We sat down with our friend and fellow mom, Janine Hall, who is an expert of all things crafty and cute! Janine lives and Bloomsburg (Central School District) and is mama to 7 year old twin sons and a 4 year old daughter. She is also a licensed massage therapist, a certified aromatherapist, and an avid nature lover. She grew up with a crafty mom herself, and enjoyed doing artsy activities as a child. Since becoming a mother, she has looked for simple but effective ways of keeping her kids occupied, making things fun and interesting, and always adding magic to any holiday or special occasion, no matter how big or small. Her projects are always fairly simple, and often only require things we would have in our own homes or can easily acquire. Below are some of our favorite crafty activities and recipes for you to recreate with your kiddos!
You can follow Janine on Instagram @janinehallknotslifemom for all sorts of fun, family-friendly content!
Turkey Charcuterie Board
“Snack boards are a favorite at our house and I love to make a little magic with them. Take what you already have at home to make this little turkey. I used a small cutting board to make the shape but a plate works also. The beauty is you can add things you already have in your refrigerator or pantry. It always amazes me how much kids eat, even those healthier choices, when you make a cute display! I made this as an after-school snack but it would be great for the kids table at Thanksgiving!”
Included here: apple slices, mini carrots, cheese cubes, cucumber slices, pretzel sicks, a ginger snap cookie for the face (eyes are sugar decoration, beak is cheese triangle) and raspberries.
“Things We Are Thankful For” Turkey Book
Supply List:
•Brown paper bag •White and colored cardstock •Scrap ribbon and yarn •Googly eyes •hot glue •hole punch
“This is an easy craft to do together with your kids, and a wonderful keepsake, as you can read what your kids were thankful for years to come.
To make: I took a brown paper bag and folded it in half to make a book cover. I then cut white card stock pieces to fit inside for the pages. Hole punch and then tie with scrap ribbon and yarn. My cute thankful tag is a printable from my friend @whittxwhimsy. (I love using DIY printables with most of our crafts. It is an easy way to add a little extra fun and a great way to support small shops). Next, the kids glued on the eyes, nose, and feathers. They picked the color for their feathers and yarn, and they love having a little book to add what they are thankful for throughout the month.”
Baked Pumpkin Donuts & Apple Cider Cups
Recipe:
•1 box spice cake mix
•1 can pumpkin
•2 eggs
•1/4 cup oil
Topping
•2/3 cup sugar
•2 tablespoons cinnamon
•4 tablespoons melted butter
Mix donut ingredients together. Fill donut pan 2/3 full (put ingredients in sandwich bag and cut one corner for easy piping) and bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack.
The best part: Melt 4 tablespoons butter. In a separate bowl mix sugar and cinnamon. Brush donuts with butter and then coat with sugar cinnamon mixture. Are these the healthiest donuts? Nope! But they are so tasty and easy for little bakers to make.
A cute addition to donuts is to make apple cups filled with apple cider! Hollow out apple, pour in warm cider, add a straw, and I promise you they will be a hit. Bonus: the cup can then be eaten!
TP Turkey Roll
“We are never short of TP rolls in our house! Grab some brown paint, colorful cardstock for feathers (or a pack of colored feathers from Dollar Tree), and some googly eyes and you have yourself a cute and simple Thanksgiving craft!”
Cut the cardstock into oval feather shapes and make small cuts in the sides for feathery details. Glue the feathers to the back of the roll in a fanned-out shape. Next, glue the eyes onto the center and use a small paper triangle for the beak.
Disguise a Turkey
“This a fun activity for the whole family to do! I found a free printable on pinterest. Each of my kids thought of ways to disguise their turkey; I love their little imaginations! Our choices, a hunter, Eagles football player, and gum ball machine!”
You can get creative and use what you have on hand to make these.