The options for Thanksgiving-themed decorations are limited compared to other fall holidays, and the selection typically includes items covered in generic cartoon turkeys.
Don’t get stuck with the same old decorative accents as you dress your store up for the holidays. Instead of buying decorations on sale at the craft store, pick up a few materials and try one of these do-it-yourself projects for eye-catching store displays.
1. A bright idea
You can spice up a handful of plain candles with cinnamon sticks in just a few minutes. Necessary materials include cinnamon sticks, which you can find at the supermarket, candles and rubber bands. Twine or decorative ribbon will make the craft even more attractive. When you go shopping for the candles, look for those that are short and wide, rather than candlesticks.
Place a rubber band around each candle, then arrange a row of cinnamon sticks around the cylinder, using the rubber band to secure them. Craft blog Home Stories A to Z suggested staggering the heights of the cinnamon sticks to create a more interesting aesthetic. Finally, cover the rubber band with twine or a ribbon for a finished look.
2. Uncork the holiday spirit
This craft requires a bit of spelling prowess and creativity, but it’s quite simple. The idea is to spell out a seasonal word or phrase like “Thanksgiving” or “give thanks” with decorative wine bottles.
Decide whether you want a group of similar bottles for a uniform look or a more diverse range to create an eclectic vibe, and collect enough to complete what you hope to spell. Art blog CrazyLou suggested cleaning the bottles and removing their labels, then them down with rubbing alcohol.
Cover the bottles with several coats of paint to reach the desired shade, being sure to keep strokes neat. To add letters to the bottle, you can find those that are backed with adhesive, paint them directly on or glue them to the bottles. Whether it’s easiest for you to stencil the phrase on, freehand draw the letters or use pre-cut characters, double-check that they’ll end up in a straight line.
Fill your decorative bottles with seasonal flowers, grasses or even leave them empty if that’s your style. You can also place a single flower in each bottle for a simple look.
3. Can-do decorations
Gather a bunch of aluminum cans and a few more supplies to make this easy DIY decoration. You’ll be using the cans to spell words out like you did with the wine bottles, so be sure you have enough. The other necessary items are burlap, stencils, a hot glue gun, twine, paint and a paintbrush. In addition to the regular paint, you need spray paint that works on metal.
To start, paint the letters on your burlap or other fabric of choice. You’re looking for pieces of cloth that can wrap around each can, so make rough measurements before you open the bottle of paint. Use the stencil as a guide to create the letters While they’re drying, spray paint your tin cans. When neither part of the decoration has wet paint remaining, fasten the fabric to the can with hot glue.
The craft blog Little Yellow Barn recommended punching holes in the cans to string them together by running a length of twine through each hole. If you go this route, you’ll be able to suspend the decoration between store fixtures.
