Thanksgiving is the perfect time to think about all of the good things that have happened over the past year and to focus on your strengths and blessings. You can carry this theme to your dinner table by making some easy, inspirational decorations that can set a nice tone for the meal. All you need is some pretty textured paper, some simple colored or white printable card stock, a ruler, a straight edge, a paper cutter or scissors, an inkjet printer (or a calligraphy pen if you prefer to print these by hand), some double-stick tape or clear crafts glue and half a dozen or more small frames. Then come up with a collection of inspirational sayings you like, and put it all together.

Here’s how:

1. Shop for inexpensive new frames at a craft or discount store, selecting a variety of shapes and sizes, or collect vintage frames from local consignment and antique shops to get a rich, eclectic look.


2. Choose frames that are large enough to have a presence, yet small enough that they won’t block people’s view across the table. Look for a variety of sizes, such as 3.5 x 5, 4 x 6 and 5 x 5.


3. Select some pretty specialty paper with a seasonal design and/or color and texture. For instance, the Tairei Terra Cotta paper will make a nice background mat. The Chiyogami Brown Floral Pattern is also a good patterned choice, as is the Chiyogami Chestnut Stripes. Experiment with such styles to come up with a combination of looks you like. Count how many frames you have in each size, then make a pattern with each of the dimensions that will serve as your guide for your mats.


4. Decide which papers you want to use for each mat and then cut them accordingly. You can use a straight edge and a paper cutter or scissors to get a professional edge. Make a second pattern for each size frame that is about two inches smaller all around than the first one. This will be your guide to cut out the inspiration cards after they are printed.


5. Set up a document on your computer in which you can type your inspirational messages. Make sure to space them out so there will be plenty of room to cut them to the appropriate size. (Or use a calligraphy pen to write them by hand.)


6. You can write your own inspirational sayings or short poems that you would like to feature on the frames, or find some sayings in books or online that speak to you in some way. If you are looking for ideas, one resource is http://wordpress.com/tag/inspirational-sayings/, where you will find a collection of famous sayings.


7. Experiment with different fonts, styles and colors until you like the results.
   Select your cardstock. You can go for a clean, crisp look with Echizen White Card Stock, or opt for a richer, handmade style, like the Soft White Wedding Scroll. Or, consider a bright color, like the Japanese Linen Card Stock in moss, pumpkin, chocolate or cha.


8. Print your sayings on the card stock, then use the smaller pattern to cut them to finished size.


9. Center each card on a patterned paper background and glue or sticky tape it to mount it into place.


10. Carefully place the two layers inside the frame and close the frame up.


11. Glue on cloth leaves and flowers or fake berries to add more interest to the frames themselves.


12. Stand up the frames and scatter them around your holiday table.

Tags:
thanksgiving
holiday ideas
paper projects
table cards