Fall Leaf Thanksgiving Countdown

Every year, I get busy with some birthdays and Halloween and feel that Thanksgiving just gets lost in the shuffle.



This year I am trying to change that. I am doing A 25 days of Thanksgiving Praise list, but I have also been trying to get advent calendars together, not just for Christmas but also for Thanksgiving.



So without further ado, here is my Thanksgiving calendar, almost done.

Many of the leaves on the tree are actually laminated separately and will have numbers on them. Then my five year old will have to find the right number on the tree and remove it.... Unless she really wants to do it the other way and add the fall colors to the tree....

Anyways, You should make one too if you have any little ones in your house. It is actually really easy.

1. Take coffee filters and color with markers in fall colors- all over them, in any way, in any combination.


2. Paint the coffee filters with water. It will make the markers run, and as they dry will make the watercolor effect. Do use newsprint underneath, as the markers will bleed through as well.


3. Hang up to dry. We used clothes pins and hung them from the picnic tables umbrella.


4. Cut open a brown paper bag and freehand draw a tree onto the printed side. (I did it on the non printed side and had trouble erasing some of the pencil lines if I veered off)


5. Cut out your tree.


6. Prepare your craft paper. I used blue chalk to make the white paper look more like sky.


7. Glue your tree onto the paper.


8. Separate thirty or so leaves, then glue the rest of the leaves onto the tree.


9. Laminate the tree. Laminate the extra leaves separately.


10. Number your leaves, and use double stick tape to add or remove numbers as needed.

On the picture above, there is a blue stripe towards the top. It actually runs all the way to the bottom. On the other side of the stripe I left room for a title, although I am waiting to add the title after laminating so I can change it to general fall countdown, Halloween countdown, thanksgiving countdown, etc.

I am also planning on making a turkey that will be for Thanksgiving day itself that will be added at the base of the tree. You could also make a Jack-o-Lantern for Halloween, or what not depending on what season you are preparing to celebrate.

I really don't think you can go wrong on this craft. Try it. Even the toddlers can help with the leaf making, the chalk background and the gluing steps.

Inspired by several project ideas that were highlighted on the Crafty Crow.