by Dylan Bartlett

The holiday season has almost arrived, which means Thanksgiving is just around the corner. You’ve probably seen expensive wreaths and garlands at the stores you visit most often. During this time of year, everyone’s trying to sell holiday decor, but not all of it is fitting or affordable. Instead of overspending for the holidays, embrace your crafty skills and make your own decorations instead. It’s easy to come up with decor for your home when you choose the supplies and tailor it to your style.

Read on to get inspired by these ten DIY ideas for Thanksgiving decorations. These can be made by anyone, whether you have a long crafting history or not. Check them out to see which will look best in your home and get your family into the holiday spirit.

1. Ribbon Pinecone Garland
If you live in an area with pine trees, you know there’s a surplus of pinecones all year. The next time you head outside to clean up the lawn, save the biggest and nicest ones to make a garland. All you need is burlap ribbon, accent ribbon, thick jute rope, a glue gun, and your pinecones. Your garland will be ready to hang in less than an hour, and the pinecones won’t go bad if you keep them up through October and November.

2. Calligraphy Menu Cards
When your guests come over for Thanksgiving, help them know what to look forward to by writing calligraphy menu cards that you place on each table setting. Decorate them with different colors of ink or the names of each guest so everyone gets a personalized gift.

3. Personalized Mugs
You may feel the desire to personalize a mug if you’re the crafty type (or a coffee lover). What do you want your mug to say? It can be something simple like, “Gobble Gobble,” or a Thanksgiving-themed graphic. Either way, you can apply vinyl to make something uniquely your own.

4. Autumn Mason Jar Lights
Mason jars make a big debut in fall because they’re used for storing harvested food. You can use them for light fixtures instead with a little mod podge and some leaves. Place tealights inside the jar when you’re done for soft mood lighting.

5. Corn Husk Wreath
Make a corn husk wreath with simple supplies from your grocery and craft store. A few minutes with a hot glue gun will result in a festive wreath you can hang inside or outside.

6. Thanksgiving Banner
Get cardstock paper with your favorite design or color on it and trace the letters of a short saying you love. Tape them to wire, ribbons, or string and hang a handmade banner to create a picture-perfect Thanksgiving backdrop.

7. Chalkboard Pumpkin
Chalkboard paint transforms anything onto a writable surface, and that includes pumpkins. Paint the biggest pumpkin you can find and use colorful chalk to write the highlights from your menu or welcome guests to your home.

8. Leaf String Lights
String lights are another form of mood lighting that you may want to use for Thanksgiving, so dress them up with pictures of leaves. Slip them over each tiny bulb, and the natural oranges and reds will be illuminated without the risk of overheating.

9. A “Thankful Tree”
If you have little kids, they’ll love creating a “thankful tree” with you as a Thanksgiving craft. Let them cut out leaves from construction paper and draw what they’re grateful for. Hang them from bare twigs in a vase to create a tree that will last through the rest of the year.

10. Harvest Wheat Bundle
Buy some large stacks of wheat at your local craft store or online and wrap them in twine to create harvest bundles. They’ll stand on their own in the corner of your entryway as a lovely holiday statement piece.

Have Fun Creating!
Enjoy the holiday season by creating different crafts! You’ll end up with decor that’s perfect for your home, so you can host a Thanksgiving that your friends, family, and loved ones will remember for years to come.

Dylan Bartlett is a blogger from the City of Brotherly Love writing about recipes, health and wellness, and similar topics on his site, Just a Regular Guide. Follow his Twitter @a_regular_guide for frequent updates!