‘Gourd-geous’ DIY Thanksgiving Decorations That Will Spice Up Any Home

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks and appreciation while spending time with your loved ones; it’s an important and special occasion usually celebrated with friends and family. Thanksgiving decorations help set the tone and put you and your friends in the holiday mood. Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, we’re sure most of you are scratching your heads trying to think of easy Thanksgiving decorations to buy or to DIY. Since the celebration will be during the fall season, which is the season of pine cones, crunchy leaves, and most importantly, pumpkins, why not incorporate all these elements into your Thanksgiving decorations to better capture the essence of fall? Here are 45 Thanksgiving decorations you can DIY. We sure hope you’d be thankful for this article during Thanksgiving when your house is filled with the ideas we are about to reveal to you.

Customized Wreath

It is common to throw parties or gatherings for your friends and family in your home during Thanksgiving. Upon arriving at your home, the first thing your guests will see is your front door, which should be decorated appropriately for the occasion. 

One staple front door decoration piece is a wreath that can either be store-bought or made yourself. If you’re looking to DIY this, start by getting yourself a wreath form from the store and wrap burlap or fabric of your choice around it. 

Pine Cone Wreath

As mentioned earlier, pine cones are one of the many aspects that represent the essence of fall. Combining this staple fall element with a staple Thanksgiving decoration would be the perfect way to spice up your front door for the occasion. 

First, buy a wreath form from Amazon or any craft story store, and wrap burlap around it. Then, paint the pine cones in fall colors such as orange, red, yellow, and beige. Finally, glue the pine cones onto the burlap-wrapped wreath form. That simple! 

Turkey Wreath

If you don’t like the wreath ideas mentioned above, try adding Thanksgiving elements to your wreath as an alternative! Turkeys are a classic representation of Thanksgiving. Turkey wreaths would look adorable on your front door and put a smile on your guests’ faces. 

Wrap brown styrofoam around a store-bought wreath form. Next, make the turkey’s body by alternating between wrapping red, yellow, brown, and orange ribbon around the wreath. Finally, make the turkey’s head by gluing eyes, a nose, and a mouth to a brown styrofoam ball, then glue it to your wreath.  

Corn Wreath 

For parents looking for a fun DIY project with their kids, here’s an idea: create a corn wreath! The materials you need are construction paper, bubble wrap, paint, twine, and a circular cardboard cut-out, all of which you can find easily around your household. 

Start by cutting the construction paper into the shape of corn. Next, dab the bubble wrap into the brown, red, orange, and yellow paint onto the corn cut-outs. Afterward, put the corn ears together using green construction paper as husks and attach them to a circular cardboard cut-out with twine. 

Indian Corn Wreath

If you think making your own corn wreath is too troublesome or a little unsteady for your front door, then consider this next wreath idea. Try decorating it with Indian corn, in which you can find all kinds of fall colors. 

For this wreath, you will find that it looks better with a white wreath base. So, go ahead and get yourself a white wreath form or you can paint it or wrap it in white burlap if you prefer. Then, pick out Indian corn with husks still attached and glue them on the wreath. 

Tree Disk Decors – Part 1 

One easy decoration for your front porch involves using tree disks. Tree disks are easy to customize and decorate for your porch for every occasion. The following idea is an environment-friendly decoration that uses items you can easily find in your kitchen. 

Purchase some cut-out tree disks, and for each one, you’re going to make a face out of it using mason jar lids, bottle caps, and silverware. Glue the parts to the tree disks and place them anywhere on your porch when it dries. 

Tree Disk Decors – Part 2 

Another thing you could use tree disks for is dressing it appropriately for the occasion you’re celebrating, which in this case, is Thanksgiving in the Fall. This idea is simple to make and elevates your front porch in an instant. 

Decorate the pre-bought cut-out tree disks by painting them orange to make them look like a pumpkin, and write Thanksgiving quotes on them if you like. Finish it off by attaching leafy wire wrap around the edges.

Mason Jar Quotes 

If you’re not a fan of the Thanksgiving tree disk quote idea mentioned above, try this instead. Clean a large empty mason jar thoroughly. Next, tape the letters you need for the quote you picked for the jar and start painting it. 

Once you’re done painting, let the paint dry and remove the tape. Top the look off by placing wheat in the jar and tie twine around the jar’s opening. This decoration not only looks chic on your front porch but it also makes for a beautiful centerpiece. 

Plank Messenger 

Another item to print your favorite quotes on is a wooden plank. Like mason jars, this can be placed anywhere within the house or outside on the front porch. This is the perfect DIY project for both calligraphy experts and those who think they have bad handwriting. 

Go ahead and get yourself a wooden pallet and be sure to sand it down a little bit to make it easier to draw on. After that, paint on the quote or use stencils for this. Top the wooden plank off with fairy lights to make it stand out in the night or day.

Autumn in a Jar 

This is another Thanksgiving decoration idea that involves the use of mason jars, but this time we’re putting a bit of fall into a jar. For this idea, you need to gather some fairy lights, real or fake leaves, mod podge, some twine, and of course, mason jars. 

Start by arranging the leaves in your jar. When you’re satisfied with the arrangement, use mod podge to secure the leaves. When the glue has dried, place the fairy lights inside the jar in a bundle. Finish off by tying some twine around the opening of the jar. 

Stenciled Banners 

Don’t worry if you don’t like either of the quote ideas mentioned above because we have another idea for displaying your favorite Thanksgiving quote in store for you. Try printing the quote on a banner and hanging it across your mantle. 

If you’re talented in calligraphy, try painting the chosen Thanksgiving quote on a banner. However, if you’re not gifted in this field, you can always do this with the help of stencils. Lay stencils on the banner, spray paint it, and you’re done! 

Origami Banner

Another quote banner you could DIY is origami banners! All you need are some construction paper, paint, and some twine. First, fold the construction paper into the shape of your choice. We found that irregular pentagons look the best. 

Next, paint each letter of the quote on each construction paper you’ve previously cut out; phrases such as “Give Thanks!” or “Happy Thanksgiving” are common on banners. Once you’re done painting, attach the cut-out construction paper to the twine. 

Pumpkin Pie Banner

For those who aren’t big fans of quotes, try this next idea instead. Combine a staple Thanksgiving dessert and decoration like pine cones or pumpkins, and get yourself your very own pumpkin pie banner. It looks tasty and cute as a mantle or window decoration. 

Measure the desired length of your banner and cut out some twine in the exact length. Then, cut out triangular-shaped orange felt; use brown felt for the “crust.” Finally, add white pom-poms as the “cream” and attach them to the twine.  

Fall Elements Banner 

Pine cones, chestnuts, and crunchy leaves are all synonymous with fall. Therefore, it only makes sense to combine all these elements to make one beautiful banner that symbolizes the season for your mantle. This is an easy, no-brainer decoration you could create with your kids! 

Start by picking out the decorations you’d like to put on your banner; these could be pine cones and chestnuts. Then, paint and add glitter to them for a pop of color. Attach them to a piece of twine, and make sure to alternate between the two. 

Felt Pumpkin Centerpieces

The following few ideas involve using pumpkins as inspiration because, as we all know, pumpkins are a staple fall item. This idea is a great DIY project that will help to brush up your sewing skills and makes for a beautiful centerpiece. 

Use some orange or even green felt to wrap up some beans and cotton; they act as the stuffing for our pumpkin. After you’re satisfied with the shape, sew the top close; be sure to include folds to make it look realistic. Then, use twine and felt to create the top. 

Paper Pumpkins

If felt pumpkin sounds too complex to make or isn’t worth the trouble, try considering this idea instead – paper pumpkins. This is a relatively easy yet cost-efficient decoration you can do with your kids; it only requires paper, a stapler, and Sharpies. 

Cut orange and green construction paper into multiple strips. With the Sharpie, write everything you are thankful for on the strips of paper. Finally, put the paper strips together so that it forms the shape of a pumpkin, and you’re done! 

String Pumpkins 

Here is another fun pumpkin DIY project to do with your kids that involves creating a pumpkin out of strings. String pumpkins take a while to make, but we promise you it’ll turn out beautiful and will definitely be worth your time! 

Firstly, blow up some balloons. Subsequently, have your kids dip the strings, preferably orange, in glue and wrap it around the balloons. Let the strings dry, then pop the balloon. Complete the look with stems and leaves made out of pipe cleaners. 

Lid Pumpkins

Since you’ve used mason jars to create a quote displayer, it’s time to make use of the mason jar lids. Turn the lids into pumpkin centerpieces; this is the perfect way to put mason jar lids to good use. 

Start by painting the lids orange for a traditional pumpkin look and leave it as it is for a futuristic look. Finish by stringing the lids together using pipe cleaners and add some cinnamon sticks in the middle to resemble pumpkin stems. 

Book Pumpkin 

This next idea involves using books to create beautiful pumpkin decorations. If you have lots of old magazines lying around your home, this is a great way to get rid of them. However, book lovers might feel some anxiety while constructing this project. 

Cut the magazine or book so that it’ll look like a pumpkin when fully opened. After that, place glue along the book’s binding and glue the front and back cover of the book together. Finish off with a coat of paint on the outside of the pages. 

Painted Gourds  

If you’re wondering what activities you could do with your friends and family during that special party you planned, here’s a suggestion: painting gourds. Gourds are ornamental squash usually decorated and used as small centerpieces; when you’re done decorating, they’re Instagram-worthy, too!

During your Thanksgiving party, prepare gourds of different shapes and sizes along with paint, glitter, and sharpies; have your guests decorate the gourds as they like and let them bring them home when they’re done to also add some fall essence to their own households.

Pine Cones

Apart from painting gourds for a Thanksgiving activity, try this for a change: painting pine cones. Pine cones are a staple fall element and are easy to get your hands on. This activity is suitable for guests of all ages, provided that you won’t mind the mess that the younger guests are going to make. 

Prepare different color paint in fall colors preferably. Of course, you’d have to prepare a few pine cones as well. Place the materials on a table and have your guests gather around. Have a friendly competition to see who creates the most beautiful pine cone! 

Leaf Bowl 

Now that you’ve customized the pine cones, you’d need a place to store them. What better place to store such autumn-like ornaments than a bowl made of fall leaves? It looks so amazing placed in the center of your table, and you can store other things in it, too! 

Start by blowing up a balloon. Then, attach fake or real leaves to the bottom of the balloon with mod podge. After the mod podge has dried, pop the balloon and remove the debris. Your leaf bowl is magically complete. 

Metallic Pumpkins 

One alternative to make your pumpkins look futuristic is to spray paint the pumpkins with metallic paint, which is something very similar to the painted gourds we discussed earlier. These are easier to make and could be a year-round decoration for your house! 

You can easily find mini pumpkins in craft stores as well as online shopping platforms, and they are perfect for this idea. Simply buy mini pumpkins and spray paint a coat of metallic paint on them. You could add flowers to the pumpkins if you want. 

Basket of Pumpkins

While you’re at the store picking up those mini pumpkins, why not purchase some normal-sized decorative pumpkins as well? Furthermore, buy a cute steel bucket to hold the pumpkins you’ve purchased. The combination of a pretty basket and pumpkins is a super easy Thanksgiving decoration.  

If you can’t find a steel basket, simply paint the basket you have in the color of steel. Then, add Thanksgiving quotes to the basket. For the pumpkins, paint them white for a classier look. When they dry, place them in the basket. 

Wooden Pumpkins

If buying pumpkins seems too wasteful for you, consider this next idea: reuse old wood pieces or pallets to make pumpkins. This idea is great for the environment and beautiful as a Thanksgiving decoration, but it challenges your carpenter skills.  

Saw and shape the old pieces of wood to form the shape of a pumpkin, sand it down to make it smoother. Finish the wooden pumpkin off by painting it; this can be done with your kids as a fun family bonding activity. 

Gourd Candles

Candles from Bath & Body Works smell delightful; seasonal candles spice up your home and make it smell like a particular holiday. However, these candles can be rather pricey. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution for a unique Thanksgiving candle. 

You can DIY Thanksgiving candles by purchasing candles first then selecting gourds in the right size to fit the chosen candles; subsequently, scoop out the gourd meat and replace it with the candles. With these simple steps, you now have a self-made candle! 

Autumn Candles

Although gourds are merely decorative and ornamental, some might think that scooping out gourd meat just to make candles is too wasteful. Here’s an alternative that’s environmentally friendly and perfect for environmentalists who’d like to try to create DIY candles! 

For this idea, prepare a few candles of your choice and some autumny stickers, twines, and construction papers. Now, cut out fall leaves from the construction paper. Finally, use string to attach the stickers and cut out construction paper for the candles. 

Fabric Pumpkins

If you have pieces of clothing sitting idle in the back of your closet, try this next environmentally friendly idea that repurposes old fabric to create pumpkin centerpieces. It would be preferable to choose clothing in fall colors for this next idea. 

Stuff the clothing with fiberfill stuffing and seal it with twine and mod podge. To top the look off, add cinnamon sticks and green clothing as stems and leaves. Create a few more pumpkins to make your very own unique pumpkin patch!  

Patchwork Table Runner  

This is another excellent idea to put your old clothing to perfect use is to make a patchwork table runner. This is perfect not only for fall but also for other seasons. Choose red, orange, brown, and yellow clothing to create a fall table runner. 

Cut out square pieces from all the clothing you’ve chosen. Once that’s done, sew the square pieces together, alternating between different patterns. Finally, place it on your dining table and impress your friends and family. Choose more neutral colors to make this a year-round table runner. 

Pumpkin Turkeys

Pumpkins represent the fall season, and turkeys represent Thanksgiving; a combination of these two would make the perfect Thanksgiving decoration to spice up your humble home! Put your art skills to the test with this adorable pumpkin turkey and impress your guests with a job well done. 

Use a small pumpkin as the body of a turkey. Next, use felt to create the turkey’s head, tail, and feet. You can use paint to customize it, too! This is also a fun activity to bond with your kids over. 

Turkey Bread Basket

Bread is one of many staple foods to be served during Thanksgiving; you’ll need a breadbasket to put all the bread you’re going to serve in. However, ordinary bread baskets seem dull and boring. Therefore, you should definitely try this Thanksgiving bread basket idea. 

Start by making a turkey body with space in the middle to put your bread in. Then, use colorful paper to make the turkey’s feathery tail and head. Finish this simple DIY project by adding eyes and mouth to the turkey, then attach all the pieces to the turkey’s body. 

Turkey Pins

Since you’ve already decorated your home with beautiful and stunning decorations, why not go up a notch and dress yourself up with a Thanksgiving-appropriate piece? Better yet, DIY these pieces and show them off along with your Thanksgiving attire! 

First, create the turkey’s body with felt. Then, make the feathers with fake flower petals that are the colors of the season. Finally, attach both body and feathers to a safety pin and pin it to your Thanksgiving day outfit! 

Pom-pom Turkeys 

If you’re a turkey lover, you’re sure to love this idea for a cute mini Thanksgiving decoration! This idea turns ordinary pom-poms into beautiful turkey decorations. You’re sure to love this idea, and as a bonus, this is another wonderful activity to do with your kids. 

Start by creating the turkey’s feathered tail with colorful felt. Then, cut out the turkey’s eyes and mouth with the remaining felt. Next, attach the tail, eyes, and mouth to a pom-pom. Finally, use some pipe cleaners to form the turkey’s legs. 

Bottle Decoration

If you are someone who loves to throw parties, you should have a lot of bottles sitting idly around your house. Usually, these bottles are thrown out once the party’s over. However, this is rather wasteful. There’s a better way to “dispose” of these bottles. 

Prepare some regular twine for a minimalist look and colorful strings for a pop of color in your home. Wrap the string or twine you’ve prepared prior around the leftover bottles; you could add some stickers to the wrapped bottles for a chic look. 

Bottles Centerpiece 

Do you think twine-wrapped bottles seem too ordinary? If so, try this next idea instead. Customize the bottles using paint, glitter, and stickers. It’s a great activity to help you bond with your kids and create pretty decorations as a bonus!

Cut the bottles in half and have your kids decorate the cut-up bottles by painting them in their favorite color. Then, add stickers and glitter to make it colorful. When they’re done decorating, wait for the paint to dry and place flowers in the bottles. 

Cork Pumpkin 

If you have multiple bottles leftover from the parties you’ve thrown, you’re sure to have lots of corkscrews leftover, too. Here’s an easy idea to turn trash into a beautiful Thanksgiving and Fall decoration to display within your warm home. 

Simply paint the corkscrews orange and glue them together to form a pumpkin shape, and you’re done! This is a fun activity to do with your kids, too! So, grab those corkscrews, whip out the paint and glue, and get right to it.

Cork name holders 

It’s absolutely fine if you don’t dig cork pumpkins. Take a look at this next idea which turns corkscrews into name holders for your guests at your next party. It’s a fantastic idea to turn trash into something extremely useful! 

Start by cutting out some construction paper into rectangles. Then, write the names of your guests on them. After that, use the remaining construction paper to create some feathers to slide in the corkscrews. Finally, attach the name tags and the corkscrews. 

Fall leaves napkin 

Since you already have customized name holders for your guests’ place settings, why not go the extra mile by making some napkins suitable for the occasion? We’re sure with this next idea your guests are going to be really impressed! 

For this, you’ll need burlap, felt, and some stitches. Cut the burlap and felt into leaf shapes; be sure to leave enough felt and burlap to create a nice round base. Finally, sew the pieces together, and you’ll have your own fall napkins. 

Painted napkins 

It’s okay if you think that customized-made napkins are a tad too much, but try elevating the look of a plain white napkin with some paint and stencils. Things as little as paint and glitter can make your ordinary napkins look elegant in an instant. 

Place stencils on top of the white napkin. Then, dab a sponge in some gold paint and dab it on the napkin; gold paint looks classy, but you can choose any color you’d like. This is another great activity to do with your kids, too! 

Fingerprint Thanks Tree 

Young children often find it challenging to grasp the meaning of Thanksgiving; To them, this is merely a celebration. For the parents who are looking for activities that can help their kids understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving, this is the perfect activity to do so. 

Get a large piece of cardboard and draw tree branches on it. Prepare some paint for your kids to dip their fingers in to ink on the branches as leaves. For each leaf they inked, write something you’re grateful and thankful for. 

Thanks Tree

Another idea to actually celebrate the true meaning of Thanksgiving is similar to the one mentioned above. However, this is a much neater, simpler, and minimalist idea. This is also a great activity to do with your guests during Thanksgiving day. 

Start by creating a tree; stick some branches in a mason jar or pot filled with stones. Then, prepare some small tree disks and some chalk for your guests. Upon the actual day, have your guests write down things they’re grateful for and hang them on the tree. 

Indoor trees

If you think a tree of thanks is too much or simply want an ordinary tree as a decoration, we’ll show you how to DIY a fall tree yourself! It’ll take some effort, but we promise the outcome will look amazing. 

Firstly, string a bunch of fall leaves on a frame shaped like a Christmas tree; keep in mind that this takes a while. When you’re done with that, attach the string of leaves to a tomato cage. You could add fairy lights to give it a little more of the holiday feel. 

Mobiles 

Do you want to dress your baby’s room for Thanksgiving, but ordinary decorations seem unfitting for your baby’s room? Mobiles are a staple piece in any baby’s room. You can combine fall elements with mobiles to create the perfect decoration for your baby? It’s easy to DIY and will look absolutely stunning. 

Start by taking a stroll in your neighborhood; search for branches of your desired length and size. When you’ve found the perfect branch, cut some paper into leaf shapes and paint them in autumn colors. Finally, attach the leaves to the branch with string. 

Flower Centerpieces 

If your dining table is looking too bland, try adding centerpieces to elevate the look of it. Common centerpieces are flower is vases, both fake and real because they are easy to get your hands on and are suitable year-round. 

To DIY a fake flower centerpiece, you’d need fake flowers of your choice, a basket, and foam. Stick the flowers in the foam and arrange them nicely. Then, place the foam with flowers in a basket or pot. Finish the look by tying a ribbon around the basket. 

Play on Garlands 

Garlands might be the first to come to everyone’s minds when thinking of mantle or wall decorations. That’s precisely why garlands are last on our list because they are too common. That being said, we still want to provide one simple idea for garlands. 

Pick some fall leaves from a walk in your neighborhood. Then, use a hole puncher to punch a hole in the top of the leaf. Now, use glitter and paint to decorate the leaves. Finally, string them all together and put them wherever you’d like.