Get Geeky for Thanksgiving

Okay, so I am a bit of a holiday geek. I tend to go overboard at this time of year, admittedly less so since having kids. I’m sure once they start participating more and destroying less, it will pick up again. So I thought I’d share some of my favorite holiday crafts to get you in the mood for Turkey Day next week. These are all things that can be done quickly, depending on your starting craft proficiency.

1. The major craft I love to do at Thanksgiving is make turkeys. That’s right, I make them. Having discovered Amigurumi back in 2006, I soon realized I could use this new obsession to enhance my others. Thus emerged the year of Amigurumi turkeys. The best pattern I have found is free on a Vegan blog. Bittersweet’s pattern is simple, easy to follow and produces wonderful turkeys. I can knock one of these bad boys off in just a few hours. I made almost twenty in that first year. Toby has loved watching them come together this year, and loves playing with them. They are regular features now at our Thanksgiving table.
2. Of course there are many other ways of crafting your place setting. This year I am loving turkeys made out of discarded books over at Lisa Storms’ blog. Though I do still struggle with the idea of desecrating a book, I do have a copy of It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown that is falling to pieces, it would make a lovely paper turkey.
3. Decorations are not limited to the table of course, and this year I have big plans to adapt a favorite crochet rose pattern into a Thanksgiving pin. I’m thinking a deep rust yarn would be perfect additions to the family’s obsession. Whilst I have a cornucopia of Christmas themed accessories, thus far my Thanksgiving offerings have been slim. A leafy necklace and earring set from Danforth Pewter in Vermont, just about sums it up. I need to add to the Thanksgiving collection.

4. Of course if you are not crochet-capable there are plenty of sewing crafts to tackle this weekend. One of my current favorites are the velvet pumpkins over at Nest of Posies. Her instructions are easy to follow and while you’re there, check out Fall Festival, a September project put together by Kellie to bring fall-themed crafts and obsessions all to one place. I also love her pumpkin themed staircase. Scroll down to the end for the Thanksgiving take on her Halloween decor.

5. It would be remiss of me not to encourage kitchen crafts since most of Thanksgiving revolves around food. This year I shall be enjoying my famous pumpkin soup, a recipe that dies with me, Pilgrim Hat Cupcakes and as much green bean casserole as I can humanly consume. Try the leftovers as a dip with Tostito’s, you won’t regret it.
6. And what’s a holiday without games? Get yourself a large picture of a Rancor, make Pilgrim hats out of construction paper, grab that blindfold and you are all set up for a Pinault family favorite: Pin the hat on the “turkey”. Make sure to spin each contestant before setting them off.

Go ahead and join my obsession this year and bring a little geek to your Thanksgiving celebrations:

• Check out Nick Nadel’s post on Ten Ways to Geek Up Your Thanksgiving.
• Watch every Thanksgiving episode of every show you have that had a Thanksgiving episode.
• Pull out the VHS of Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
• Determine who gets to carve the turkey with a roll of the dice game of your choice.
• Set your desktop background for a turkey theme.