How to Make a Thankful Tree for Thanksgiving

The Thankful Tree is a simple craft that you will want to make a new family tradition. Follow our simple steps to create your own for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is about family and friends (with some turkey and football thrown in there too)! 

I’m all about making memories with my family and wanted to add a way for us to share what we are grateful for each year. 

The Thankful Tree became a new tradition in our home several years ago. 

Usually, my teens think my ideas are boring. lol

But with this one, they didn’t complain…at all!

One point for Mom! 

And as a bonus, we get to share this idea with our friends and family who join us for Thanksgiving dinner.

We even brought the supplies with us when we rented a cabin in the mountains with friends for the long holiday weekend.

Sharing what we’re thankful for with our friends and family makes Thanksgiving even more special.

Don’t you agree?

When you add a Thankful Tree to your home you’re creating a meaningful holiday tradition that everyone will enjoy.

Some of the items used in this post include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no added cost to you. You can read our full affiliate disclosure policy here.

What is a Thankful Tree?

It’s actually a really simple idea!

It’s a way for family and friends to express what they’re grateful for in their life.

Everyone jots a quick note saying how they feel blessed this year.

The messages can be written on a plain tag and then hung for display on the tree.

It’s such a special way to bring your family together and remember all we have to be thankful for.

Our version of the Thankful Tree would make a perfect centerpiece for your dining table.

Maybe add some candle sticks on either side of your tree to complete a beautiful tablescape.

Or you can put it on your kitchen island.

Or maybe a foyer entry table.

No matter where you display your tree, it’s sure to add something special to your fall home décor in any space!

Not hosting dinner this year?

No worries!

Bring it with you like my family did when we spent the weekend in the mountains.

And if someone else is hosting dinner I’m sure they would love this idea too so why not ask them to bring the supplies to create a tree at their house?

If that seems like too much work then why not just put a little spin on this idea?

Display the fall stems at home but instead of having just one tag for each person encourage your family to add gratitude tags throughout the entire month of November.

Then see how full those branches become with your family’s blessings by Thanksgiving!

What Supplies Are Needed to Create a Thankful Tree

Our Thankful Tree is super easy to put together with a few basic supplies. 

Supplies List:

• Faux Fall Stems (or you can even use real branches from your yard)
• Flower Bucket
• Burlap
• Kraft Paper
• Tag Paper Punch
• Paper Hole Punch
• Twine
• Premade Kraft Tags
• Small bucket to hold tags

How Do You Make a Thankful Tree

Making your own Thankful tree is about as simple as the idea!

You may already have some of the supplies listed above at home but if you don’t just click the photo below under “Shop this Post” to order any of the items you may need.

Then just follow these four super easy steps!

1. Create a Fall Floral Arrangement

You can use any type of container you may have for your fall stems.

I used a galvanized floral bucket for the base of my Thankful tree.

But a tall vase or even a beautiful pitcher would work well too.

Depending on the size of your container you may need to trim the fall stems you’re using to create your tree.

If you’re using faux fall floral stems you may be able to bend the stems.

I was able to bend the bottoms of my stems to secure them tightly, so they stood upright in my vase. 

S2M Tip: If possible bend rather than cut the bottoms of faux greenery so it can be used in different ways year after year.

2. Cover Opening of Container

If you are using branches cut from your backyard you’ll most likely need to use newspaper in your container to hold them in place.

You won’t want to see that paper scrunched around the branches so covering them with something is a great idea.

I used a scrap piece of burlap I had left over from a previous project to hide the open top of the flower container.

You could also use some moss or rocks for a different look.

The first year I made our Thankful Tree I used a white pitcher which had a pretty wide opening at the top.

I didn’t want to see the space between the stems because it looked a bit sparse.

Bunching the burlap around the top looked so pretty and filled in the empty space.

The next year I found a tall galvanized flower bucket that had a more narrow top so I skipped this step altogether.

It really just depends on your flower container and the look you are going for when creating your perfect display.

3. Make Tags for Thankful Tree

I already had kraft cardstock and a paper punch so it was super easy to make my own tags.

But you can also purchase premade tags so you don’t have to make them if you’d prefer.

Easy peasy!

Using a paper hole punch make a hole and tie the twine in a loop for easy hanging.

Another alternative to the Kraft tags is these fun wood chalkboard tags.

Aren’t they so cute?!

4. Fill a Small Container with Blank Tags

This little galvanized bucket with a chalkboard label is the perfect place to put all your blank tags.

Just add your own personal message to the front!

I wrote “What are you thankful for this year?” on my bucket.

Then I placed the tags next to the Thankful tree along with some pens.

All of your friends and family are ready to write a message sharing what they feel grateful for this year and hang it on the Thankful Tree for all to enjoy.

I hope your friends and family have a wonderful time with your new Thanksgiving tradition this year!

Do you have any special traditions your family celebrates at this time of year?

We’d love to hear about them!

Share in the comments below. 🙂

Click on any image to shop items from this post

More Thanksgiving Ideas from Simply2Moms

Don’t Miss More Thanksgiving Inspiration from Our Friends!

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact me or leave a comment!

Don’t miss any of our tips, tricks, or stories! We’d love for you to follow us on social media! You can find us on TikTok, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

Pin it to Remember it: