3 Unique Crafting Projects to Celebrate Thanksgiving This Year

Hello, Altenew friends, Norine back with you today!

Things are getting crispy and golden colored in my part of the world! It's probably the temps that nip ever lower on the thermometer each night that is the cause. We can't turn back the calendar pages, so we might as well embrace fall and get to making some harvesty, thanksgivingy projects!

I have a couple of cards to share with you today and another project that I'm really excited to show you!

Let's get started!

Card 1

My first card today is a combination of two very simple techniques.

First, I began by stamping the pumpkin image in the Autumn Bounty Stamp Set with Obsidian Pigment Ink and then heat setting with Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder. I stamped on smooth cardstock so that I could color with the Altenew Watercolor Brush Markers. I used a mix of colors from each of the three color sets to color the the pumpkin and floral arrangement, and then die cut the image with the coordinating dies.

Next, I used one of the recently released stencils and the amazing large blending tool to create a background for the stamped, colored, and die-cut image. I chose the Castle Motifs Stencil and blended over the entire card panel with Sunkissed, Coral Berry, Orange Cream, and Grapevine Crisp Dye Inks, blending from the top corner to the opposite corner on the bottom. Then, removing the stencil, I blended again over the card panel with the same inks to create a subtle tone-on-tone effect.

I combined three of the sentiments included in the stamp set to stamp the greeting, stamping again with Obsidian Pigment Ink and Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder. I die cut two more layers of cardstock to stack behind the pumpkin image, then adhered that to the stenciled card front.

Card 2

Next up is a card made using the other beautiful image in the Autumn Bounty Stamp Set, the frame of leaves! Once again, I stamped on smooth cardstock to facilitate blending with the Watercolor Brush Markers, stamping with Obsidian Pigment Ink and heat setting with Crystal Clear Crisp Embossing Powder.

I quickly and simply colored the leaves, then die cut the outer edge of the leaf frame.

Again, I ran the leaves through the die cutting machine, this time with the interior rectangle die. I paired the fall-colored leaves with a homespun yellow gingham patterned paper, positioning the die-cut leaves where they would go, so that I could stamp the greeting with another pair of sentiment stamps from the Autumn Bounty Stamp Set.

Then, I added some ink splatters to the card front, adhered the leaf die-cut to frame the stamped and heat embossed greeting. I love a stamp set that makes it so easy to create a beautiful card simply and quickly, and this one does that!

Project 3

And finally, a fun little project to wrap up today's post!

I don't anticipate a houseful of family and friends for Thanksgiving dinner this year, but even if it's only the two of us, my husband and I, we will have plenty to feel grateful for!

(Like getting away with a pumpkin pie cut in half, not 1/8ths).

(Kidding)

Or am I?

And if we WERE to have a table full of guests, I would probably still make place cards like these two for each place setting!

To make these place cards, I stamped the pumpkin image again onto smooth cardstock, and heat embossed it with Platinum Crisp Embossing Powder. Then, I colored the images once more with Altenew's Watercolor Brush Markers.

To accomplish the partial die-cut edges of the place card, I ran the stamped and colored card panels through the die cutting machine, cutting only the outside edges, as pictured below.

I did the partial die cutting technique on each side as well as on the top of the pumpkin, die cutting only the stem and top portion of the leaves.

Once the sides and top were partially die cut, I lightly drew pencil lines along the right and left sides to follow with a paper knife and metal ruler. Then, I placed the card onto a score board and scored a fold line at the top that allows the leaves and stem to stand up above the fold line. I trimmed 1/2″ off the back side of the fold to make the front longer, so that when folded, the name card is better seen from above.

To create the name banner, I cut a strip of vellum about 5.5″ by 1″. I practiced writing our names on typing paper, and once I had a version I liked, I positioned the vellum over the top and traced it with a black permanent marker.

Placing the vellum strips over the name card, I folded the vellum on either side at the widest point, then folded the strip back on itself, and finished each side with a fish-tail trimmed end. I used a spot of liquid glue on the back of the leaves to hold the vellum name strip in place invisibly.

I'm quite delighted with how these place cards turned out and am looking forward to using them to add an element of celebration to what might otherwise be just an ordinary chicken dinner on the last Thursday in November. Sorry, that's a sad-sacky note to close on, when in fact we quite like our own company and are happy to do whatever it takes to be able to celebrate next year's Thanksgiving with a table full of family and friends!

Thank you for stopping by, and enjoy the rest of your day!