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Happy Tuesday and Happy Belated Thanksgiving! I know it’s a little late, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to share all my Thanksgiving crafts I worked on last week for my big premier. This is the first year that we have hosted Thanksgiving at our house, thus also being the first year I have actually decorated for the event! As many of you know (by reading my About page), I married into a lovely pre-made family and added my own little addition (aka my spoiled-rotten one year old!). So prior to that, I didn’t decorate, and last year I was huge and miserable so any efforts went right out the window, lol. So… this was a big year for me. I made a huge long list of all the decorations I wanted to make and shopped my little heart out to find all the little things I needed. (Here is the part where I wake up from that dream and come back to reality). Of course I got everything done and had the perfect Thanksgiving, right? Not. So I thought I would level with you guys and share with you my dream, then what actually happened in real life.
Step one… preparations. I have a 6-person table… and 14 adults coming for Thanksgiving. Where are they all going to sit? Better yet, how am I going to feed them since I only have 8 plates? Que the folding tables and table cloths, then take a trip to Party City for their “premier” plates, silverware and glasses. They cost a small fortune, but it was cheaper than buying real plates and still looked good on the table.
Step two… table runners and chair sashes. I’ll admit that the table runner was actually pretty easy, since all I did was cut some burlap and tie it off at the ends. I recommend this method to anyone, it was really a piece of cake. The chair sashes were a different story, I had to tie them at the bottom of the chair and squeeze, pull and tug them up to the top so they would stay up. They looked good until everyone sat down anyways, lol. Then they just fell, but oh well. They had their fifteen minutes of fame.
Step three… napkins. I wanted to add a touch of color to my burlap, so I naturally chose orange chevron (love!). I have been taking a welcome-to-sewing class on the weekends and bravely thought I could make my own napkins. After three days of trying, I finally got it all figured out Thanksgiving morning. Shew, close call.
Step four… Give Thanks sign and tree. These were my favorite projects this year. I bought a mason jar and dressed it up with burlap and orange chevron. I bought the twigs from the craft store to ensure they were bug-free (lol). Ones from your yard would work just as well, though. I’ll admit that my mom made those cute leaf tags for me and they were amazing! Now get ready for the sign… it’s actually a piece of posterboard spray painted with chalkboard paint and taped to the inside of the frame. Whammo, instant chalkboard sign. I will say that I had to write on the chalkboard prior to taping it in the frame. The “Give” banner is just burlap and fabric paint (used a stencil to sponge it on there).
So with all that, let’s cover all the things I missed: real-sized banner with burlap, orange chevron and white muslin fabric (it was beautiful in my head!). Wrapped silverware with tags. A wreath for the front door (luckily I had bought a grapevine wreath and threw it up at the last minute). Centerpiece for the table (I couldn’t find small pumpkins!). Orange chevron bows for the ends of my table runners AND to add accent to my burlap chair sashes. Hanging my photo collage (we’ve only lived here for a year for crying out loud!). We did have an awesome Kid’s Table, though!
As Thanksgiving feast was being served, I looked around my house, finding fault in all the things that I didn’t have time to do (procrastinators unite!). In the middle of the chaos, I had a heart-felt moment when I realized that my family didn’t care about the decorations. They didn’t care that I didn’t have a banner or a pretty wreath or any photos hanging on our empty walls. I recognized that they were just happy to be gathered together to spend time with family. I quickly swiped a tear from my eye and realized another truth… they probably just came for the free food and wine (LOL!).
So I’ll pack these decorations and supplies away and bring them all out again next year, maybe I’ll get a few more items done. If you’re still reading my blog ten years from now, maybe you’ll get to see all the wonderful ideas I had stored away in this disaster of a brain and think back to this very first post and all the things we all meant to do but ran out of time. Moral of the story… do what you can, when you can, and in the end, everything else will come together.
Stay tuned as we switch gears into full Christmas mode… see you Friday!
Shared with:
Awesome Things Tuesday http://www.sowderingabout.com/2013/12/awesome-things-tuesday.html
Tell Me Tuesday #48 http://www.lilmrstori.com/2013/12/tell-me-tuesday-48/
Create Link Inspire Linky Party http://www.marvelousmommy.com/2013/12/create-link-inspire-linkup-party-100-cash-giveaway/
Take It On Tuesday #101 http://romanceonadime.com/take-it-on-tuesday/take-tuesday-blog-hop-101/
Give Me The Goods #37 http://www.somuchbetterwithage.com/2013/12/give-goods-37/
Handmade Tuesdays http://ladybug-blessings.com/?p=4128
MyPaperCraze 