How to Make a Thankful Tree with Clay Gratitude Leaves

Creating and decorating a DIY thankful tree with marbled clay gratitude leaves is a fun Thanksgiving craft that kids and adults can enjoy making together.

The instructions below will guide you in creating a thankful tree with bare branches and clay gratitude leaves during October or November (depending on whether you live in Canada or the US), serving as a reminder to family, friends, or students of the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Gratitude brings abundance. When we are grateful for what we have, we will get more of what we are thankful for. You might also enjoy this giant list of Thanksgiving gratitude activities and crafts.

First published on November 5, 2017, this gratitude tree DIY project tutorial, featuring marbled clay leaves suitable for both kids and adults, is regularly updated to enhance the content and ensure its relevance. A DIY thankful or gratitude tree is an interactive centerpiece for the Thanksgiving dinner table that both children and adults enjoy. A thankful tree provides a simple visual reminder of everything you (and your relatives and friends, depending on who you decorate it with) have to be grateful for. Learn more about the Thanksgiving tree tradition and gather ideas HERE–>Thankful tree ideas.

How to Make a Thanksgiving Thankful Tree with Clay Gratitude Leaves

Creating a DIY thankful tree is a Thanksgiving tradition that the whole family, classroom, or office can enjoy. Try this new family tradition with the easy DIY below. You may also enjoy this list of Thanksgiving traditions and fun ways to express gratitude this holiday season. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude in your home, classroom, or workplace with a bare-branched tree that your family or students can decorate with hand-stamped or hand-written marbled clay gratitude leaves.

First, teach your children, friends, and relatives about thankfulness with these fun gratitude activities and crafts for kids. Or download this Thankful Turkey Printable or the “I Am Grateful” gratitude journal printable to get them thinking about each of the blessings in their lives.

Next, create marbled clay leaves. Either hand-stamp gratitude messages before baking, or invite family and friends to use a paint pen or permanent marker to write words of gratitude onto the clay thankful leaves once they have baked and cooled. Finally, decorate the tree’s branches with the beautiful gratitude leaf ornaments. Young children love decorating gratitude trees as much as they enjoy decorating Christmas trees.

Alternatively, use this paper gratitude tree craft to make a thankful or gratitude tree. It includes several colorful gratitude leaf printables, along with a paper tree template, which you can use to create a gratitude tree craft. There is even a thankful tree coloring page that children or adults can color.

Scroll down to view the complete, step-by-step DIY project tutorial, posted after the craft supply list. Or use the same marbled clay autumn leaves to make this gorgeous gratitude mobile. A gratitude tree makes lovely fall home decor and is a magnificent centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table. Use the step-by-step DIY gratitude tree tutorial below to create your own DIY thankful tree!

DIY Thankful Tree Craft Supplies:

Please read the step-by-step project directions in the next section before gathering craft supplies to make a more informed choice.

• Crystal or ceramic vase
• Sand and/or pebbles
• Sticks and bare branches or a small tree:
  • Go on a nature hunt to gather twigs, sticks, bare branches, and tree limbs.
  • Alternatively, you can purchase natural dried decorative birch branches, a white twig tree, a small tabletop tree with lit branches, or a standing tree with lights.
• Garden shears (optional)
• Pom-poms (optional)
• Make clay gratitude leaves, or use paper leaves or preserved leaves.
• Yarn or twine

Related: 30 Thanksgiving Traditions and Fun Things to Do on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Thankful Tree Craft Step-by-Step Directions:

Read the step-by-step instructions below before making a DIY gratitude tree to help you choose the Thanksgiving tree supplies you will use and know what to expect when making a gratitude tree. You may also want to start this thankful craft by making and baking the clay gratitude leaves before putting together a thankful tree with the DIY project tutorial below. Learn more about the thankful tree tradition and gather more ideas to make your own HERE.

1. Gather twigs, sticks, tree limbs, bare branches, or buy a small tree:

• Collect twigs, sticks, tree limbs, and bare branches approximately three to six feet long, or purchase a small tree or one of the other options recommended in the DIY thankful tree craft supply list above.

2. Trim and paint bare branches white (optional):

• Skip this step if you use a small twig tree instead of bare branches to make your gratitude tree.
• Use garden shears or pruners to trim twigs, bare branches, or tree limbs to the desired length (optional).
• Paint bare branches white (optional).
• Alternatively, you can leave the bare branches natural and decorate the gratitude tree with clay gratitude leaves as shown, or use real autumn leaves and the step-by-step instructions HERE–> How to make a thankful tree with real leaves.

3. Arrange branches in a vase or set up a twig tree:

• Arrange bare branches, birch twigs, or decorative lighted tree limbs in a vase.
  • Or set up the tabletop or standing tree you purchased.
• If using twigs and bare branches, add weight to your vase by pouring pebbles, sand, or floral stones around them to prevent it from falling over. This will keep the vase standing upright to counter the weight of the branches, giving it a more finished look.

4. Decorate bare limbs with pom-poms (optional):

• Use glue dots or hot glue to attach pom-poms to the tree.
• This step is optional.
• Here’s a Thanksgiving tree with pom-poms if you’d like to see how nice they look on bare branches.

5. Make or purchase gratitude leaves for your Thanksgiving tree:

• Create marbled clay gratitude leaves to decorate the limbs of the DIY thankful tree.
  • Either stamp words of thanks onto them before baking.
  • Or, use a paint pen or a permanent marker to write your grateful thoughts onto them once the marbled fall leaves are baked and cooled.
• Alternatively, you can use preserved fall leaves, paper leaves, or wood slice ornaments.

6. Make hangers for gratitude leaf ornaments:

• Cut yarn, twine, or fishing string into four to eight-inch sections.
• Thread a section of yarn, twine, or string through the hole of each clay gratitude leaf ornament and tie a simple square knot to make ornament hangers for each leaf.

7. Decorate the tree with thankful leaf ornaments:

• Put a basket of clay or paper leaf ornaments next to the gratitude tree.
  • Then, place another basket or mason jar with paint pens or permanent markers next to it and invite friends and relatives to write what they are grateful for onto them before hanging them on the thankful tree to decorate it in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
• Or, hang them on the Thanksgiving tree with friends, family, or students all at once, just as one trims a Christmas tree.
  • If the leaves are not pre-stamped with words of gratitude, invite everyone to write what they are thankful for on each leaf before hanging it on the thankful tree.
• Once each leaf is added to the branches of the gratitude tree, it serves as a beautiful reminder of thankfulness.
• Learn more about the thankful tree tradition and gather additional ideas HERE.

Related: Turkey Leaf Lanterns

Thanksgiving Thankful Tree Tradition

Creating and decorating a thankful tree is a Thanksgiving tradition that helps cultivate gratitude during the holiday season. Or, use paper or clay fall leaves with words of thankfulness to make a DIY gratitude mobile.

This Thanksgiving activity is suitable for both kids and adults. Look at these 30 Thanksgiving traditions and fun things to do on Thanksgiving for even more ideas! You might also enjoy this list of 40 Thanksgiving gratitude activities and crafts.

Another great way to teach kids about the true meaning of Thanksgiving is to read gratitude books that inspire thankfulness with your children. For even more fall fun, you might enjoy these fun fall activities and ideas, along with a printable bucket list, to keep kids busy learning through play all season.

Learn more about Nell Regan Kartychok, author, photographer, and creator of this original thankful tree craft HERE, and Rhythms of Play HERE!

More Fun Ideas

• Thankful Tree Printable
• Simple DIY Butterfly Centerpiece
• How to Make an Easter Tree
• Christmas Ornaments Kids Can Make
• Healthy Homemade Pumpkin Cranberry Bread