Cornucopia

• Use a cone-shaped drinking cup as the base for a miniature cornucopia. (These cups typically accompany a water cooler.) Use brown Play-Doh or clay to cover the cup. Leave extra clay to form the curved end on the cornucopia. Roll out two thin snakes of the clay. Twist them together to create braided trim for the opening. Gently press the border around the opening of the cup. Use the extra clay to mold miniature fruits, vegetables and breads to place in the cornucopia.
  
  

Leaf Turkeys

• Create leaf stamps to use for the tail feathers on this turkey craft. Select fall leaves that aren't dried out; freshly fallen leaves or ones still on the tree work best. Wipe away any dirt from the leaves. Cut squares of cardboard that are slightly larger than each leaf. Glue the smooth surface of the leaf to the cardboard, with the bottom of the leaf with the veins facing out. Carefully paint them with different colors of tempera paint. Use the leaf stamps to create a turkey's tail feathers, placing them in a semi-circle pattern. Let the paint dry while you cut the turkey's body out of brown construction paper. Glue the body on top of the stamped feathers. Add legs and facial features on the turkey. The picture works well as a wall decoration or as a Thanksgiving placemat. Laminate the picture to protect it or use it next year.
  
  

Thanksgiving Jar

• Select a large glass jar as the base for this craft. Paint the jar with fall colors to add decoration. Glass paint works, as does tempera paint mixed with a little white glue, although it may scrape off the jar eventually. Add a ribbon in Thanksgiving colors or motifs around the neck of the jar, as well as any other decorations you want. Cut leaves out of construction paper and place them next to the jar. Encourage all of the family members to write something on a leaf for which they are thankful. Leave the jar out for several days before Thanksgiving, allowing everyone to write on as many leaves as he wishes. The leaves will be stored in the jar. During Thanksgiving dinner, open the jar and read the leaves.