Thankful Trees

hanging leaves

This week we pulled out our Thankful Tree, a tradition we started last year. Each night at dinner we write on a paper leaf something we are thankful for. As the month continues the tree becomes full of leaves, so we are in constant remembrance of our blessings. Last year it helped Liam, then three, understand what being thankful means.

I’ve seen Thankful Trees done several ways. I especially love the idea of using a small fallen tree branch placed in a vase or pot. The simple look of the natural branch is inspiring to me. However, since we live in the desert, fallen branches are hard to come by (especially a fallen branch without thorns). So, I’ve resorted to other “branches”.

leaf hanger

Last year we used a metal orange IKEA tree; I’ve had this orange tree for several years, and I love it. However, this year IKEA introduced an ornament hanger in their holiday line that I opted to use instead. I love the sleek design!

leaves + acorn jar

We keep all the paper leaves strung and ready to write on in a small acorn jar. I simply punch a hole in a paper leaf, loop some string through the hole and drop in the jar. (You can find similar paper leaves here and here.) It took me one Glee show to prepare (slightly time consuming), but hearing the things my boys are thankful for makes it all worth the time. (Liam volunteered he was thankful for hugs for his first leaf.)

hugs

While the concept of a Thankful Tree isn’t anything new, it sure has brought a sense of appreciation into our home. What Thanksgiving tradition does your family keep?

Aimée

Contributor at Paging Supermom
Aimée was a co-founder of Paging Supermom. Although she dreams in pink, she wouldn’t trade her two energetic boys for anything. Between using The Force on surrounding battle droids and flying to infinity and beyond, Aimée enjoys squeezing in some personal creative time. With a background in advertising, marketing and design, she is proud to stay home raising her boys.

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3 thoughts on “Thankful Trees”

  1. I love this idea! I don’t think we’ve been doing nearly enough in our family to celebrate Thanksgiving. We’re going to have to try this out — we definitely have a lot to be grateful for.

    Reply
  2. i love this idea…you say it isn’t a new idea, but it is new to me and i think it rocks!

    a question for you: do you have a die cut machine that you used to cut all the leaves, or did you use scissors?

    btw, i love this blog/page! my daughter is 2 and, thus, too young for much of your stuff, but the cool stuff i see here gets me excited about what we will be able to do in the not too distant future!

    Reply
    • We’re so glad you enjoy our blog! And I have a couple posts specifically geared towards 2 yr olds coming up in the near future… stay tuned!

      These leaves were cut with a die cut machine. If you don’t have access to one, you could just as easily cut simple leaf shapes out of any construction or scrapbook paper you have on hand. (Also, the post refers to a couple sites that sell paper leaves if you want a very simple solution!

      Reply

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