More Thanksgiving crafts

On the same Sunday that I made the pumpkin vase and toasted the pumpkin seeds, I made another little craft using only a few gourds and other supplies that I had available.  Since I tend not to buy flowers, I have a vase available that I like to use to house unorthodox items to create an interesting little decorations.  The vase is a handmedown, by the way, and I just love it.  In the summer, I fill it with shells (I buy them at the dollar store) and place a tea candle it in - it creates a soft, lovely glow.  On Sunday, I filled the vase with 6 gourds that I bought at a farm outside of Toronto.  (They are of course plentiful here in Toronto, too - I paid 50 cents each for them. You can find them here for 50 cents but can also pay up to $1 each.)  I also went outside and collected acorns (there is one large tree near me that yielded more than enough acorns).  I then washed them, dried them with a tea towel (they dried well enough so they did not require toasting in a warm oven) and then polished them with my furniture polish.  I filled up the rest of the space of the vase with acorns, and when I was done, tied a piece of ribbon around the vase.  (I collect bits of ribbon that come with gifts and purchases.)  The result is a cute fall centre piece that only cost $3 for the gourds.

Really, my ideas are a simple and I am not a craft master by any means.  But the general idea is to use what you have, look around you, look outdoors.  Recognize the abundance that comes in a handmedown, an acorn tree, a scrap of ribbon that may otherwise get thrown out, and a vase with many functions.  There is possibility in everything we have and everything that surrounds us.  Use your creativity to enjoy and engage with this abundance to create value, warmth, and fun in your life.