Over the years, I have shared a lot of Thanksgiving recipes, crafts, diy, and decor ideas. So... this year I thought I'd put my BEST Thanksgiving ideas all in one collection for you to enjoy. Click on the links below for full recipes, step by step tutorials, and free downloads.
1) Reese's Pieces (soft & chewy) cookie tart - When it comes to Thanksgiving, most people opt for pumpkin pie, but this festive tart is a perfect, easy and delicious alternative. Find the full recipe for this Thanksgiving dessert here.
2) FREE (funny) Thanksgiving print - Every home needs a bit of whimsical decor during the holidays. So, I designed this funny Thanksgiving print that you can download for free here. I popped mine in a dollar store frame, and I love it!
3) Thanksgiving party favours - I love giving guests a party favour, and I have TWO fantastic options for Thanksgiving. I have a free downloadable tag you can print and add to a bag of cookies for your adult guests here. I also have a fun idea for turning a cookie into a turkey for the kids here.
4) Turkey wine bottle - How cute is this turkey wine bottle? Use a glue gun to attach a couple of dollar store fall leaves to the back. Then, use more hot glue to attach two googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. It doesn't get much easier, and your guests will love seeing this whimsical bottle of wine on the table!
5) Turkey candy dish - The wine is great for grown ups, but there should be something on the table for younger guests too. How about a fun turkey candy dish? The kids can help by tracing and cutting out their handprints from coloured card stock. Then, arrange the hands together, secure with tape, and use hot glue to attach the "feathers" to the back of a glass dish from the dollar store. Finish by using hot glue to attach googly eyes, a red felt wattle, and a yellow felt beak. You can fill the dish with any type of candy, but I love the colours of these Reese's Pieces.
9) Tiered tray - Decorating tiered trays with dollar store finds and crafted items is a fantastic way to create a classy vignette in your home. I stained a mini rolling pin, added the word "harvest", and wrapped a scrap of fabric around it. I also added pumpkins and pine cones, and filled a dollar store bottle with orange and yellow buttons. I also crafted a book stack from scraps of wood, and strung some wooden beads onto a piece of yarn. Cute, right?
10) S'more bucket - Add a bit of whimsy to your Thanksgiving decor by filling a dollar store galvanized with S'more supplies. I added the words "Making S'more Memories" to the front of my bucket with my Cricut. Wouldn't a Thanksgiving campfire be fun?
11) Artwork in a dollar store frame- Framing Fall pictures and free downloads is an easy and inexpensive way to add Fall flair to your home. You can download the Fall Menu I designed (below) for free here.
12) Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray - A dollar store frame and few dollar store jars can be easily turned into an adorable Thanksgiving hot chocolate tray. Start by inserting a piece of fall-themed scrap book paper into a dollar store frame. Then, use strong glue to attach wooden beads to the bottom of the tray. Finish by adding jars filled with hot chocolate, marshmallows and fall coloured candies. It looks great, and kids will love it!
Check out the little display I made on the table in my hallway.
13) Boho DIY yarn wreath - Even if you aren't very crafty, you can easily make this simple and chic fall wreath. Don't you just love the boho vibe? Find the full step by step tutorial (with photos) here.
13) Dollar store frame monogram- It doesn't get easier than this piece of DIY fall artwork. But a dollar store frame, insert fall-themed scrapbook paper, add a wooden monogram to the front with glue, and glue a ribbon hanger to the back. That's it. Easy peasy!
14) Grapevine fall wreath - I made this simple fall wreath many years ago, but it's still one of my favourite DIYs. It's an inexpensive grapevine wreath with handmade felt flowers glued to it. You can find out how easy it is to make the flowers, and find all the step by step instructions here.
15) No Sew Fall Pillows - Transform Summer pillows to Fall pillows in a couple of minutes with a dollar store tablecloth. This is genius!
16) Pumpkin prize punch - if you have kids coming to your house for Thanksgiving, this is a fantastic game to make for them. It's always a hit, and it's cheap to make with dollar store supplies. Find the step by step instructions here.
Which of these fun Thanksgiving ideas is your favourite? Give a few of them a try, and let me know how it goes.
Plastic cups are inexpensive, and they are useful for more than drinking. I love that they come in different colours now too, so they can match your party theme / project vision. Check out these clever ways to use plastic cups.
1) Cut a hole in the bottom, and use them to protect little hands from sparklers.
2) Use them for DIY party games. For example, they can be stacked at a carnival party for a good game of "knock down" or for "target practice" at a NERF party.
4) Use plastic cups as gift packaging. Fill with treats and / or gift cards, wrap with cellophane and ribbon, and add a fun tag. (Check out the teacher gift idea here, and the Christmas gift idea here.
5) Use to make toys for kids. Who wouldn't love these simple pirate hooks made from plastic cups and tin foil. (Find the full tutorial for plastic cup pirate hooks here.)
Aren't these plastic cup hacks fun? The prize punch is my favourite, but they are all fantastic. Do you have an idea to add? Leave it below. I'm always looking for new easy and inexpensive ways to have fun with my family.
Holiday decor doesn't need to be expensive or elaborate to be fantastic. In fact, sometimes easy and inexpensive DIY ideas having the biggest impact. Today, I am sharing a few of my favourite ideas for easy DIY Christmas Decor Ideas.
1) Wrapped pictures - Wrapping existing artwork is a wonderful way to transform a space, and it barely costs anything. I always wrap the pictures in my hallway, and they automatically make the area look festive and fun. What do you think?
2) Holiday wreath (from a dollar store frame) - Making a custom wreath for your front door is a fantastic way to decorate the exterior of your home. I love the uniqueness of this square wreath made from a dollar store frame, don't you? Check out the simple "how to" here.
3) Garland and lights - Nothing adds Christmas sparkle to a home like garland and lights. It's inexpensive and adds a "cozy feel" to a space.
4) Felt Santa wreath - A whimsical homemade wreath is a fun option this time of year. I adore this simple Santa wreath made from felt and a dollar store hat. Find the full "how to" here.
5) Makeshift mantle - Unfortunately, my current home doesn't have a fireplace, but I still need a place for the kids to hang their stockings. If you're in the same situation as me, consider using stocking hangers on a window sill. It's not as good as a fire place, but it works well and looks great.
6) Epson salt Christmas scene - How cute is this little "snowy" scene I made in less than 5 minutes? I used a glass container I already had, added epson salts, and inserted a little glass house and glittery trees I found at the dollar store. I added small battery operated lights, but it's cute without them too.
7) Grinch Door - I love this simple vignette made from construction paper and dollar store supplies. Find the full instructions for this adorable Grinch door here.
8) Jingle Bell Wreath - If you can wrap yarn around a wreath form, you can make this simple jingle bell wreath. Find the step by step instructions here.
9) Yarn Wrapped Christmas Mongram- This DIY monogram is a fun alternative to a traditional wreath. You can find out how easy it is to make here.
10) "Bottle Brush Tree" Winter Wreath - This wreath is great for Christmas, but the winter theme makes it perfect for after the holidays too. Find the simple DIY instructions here.
What's your favourite DIY Christmas decorating tip? Do you think you will try any of my ideas? I just love decorating this time of year, don't you? ♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
No child should feel left out at Halloween, so it's important to have some candy-free, allergy-safe Halloween treat options available for trick-or-treaters. I love finding fun trinkets and packaging them in a cute way, and today I am sharing some of my favourite options (and free printable tags) with you.
1) Halloween "Booo"bles - These adorable (free) printable tags transform boring bubbles into a fun Halloween treat. Find the tags and detailshere.
2) Halloween Straws - How cute are these Halloween straws that can be packaged with these adorable "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" tags? Perfect when you want to be allergy friendly! You can download the free printable tagshere.
3) "Fang"tastic Treats - These treats (and their cute packaging) are wonderful additions to a class Halloween party. They are perfect when you want to be sugar-free and allergy-friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.
4) Eyeball Treats - The super-cute packaging and tags make these the perfect treat to share with friends on Halloween. Everyone can enjoy them because they are allergy-friendly! You can find out all the details and download the tags for free here.
5) Funny glasses (sugar-free) Halloween Treat - It's always great to have a non-food Halloween treat option... and these silly glasses are fantastic. You can download the FREE printable gift tags here.
12) Playdough Treats - These party favours / Halloween treats are perfect for sharing because they are allergy safe and sugar free. You can download the "punny" tags for free here.
With these candy-free treat options, you are going to be the most popular house on the block. They make perfect Halloween class treats too. Happy Halloween!
♥ Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)
PS (You can find MORE "FANGtastic" Halloween ideas here.)
.jpg)
