the items (another preschool skill!) together on the newspaper. Have him put all the pinecones together all the acorns together, and so on. This is not necessary for making the centerpiece, but it will keep him busy! At this point, if you desire, you can place the items on a baking sheet and put in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 30 minutes. This will kill any insects or their eggs that might be hiding. Make sure to allow the items to cool a few minutes before starting your project.
Now comes the fun part! Take your hay wreath and let your child tell you where she wants you to hot glue the items on. (Be careful with children around hot glue guns they can get very hot!) Cover as much of the wreath as you can, though some of the wreath showing is fine. After everything is glued on, allow it to sit a few minutes so the glue will be completely dry, then cut a piece of your ribbon and add a bow or several bows around the wreath. You could also wrap the ribbon loosely around the wreath about four times and secure with glue.
Fresh cranberries glued randomly around the wreath add a wonderful burst of color. Wait until the day before Thanksgiving to add them, as they will go bad if put on too early. A few yellow or maroon mums, freshly picked, are another great addition, but need to be added the day before as well. Nuts, such as pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts, add a great look to your centerpiece. These can be added earlier, when you are making the wreath. The nuts can also be painted in different colors if you would like to add some color maybe to match your dinnerware?