Grandpa Richards Kids

Children love the various traditions that we have surrounding holidays. One of the most recognizable symbols of Thanksgiving is a cornucopia, or horn of plenty. It represents a bountiful harvest. It can make a lovely centerpiece on any holiday table. There are many different ways you could make a cornucopia, using different materials, many of which you can find around your home.

By using a wicker basket shaped like a horn, it is quite easy to do a basic cornucopia. Most craft stores carry them, usually in early fall, if not year round. Once you’ve selected a lovely basket, you can either fill it with artificial or real fruit and vegetables. If you chose to use real produce, it’s probably best to wait to fill the basket the day of your dinner so it doesn’t spoil before dinner. Some fall leaves scattered around the cornucipia are a nice finishing touch.

By involving your children in the construction process, you will have an opportunity to discuss the meaning and reason for both the holiday of Thanksgiving, and the items that make up the cornucopia.

You could also get them to make paper versions. There are many patterns online for adorable paper cornucopias. One example is at this site. Another one is here. Have the children glue the horn to a green piece of paper and arrange the fruit anyway they want, gluing them in place. They could even be covered in plastic and used as placemats, in addition to a centerpiece. Younger children might need help cutting the more complicated shapes. Remember to supervise children as is appropriate during the cutting and gluing stages of any craft.

Salt dough clay could be used to create a one of a kind cornucopia. With a little patience, forming the horn isn’t very difficult. Start with a flattened piece of clay (use a rolling pin to flatten) and trace a circle using a plate. Cut out a wedge, so it can be curled around to make the horn. You can use a funnel to help hold the clay’s shape while it dries. Some types of clay can be dried in the oven. Once dry, paint the cornucopia tan. Then make the various fruits and vegetables that you want to fill the cornucopia, following the same drying procedure for the clay you are using. If you want the pieces to last longer, spray them with a clear sealant once the paint has dried completely.

A horn could also be made from paper mache’ by using a wire frame shaped like the horn. Some fruits and vegetables could be made over various size balloons. Again fresh or artificial produce could be used to fill the cornucopia as well.

With a little creativity, it does not take long to make a lovely cornucopia centerpiece for your table. Look around your house and you may find all you need already there. Saving some money is always something to be thankful for.