The Thanks Giving Tree-TUTORIAL & Giveaway

With Thanksgiving coming up right around the corner...less than 6 days away, oh my!  I thought I would share a fun tutorial for a project that the kids and I did earlier this month as a reminder of all that we are thankful for in our lives.    Earlier this fall, Elmer's and X-ACTO sent a kit full of goodies out to me so I could try their new Z-Series Knife. This knife is X-ACTO's sharpest and most durable blade yet and I thought this would be the perfect project to try it out!

We made a Thanks Giving Tree to share all that we are thankful for each and every day.  This project is so easy to do and perfect for little hands to help decorate. This would also be such a great project to do on Thanksgiving, don't you think?  I cut out the 3-D tree and the leaves using the new X-ACTO knife (it's super sharp so only adults should be using it!) and I let the kids paint the tree and write on the leaves as well as decorate the tree with our thankful leaves...it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.  And we are always adding more leaves as we think of more things to be thankful for everyday!

Here's how you can make one too!

The Thanks Giving Tree

Elmer's Bi-fold foam board

X-ACTO Z-series knife

Assorted sheets of scrap book paper

Elmer's permanent dot runner

Brown craft paint

Paint brush

Pencil

Are you ready to make a Thanks Giving Tree with your family?  Let's get started then!

First, trace out a tree shape with branches onto your foam board with a pencil.  Then using an X-ACTO knife, carefully cut the tree shape out of the foam board.  Make sure to cut a small tree stand as well as a small slit at the bottom of the tree so the tree can stand by itself.

Using brown craft paint, cover both front and back of the tree and stand.  Let dry for 30 minutes.

Take your scrap paper and X-ACTO knife and cut out leaf shapes in different sizes.

Grab markers, pens, or pencils and write what you are thankful for on the backside of each leaf...or use a thick, dark marker and write on the front of the leaves..your choice!

Using an Elmer's Dot Runner, place a small amount of the dot runner tape on the underside of one tip of each leaf so that each leaf will be able to stick to the tree.

Press each leaf to the tree branches and voila!  You have a very pretty free-standing Thanks Giving Tree to decorate your home this Thanksgiving.  Now, whenever you see it you can be reminded of all the wonderful things to give thanks for in your life!

To continue with the Thanks Giving theme, Elmer's and X-ACTO would like to offer TWO $25 Walmart Gift Cards for TWO lucky readers to win so that you can try out their new products yourself!

To enter:

Tell me what you are thankful for this year!

For extra entries (please comment for each entry!)

1. "Like" X-ACTO on Facebook, here.

2. "Like" Smashed Peas and Carrots on Facebook, here.

3. Follow me over on Pinterest, here.

Giveaway ends Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at midnight!

Good Luck!

XOXO,