Personalized Thanksgiving Placemat

Begin by laying out the paper for you placemat, either the large construction paper or the brown paper bag.

Once you have your mat, gather all of your supplies. Almost anything can help you decorate your mat.

Start decorating your mat. Include things like your favorite Thanksgiving food and what you are thankful for this year.

Think about cutting out letters and shapes for you mat. Be very careful not to cut yourself.

Glue the cut shapes and letters onto the mat. When gluing foam hold down the shape for ten seconds.

Cut a decorative edge on your mat. You can scallop the edges (as shown in the picture) or cut points or squiggles. Any shapes are possible.

If you plan to glue yarn or string to the mat, draw your shape with glue first. Try to make a thin line instead of lots of globs.

Carefully lay the yarn over the glue. Gently push down the yarn with your finger so it is firmly in the glue.

Once the glue on the mat is dry, you can cover the whole mat with contact paper. Cut a piece larger than the mat. Cover the front of the mat and fold the excess over onto the back. This will keep the mat safe from spills for year!