When I was growing up, each year before our Thanksgiving feast we would take turns going around the table sharing what we were grateful for. I kept this tradition with my own family but added a little something to it....our Thankful Tree. A few days before the holiday, my kids and I trace and cut lots and lots of leaves from colored cardstock. Using my favorite white pen, we add a name to each leaf, punch a small hole in the top, and thread a string through making a loop. The leaves are then used as place markers at the table.
Everyone is encouraged to write what they are grateful for on the back of their leaf and then hang it on our Thankful Tree. By the end of the meal, we have a tree full of love and gratitude.
When I first started this tradition, I simply used a pot that I filled with dirt and found a branch from the woods as the tree. A few years back, I received this metal tree as a gift and it works great too. If you're interested in a tree like mine, I found this brand new "tree of life" that would make a cool home decor item all year round. If you'd like to start this tradition with your family, I made some leaf templates for you to use. Just click on the picture and print it out on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, trace, and cut.
Come back tomorrow to find out what I do with the leaves after the holiday. Of course, they are way too special to just throw out and I have the perfect solution for saving this memory year after year.
Do you have a special Thanksgiving tradition? If you do, please share!
Until tomorrow, have a wonderful and grateful day!
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