DIY Grateful & Blessed Table Runner

Today, I want to share with you a super simple way to celebrate Thanksgiving with a DIY Grateful and Blessed Table Runner.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that we balance very carefully.  I’ll freely admit I’ve been conflicted about celebrating Thanksgiving for years.  I know some families mark the day with a big reunion complete with hams, turkeys and all “the fixins.”

But there are other families that mark the occasion with a National Day of Mourning.

Over the years, people have asked me what I really think about Thanksgiving given my family’s Cherokee heritage. As Lady Fox, I definitely have strong opinions about the day. But I was also raised in a military family and we moved around a lot.

So, for us, Thanksgiving always meant coming home.

I can honestly say my parents did an amazing job creating an environment where we continually honored our past while looking forward to a future filled with adventures and blessings so we could be of service to others.  

To this day, I think that’s something my Cherokee grandmothers would be proud of.

In the month leading up to Thanksgiving, we look for even more ways to give of our time, talents and resources and to elevate our daily gratitude practices as well.  Last year, we created the blessings branches and it was one of my favorite projects.  The year before that we did the blessings wreath which was also a fun!

This year, I wanted to do something super simple given we’ll be spending time at Loblolly Manor for the long holiday.  I chose a Grateful and Blessed Table Runner we can leave out all month and use as a daily gratitude log.  We can also invite the people that drop by to share what they’re grateful for too. 

Let me show you how to make one too…

Grateful and Blessed Table Runner Supplies:

• Brown Craft Paper (the thicker the better)
• Black Craft Paint, Black Paint Pens or Black Permanent Markers
• Paintbrush
• Tarp or plastic bag
• Graphite Pencil
• Ball Point Pen
• Scissors
• Tape
• Computer/Printer/Paper

Grateful and Blessed Table Runner Steps:

First, I used Pic Monkey to create a Grateful & Blessed graphic.  I know Pic Monkey is not free anymore so you can download the one I created by right clicking on the image below.

Next, I used Block Posters.com to get the graphic to scale since I wanted the wording to go across our large dining room table.  Make sure you roll out the craft paper so you’ll be able to see how big the graphic will need to be before you start printing off all the pages. 

The scale I needed called for 5 pages but yours might be different depending on how big or small you want your runner to be.

On the back of each page color/shade over the letters using a lead or graphite pencil.  The darker you make the shading the easier it will be to see – just be careful of smudges.

Then flip the pages back over and tape them in place.  Use a ball point pen to trace around each letter/symbol.

This will leave an impression on the craft paper.

Place a tarp or a plastic bag under the craft paper to help protect your surfaces from excess craft paint or permanent marker, then start filling in each letter.

Allow the craft paint or markers to dry.

We usually write something we’re thankful for each night after dinner.

If we have guests over we’ll ask them to write something too.

We’ll write on the table runner each day for the entire month.  Then depending on our schedule, we’ll read all the notes at breakfast on Thanksgiving morning or after dinner that night.

It’s so much fun to read all the positive things that happened during the month and to remind us what the day is really about.

Be sure to check out how we used this same technique to create a Fall Inspired Kraft Paper Roll Sign here and how to create a Vintage Inspired Apple Picking Sign here.  Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo