Handprint turkey crafts for Thanksgiving are as common as cranberries and pumpkin pie.  Here’s a simple DIY t-shirt project from http://seevanessacraft.com/2011/11/diy-tutorial-turkey-handprint-shirt-2/#. You can share the hand tracing portion with your child, but save the cutting and ironing for the adults just to be safe.  As an added bonus, you can find the t-shirt and other items at Goodwill!

Thanksgiving just isn’t complete without a handprint turkey. I turned Logan’s little hand into a felt turkey and ironed it on to a shirt that he can wear for the turkey eating festivities. The hardest part of this project was getting a 16 month old to sit still long enough to trace his hand. I plan on cutting out the little turkey and framing it, to be used in my Thanksgiving decorating next year. Happy Turkey Day!

Materials

Shirt

Heat-n-Bond No Sew Iron On Adhesive

6 Pieces of Different Colored Felt (large enough to fit a tiny handprint)

Scissors

Pen or Pencil

1 Piece of Cardstock

Iron

Directions

Step 1: Trace your little one’s handprint on a piece of cardstock. Cut out the handprint. 

Step 2: Iron a small piece (big enough for a handprint) of no sew Heat-n-Bond onto the 6 pieces of felt. 

Step 3: Trace the entire handprint onto the Heat-n-Bond backing of the piece of felt that you want to use for the turkey’s body. I used a brown piece of felt for the body. 

Step 4: Trace each finger (except the thumb) onto the Heat-n-Bond backing of 4 different colors of felt. Each finger will get a different color of felt. Cut out the fingers. 

Step 5: Cut a wattle (that wobbly red thing on the turkey’s neck) out of the remaining piece of felt that you adhered Heat-n-Bond to. 

Step 6: Iron the whole handprint onto the shirt. Next, iron on each individual finger and the wattle.

Step 7: Place shirt on child and enjoy your turkey!

Fall outdoor decorating is in full swing. Ease your stress and keep it simple with this Pumpkin Planter idea, from Better Homes and Gardens. Accomplished in minutes, this solution will provide a nice touch from Halloween to Thanksgiving.

Add to the natural autumn beauty of your yard with harvest-inspired fall outdoor decorations. Featuring natural elements such as pumpkins, leaves, and more, our versatile fall outdoor decorating ideas will span the season from September through Thanksgiving.

Pumpkins in various colors and sizes make a beautiful fall decoration when piled in a planter and placed on your porch. If your planter is too big for your pumpkins, use a block of florist's foam to keep your gourds at the top.

September means its back to school time and stocking up on denim jeans at great prices from the nearest Goodwill Store & Donation Center. Grab an extra pair and try this cute denim journal project, from Lifemadecreations.com. Here’s the link to follow the step-by-step instructions.

By Jamie Klinger-Krebs

So, I mentioned back in June when my daughter Charley and I created a little garden project that I am not at all crafty. This comment will always hold true, but for a friend who recently had a baby, I came up with a gift idea that I thought was pretty creative. However, it required Charley and I to get a little crafty once again, which for us is always a messy experience.

Since I’m a book nerd (yes, I love books of all kinds), I decided to collect some of my favorite children’s stories in hardcover for my friend’s new baby. But, after assembling a handful of books, I started to wonder how we'd put them together for the gift. A teacher friend suggested we create a library box which would hold all the books, and she could possibly use it as a small toy box afterwards. So, Charley and I got to work and, I have to say, the end product, though not perfect (because that just wouldn’t be me) turned out pretty darn cute.

Here’s what we did:

First I found a basic wooden crate at Michael’s. You could possibly find one at Goodwill, but if you’re not up for the hunt, a craft store usually has these in stock. You may want to sand the wood a little if it has a rough surface.

Next, I purchased some pink spray paint (make sure it’s the type that can be used on wood), basic stencils and glitter paint for adding our own personal touch. Note: The glitter paint didn’t quite show up as dark as I’d hoped, but we made it work.

After making a pretty big mess with spray paint and glitter, the end product made the perfect container for displaying all the books, as well as some diapers and few other fun things I added in. Though we created this box as a gift, it could also be a fun project to help organize all the books, toys and other “stuff” that starts to stack up around your home around this time of year.

Jamie Klinger-Krebs is the interactive media coordinator at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago.

Want to create a one-of-a-kind journal to record your memories from all your summer travels? Here's another great project from Milwaukee-based author, Stacy Tornio. You can see this project and more by visiting DestinationNature.net.

We love old vinyl record album covers. You can pick them up for next to nothing at garage sales, thrift stores or in someone’s basement (make sure you know them first, though). This is an easy project, and it makes a perfect gift. We found an album for 50 cents and picked up a notebook at our craft store in the .99 bin. Here’s how we did it. Good luck making your own!

SUPPLIES 

• Album cover 
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Notebook
• Glue (we used hot glue)
• Ribbon

First off, you’ll want to trace the notebook shape onto the backside of the album with a pencil. Repeat for the back and also for the spine of the book if it has one.

Next, Cut out the shapes. Then glue all the pieces directly onto the notebook. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect! Once it’s glued down, use ribbon to decorate the edges and hide any imperfections. We used ribbon here, but you could also use sequens, feathers or anything else to dress it up. 

All done! You just made a lovely gift for less than a couple bucks! Have fun searching for cool vintage albums.

Stacy Tornio is a mom, wife, magazine editor, gardener, birder, naturalist and author of five books.

This is a very cool project by Milwaukee-based author, Stacy Tornio. You can see this project and more by visiting DestinationNature.net

This is a simple project inspired from another Goodwill find. Look for an old shelf like this one. You can either paint it or leave it as is. Then pick up some inexpensive bowls or glasses at Goodwill to use as miniature containers. You can look for something that matches like I did here or you can mix and match. If you do mix and match, different colors and shapes of teacups would be a great way to do this.

Fill up your containers with soil and plants. I used portulaca here. Other great options would be impatients if you’re growing in the shade or succulents if it’ll be in the sun or you might forget to water sometimes. Hang securely with screws or nails. Be sure to water.

Stacy Tornio is the co-author of “The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book.”

February is National Wild Bird Feeding Month

Check your nearest Goodwill Store & Donation Center for gently used cookie cutters in the housewares area.  Pick up a variety of shapes and sizes to make these simple bird feeders for your fine feathered friends.  This is a great project to do with the kids!

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 15 minutes

Here's How:

1. Get a piece of bread. Harder, slate bread would work great! 
2. Find a cookie cutter that fits on as much of the bread as possible.
3. Use the cookie cutter and cut a shape out of the slice of bread.
4. Use a straw to poke a small hole in the center of the bread shape.
5. String the yarn through the hole and tie a loop.
6. If you use fresh bread, cut the shape and add the hole, then let it harden a day or two.
7. Spread peanut butter over one side of the bread with a blunt knife.
8. Pour bird seed onto a paper plate and spread it out. Press the peanut butter side of the bread shape into the seed, then hang your finished bird feeders on tree branches outside.

Tips:

1. Hang your bird feeder at the end of a smaller branch so squirrels don't get it.
2. Work with the bird seed over newspaper to help make clean up time easier.

Courtesy:    http://www.ehow.com/how_6392705_make-cookie-cutter-bird-feeders.html

Kids will love helping to make this large sailing ship centerpiece, which is reminiscent of the vessels that brought colonists to the new world. It's a cinch to make and will definitely bring a boat-load of fun to any Thanksgiving table.

Materials Needed:

• long, deep rectangular or oval-shaped serving container
• scissors
• 2 large light-colored pieces of patterned paper
• small piece of solid-colored paper that coordinates with the serving container
• 3-foot-long 3/8" wooden dowel
• 2-1/2" round wooden tread wheel with a center hole that fits a 3/8" wooden dowel

• pencil or marker
• hot glue and glue sticks
• miter box and saw
• tape measure
• food to fill container (such as nuts, wrapped candies, or breadsticks and rolls)

Create Ship's Mast

Use a miter saw to cut wooden dowel so it measures 4 times taller than the height of the serving container. Insert the dowel into the center hole of the wooden tread wheel.

Measure Container's Width and Height

Place the tread wheel and dowel in the center of the serving container and measure the container's width. Next, measure the distance from the top of the container to the top of the dowel. Note: These measurements will be used to determine the size of the ship's sails.

Create Paper Sails

Use scissors to cut two rectangles out of light-colored patterned paper. They should both be one inch wider than the width of the container, and two inches shorter than the distance from the container's rim to the top of the dowel. Use a marker to draw an arched line on each side of one of the paper pieces.Align the two pieces of paper (both patterned sides facing out) and use painter's tape to secure the papers' tops and bottoms. Cut along the arched lines with scissors, then remove tape and hot-glue the paper "sails" (patterned sides facing out) to the wooden dowel, leaving two inches of dowel visible above the sails.

Create Flag and Finish Centerpiece

Use a coordinating solid piece of paper to create two small triangular flags and hot-glue them (back-to-back) to the top of the dowel. Place dowel "mast" in the center of the serving container and fill with snacks of your.

By Layla Palmer, The Lettered Cottage

Savannah stylist Liz Demos skipped the carving knife and went straight for a paintbrush to fashion these graphic pumpkins. "With a stark black-and-white palette," Demos says of her trio of bold designs, "you can make any pattern, even creepy insects, look downright chic."

HOW-TO For each version, start by brushing the entire pumpkin with a coat of white flat acrylic craft paint ($1.39 for two oz.; createforless.com); let dry for 20 minutes.

SPIDERWEB 1. Using a black fine-tip paint pen ($2.49; createforless.com), draw a circle around the top of the pumpkin, about two inches from the stem. Keep drawing a continuous line, spiraling around the perimeter of the pumpkin, as shown, until you reach the base.

2. Draw vertical lines in the pumpkin's crevices, starting from the circle near the stem and going to the bottom.

3. Let the paint dry for 30 minutes, then place one or two plastic spiders ($9 for a pair; areohome.com) on the "web."

BEETLE 1. Print the template from countryliving.com/oct-templates. Use a copier to resize the image so it fits your pumpkin.

2. Cut out the stencil as directed on the template and center it on the pumpkin; affix with stencil adhesive ($6.99; stencilease.com).

3. Paint the beetle within the stencil using three coats of black flat acrylic craft paint ($1.39 for two oz.; createforless.com). Let the paint dry for 30 minutes and remove the stencil.

WOOD GRAIN 1. Mix a small amount of clear glaze ($1.84 for two oz.; createforless.com) with black flat acrylic craft paint.

2. Demos applied this knotty-wood design freehand, but swears even a novice can pull it off. Using a fine-tip brush and this photo as a guide, begin painting several irregular circles around the pumpkin, as shown, spacing them at varying heights.

3. To complete the pattern, fill the rest of the pumpkin's surface with curving lines. Let the paint dry for 30 minutes.

Click here for 37 more cool pumpkin decorating tips: http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/pumpkin-decorating-1009#slide-1

Get fired up for the new school year with a “Back-to-School Calendar" you and your child can make at home.  It's a great way to get those wheels turning again as the school year starts up, while helping your child develop important organization skills that will help her throughout the years to come, both in and out of school! You and your child can pencil-in important dates and events for the school year, keep track of when assignments are due and impress the teacher prepared with how prepared you are. This is a tool you'll use throughout the whole year and it may even become a back to school tradition in your family!

What You Need:

• 11 copies of the calendar template
• 8.5" x 11" sheet of white paper
• 12" x 12" piece of cardstock, available in art and craft stores
• Current calendars for August – June (as a point of reference to fill in the dates)
• Academic school calendar's list of dates
• Markers
• Crayons or colored pencils
• Pen
• Stapler

What You Do:

1. Write the numbers of the days for each month on our calendar templates beginning with the month your school begins (usually August or September) all the way to the month your school ends (usually May or June). Have your child count out-loud while you do the first month. She can help you write the numbers and the names of the months.
2. Place the calendar months in order and lay the blank white paper on top of the stack. Staple the whole thing together.
3. Flip the blank page, and you'll see the picture for the first school month.
4. Using markers, have your child write “Hooray! I’m in 2nd Grade!” She can draw a picture of herself or glue on a photograph.  (You can certainly do this activity for your child in another grade as well.) 
5. Turn the first month up and have your child draw on the back of the second month’s picture. She can draw a picture of her school and write its name.
6. Turn the page again, and have your child draw her teacher and friends. Continue drawing pictures for each month. Your child can draw whatever she likes for each month.  Some ideas are: school mascots or icons, favorite characters or scenes from books, seasons like fall, winter and spring, hearts for February, Chirstmas trees for December, or for the last month she can write “I’m finished with 2nd grade.”  Encourage your child be creative!
7. Write special events on your calendar using your school’s academic calendar, usually located on the school’s web site. After school begins, you and your child should continue adding events and due dates.
8. Staple all the pages to the 12" x 12" cardstock so that it forms a nice border around the calendar. You can trim off any excess cardstock.
9. Hang in a place of prominence and use it throughout the year! This is a great way to get your child excited about the academic adventures that lie ahead!

http://www.education.com/activity/article/school-calendar/