I’m enjoying having a mantle to decorate this year! Fall is the first season I’ve really taken advantage of decking out this area.

I want the mantle to be a beautiful place that brings joy and inspiration to our family!

I had the boys help me make a THANKS banner to hang to celebrate the coming holiday. It was so easy and the boys love having their artwork hanging above the fireplace!

Here’s what you need:

• White cardstock
• Watercolors and paintbrushes OR finger paints
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Yarn or string

The first step is the easiest and the most fun – have the kids paint all over the cardstock! The boys did watercolors, but younger children could easily do this with finger paints! I had them use only “fall” colors – orange, red, yellow, brown, and green – but color choice is totally up to you!

For the word THANKS, we painted three papers and then cut each paper in half.

Draw block letters BACKWARDS on the back of each half sheet of paper.

You could draw the letters lightly on the front with a pencil, but I wanted to avoid all pencil lines, so I chose the back.

Your letters will look something like this when they are cut out! I love the colors!

Use a hole punch to put two holes at the top of each letter.

Thread yarn or string through the holes of each letter.

Make sure the letters are in the correct order before you start! One of my kids had been looking through the letters and I almost put them on completely out of order!

All that’s left is to hang it on your mantle or anywhere you choose in your house…

A beautiful family handmade reminder to give thanks and THAT brings me joy!

{Let’s just forget the fact that I had to pull down one of the pumpkins from the mantle just before this picture because it was completely rotten, ok?! Thanks.}

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I also printed out Ann Voskamp’s beautiful {and FREE} Thanks Giving Tree printable to reflect on gratitude this month. I look forward to reading the verses and sharing thanks with our family on the leaves she has provided!

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How do you decorate for Thanksgiving?