• Making Thanksgiving-themed crafts can add to the family fun.harvest image by Bionic Media from Fotolia.com
  
  Thanksgiving is a time for family togetherness, but if you find yourself wondering what to do while you're all together, why not spend an hour or two crafting? Here are some simple ideas to brighten your Thanksgiving dinner (and help with the leftovers), most of which kids can do with minimal adult supervision, though some cutting is required.
  
  

Gourd Luminary

• Select a gourd with a fairly flat base so it won't tip over when the candle is inside it. Cut off the top of the gourd with a craft knife and clean out the inside. Older kids may want to draw a simple pattern onto the exterior of the gourd (for example, a series of slanted lines or a row of larger and smaller circles) and use the craft knife to carefully cut out the pattern, then insert a candle. Display several gourd luminaries as a centerpiece or on your mantle.
  
  

Corn Husk Votives

• Strip dried husks off several corn cobs and press flat. Some varieties of decorative corn have purple husks; these work especially well for votives. Using a craft knife, cut the corn husks to the height of your clear glass votive holder. Place double-sided tape all around the exterior of the holder and carefully wrap the corn husks around it, overlapping edges when needed. Tie a piece of twine around the holder and add a candle. You can mix corn husk votives with gourd luminaries for a centerpiece.
  
  

Leaf Place Mats

• Collect some fall leaves (maple and oak work well) and trace them onto paper. Use a photocopier to enlarge the tracings to about 16 by 16 inches. You can also scan the leaves onto your computer and enlarge them using an image program such as Adobe Photoshop. You may need to tape two pieces of paper together to get each leaf to the correct size. Cut out the enlarged versions and trace onto felt (orange, gold and red are good color choices, but pick whatever appeals to you; felt can be purchased by the yard at most fabric stores). Cut out place mats.
  
  

Pine Cone Turkey

• Collect pine cones from your yard or buy them at a craft store. Each pine cone will form the body of your turkey. Cut tail feathers from different colors of paper and glue them to the stem end of the pine cone. Cut a head out of paper and glue it to the other end; add a beak and waddle made of paper. You can also use a pipe cleaner for the head. Bend two orange pipe cleaners to form the legs and feet and glue to the base of the pine cone.
  
  

Leftover Labels

• Draw images of a roasted turkey, corn, pies and other Thanksgiving foods, cut the drawings out of paper and attach double-sided tape to the backs. You can also scan your drawings onto a computer and print them on adhesive sheets, then cut them out. Attach paper or printed labels to leftovers to help you identify them in the fridge. If you are sending leftovers home with guests, you can write their names on the labels.