Create Your Own Thanksgiving Placemat

Today’s Thanksgiving table usually holds a turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, maybe some corn on the cob, a pumpkin pie, but most of these things were not present at the first thanksgiving. Potatoes were not common at the time, and by November corn had been removed from the cob and dried to last through the winter. Turkey only existed in the wild and had to be hunted so they pilgrims may have had turkey but more likely they ate seafood. Pumpkin pie didn’t exist yet, though they may have enjoyed pumpkin stew, and the pilgrims didn’t have sugar so cranberry sauce was out of the question. They probably at fruits such as grapes and berries, and nuts.

Decorating placemats for thanksgiving is a great way to start a conversation about what the pilgrims ate at the first thanksgiving and how that compares to what your family enjoys. And you can wow everyone with your knowledge of the pilgrims’ menu. It’s also your chance to help create a festive dinner table.

Supplies Needed:

Vinyl Placemat
Fabric Paint
Styrofoam plates
Foods for stamping (corn on the cob, potato, nuts)

Lay out newspaper to protect your work space. Clean your placemat. Squeeze a bit of paint onto each Styrofoam plate, one color on each plate.

Decide what you’d like to use for stamps. I recommend rolling corn on the cob in the paint and then across the place mat. It leaves an interesting pattern. Potatoes are good for stamping, too, because you can cut any shape out of them that you want. (Have an adult help you with this step.) You could use potatoes to stamp turkeys or cornucopias onto the placemat. Use anything you can think of, but be sure you have permission to use the supplies.

When your placemat is perfect, let it dry. If you do this today, it will be ready to decorate your Thanksgiving table tomorrow.

Return to main page.

My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

33415 / 50000 words. 67% done!