5 Finishing Touches for Your Thanksgiving Meal

As we all scurry about to serve up a Thanksgiving feast and host friends and family this holiday, here are five easy and frugal finishing touches to add to your celebration -- sometimes the smallest details can make the biggest difference!

Materials You Will Need:

• Scrap paper- look for festive colors, you will only need small pieces, along with festive stickers
  
• Mixed nuts in their shell
• Small pine cones
  
• Glitter- gold works best
• A bit of paint- brown, orange or yellow will do
• Glue
• Clothespins- one for each place card
• Letter stickers- or a pretty pen to write the names of your guests
• Ribbon

1) Serve yummy non-alcoholic drinks for your young guests and as a fun alternative for adults and designated drivers. Find a variety of delicious non-alcoholic drink ideas at Martinelli's. I made the Martinelli's Mimosa pictured above.

Ingredients: 2 ounces of Martinelli's organic sparkling apple cider, 2 ounces of orange juice, 1/2 of a lemon. Mix all ingredients together in a pitcher, then sugar the rim of your glass and pour. Garnish with an orange slice. Instead of using expensive glass charms, I simply tied a pretty ribbon around the glass and added a festive confetti leaf.


2) Make easy and elegant place cards using scratch paper and clothespins. To make these place cards, attach your festive sticker to the left hand corner of your place card and either write the guest's name or spell it out using letter stickers. Cut your paper, then you can layer it on top of several other colors of paper. Paint your clothespin and sprinkle glitter on it. Clip your place card onto the clothespin so it stands upright.


3) Make your own favor boxes filled with treats by decorating recycled boxes with easy to find items. To make the favor box, simply get a small recycled box, I used an old jewelery box -- cut some of your scrap paper to cover the lid. Glue it onto the lid top. Sprinkle some glitter onto nuts or a small pine cone. Glue ribbon, pine cone and nuts, in any variety you would like, to the box top. Place a paper cupcake liner inside the box and fill with chocolate or other treats.

4) Arrange reusable "to go boxes" for your guests. We all know the downside of not hosting the Thanksgiving dinner means sometimes going home empty handed -- and missing one of the best parts of the holiday -- the leftovers! If you are hosting, it is a nice touch to have reusable "to go" containers available for those who might want to sneak an extra piece of pie, or some turkey for a midnight sandwich. Put sticky labels out so guests may label what they are taking home.

5) Play Thanksgiving Pictionary. Use scrap paper to write down Thanksgiving terms, (ie: turkey, pilgrim, giving thanks, etc.). Get out your sketch pad and have a festive themed game for everyone to enjoy!

Have a safe, wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving. And be sure to re-visit my special Thanksgiving kids' table craft ideas and Thanksgiving Gratitude tree centerpiece for even more finishing touches for your celebration!