"For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee!" - Ralph Waldo Emerson. The bounty of Mother Nature, isn't it what makes us so thankful on this day? And what better way exists to show this gratitude, than to fill our comforting abodes with these elements of nature. Here are some easy thanksgiving crafts, decorations, and ornamentation ideas that will help you fill every nook and cranny of your home with the gifts of nature. Creative Thanksgiving Centerpieces Just the mention of the festival brings turkeys, cornucopias, pilgrim's hats, and pine cones to mind. Naturally the decorations ought be in keeping with and inclusive of all these core thanksgiving components. Here's how you can incorporate these elements for your perfect festive centerpiece. Cornucopia A symbol of abundance and a rich fall harvest, cornucopias are inseparable from this occasion. Originally a derivation from Latin wherein cornu stands for horn and copia implies abundance, the English version can therefore justifiably be the 'horn of plenty'. This conical basket is slightly curved, which gives it the semblance of a goat's horn and is filled with nuts, apples, corns, grapes, and mini-pumpkins to signify nature's rich presents to mankind. Materials Needed:

• Woven cornucopia basket or a plain conical basket
• A flat basket
• Straw, curly wood shavings, wheat shafts, and raffia
• Dry leaves such as maple or any other fall leaf variety
• A motley of fall fruits and vegetables such as pears, apples, corns, nuts, artichokes, gourds, mini pumpkins, and all kinds of berries
• Some newspapers or sponge

Procedure

1. Firstly, if you could not lay your hands upon a cornucopia basket, then you can easily steam the tapering end of a conical basket, and bend it to make it look like one.
2. Next, fill the basket with some newspapers or sponge in order to give it a more bountiful look using lesser number of items.
3. Now place some hay, straws, wood shavings, or other natural fillers on the flat basket. Position the cornucopic basket on this flat basket and then start with the decorations.
4. Place the maple or other autumn leaves on the bottom edge of the basket along with some wheat shafts to give it that harvest touch.
5. Place the fruits and vegetables so that they look unkempt. Give it the look that it is spilling out of the basket, signifying a good yield. Use bigger veggies first and then the smaller items.
6. Finish by sprinkling some colorful nuts, berries, and dried herbs to fill the tiny spaces. Your portable cornucopia centerpiece is ready and guess what? Your kids can actually eat out of it as well!

Gummy Turkey A thanksgiving without some turkey is unimaginable. Here's a way to add some turkey to the occasion even if you do not eat one. And believe me, it is so easy to make that even a 6-year-old can make it. Materials Needed:

• Several large apples
• Toothpicks and skewers
• Red construction paper
• Colorful crystal coated jelly candies or gumdrops

Procedure

1. Make several turkey head cut outs from the construction paper and draw tiny face features on them.
2. Next help your child to stick toothpicks behind the head with cello tape and prick the heads into the apples.
3. Next ask your child to needle the toothpicks through the gumdrops so that they acquire a beaded look. Say about 4 gumdrops per toothpick is fine.
4. Now use these beaded toothpicks as feathers of a turkey and add five of such toothpicks for each turkey. Colorful and full of thanksgiving allusions, these gum drops can be popped by your little ones on the day.

Pilgrim's Hat "Our rural ancestors, with little blest, Patient of labor when the end was rest, Indulged the day that housed their annual grain, With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain." - Alexander Pope. It was indeed the pilgrims who had celebrated the first thanksgiving back in the spring of 1621, along with native Indian chiefs, to lionize a whopping crop that year. So, what more could be more appropriate than making a pilgrim's hat centerpiece to enhance your decorations. Materials Needed:

• A plastic flowerpot
• Cardboard
• Black colored paper and gold metallic paper
• Glue
• Variant colored flowers

Procedure

1. Cover the outer side of the flowerpot with black paper.
2. Using a compass, make a 4-inch broad circular flange for your hat and paint in black. Next, stick it to the outer rim of the flowerpot so that the entire thing looks like an inverted hat.
3. Now, cut out a strip from the golden metallic paper and stick it around the circumference of the hat, just below the rim. Add a square-shaped buckle to it.
4. Arrange the flowers in the inverted hat and your customized pilgrim's hat centerpiece is ready.

Fancy Pumpkin Vase Here's a chance to use up all the pumpkins leftover since Halloween and it is one of the easiest craft ideas. Materials Needed:

• A large yellow pumpkin
• A knife
• Floral foam
• Artificial flowers

Procedure

1. Simply cut off the top part of the pumpkin and scoop out the contents, thus, creating a deep cavity. Fill the cavity with floral foam.
2. The only thing left to do is to stick the flowers in to the foam and voila! You can also fill the gaps with some autumn leaf boughs, fall flowers and rustic raffia.

Other Decorations "Heap high the board with plenteous cheer and gather to the feast, And toast the sturdy Pilgrim band whose courage never ceased." - Alice W. Brotherton Now obviously, you cannot concentrate only on the centerpieces, but also have to tend to other table decoration ideas as well. So, below are some innovative craft ideas that shall add to the feel of the feast! Fancy Table Mats Materials Needed:

• A piece from any thanksgiving poem for kids or a quote
• Drawing paper
• Construction paper
• Colors

Procedure

1. Just ask your kid to make a colorful picture of anything related to thanksgiving like a cornucopia, pilgrim's hat, maple leaves, pumpkins, or anything at all. Ask her to write down one of the poems or quotes beside the picture.
2. Stick this piece of drawing paper to a piece of construction paper.
3. Finally, just laminate it or place it in transparent cellophane paper pouches.
4. Ask your child to make a different design on each table mat.

Fancy Pumpkin Candle Stands Materials Needed:

• Mini pumpkins
• Knife
• Small candles

Procedure

1. Cut off the heads of the pumpkins, but do not throw them away. Clean the inside of the pumpkins.
2. Gently cut out diamond-shaped pores from the body of each pumpkin.
3. Place one candle inside each pumpkin and cover it with the previously cut off heads.
4. Your flickering little lamps will create the perfect mood for some thanksgiving storytelling during supper.

You can encircle your centerpiece with these pumpkin lamps or place one in front of every plate to bring about that mystic look. As you must have noted by now that these are very easy decorations, but they need a little bit of prior planning and supervision in case the kids are making them. The components needed are very ordinary but with a little creative tweaking they can earn you and your kids some scintillating compliments. So, go ahead and happily try out these easy thanksgiving centerpieces and crafts, decorations good enough to create a grateful environment!