Carlee Schmelzer

It’s that time of year again when one holiday follows the other and sometimes these holidays seem to blend together. I’ve compiled some themed crafts and the like to help inspire people to get into the Thanksgiving spirit!  

The first craft is a Halloween to Thanksgiving crossover where it is necessary to carve a pumpkin. Go to your nearest pumpkin patch or Great Scot and pick yourself out a small to medium sized orange or white pumpkin. The plants inside the pumpkin are called succulents and come in various styles and colors. Walmart carries a sizable selection of succulents that will be perfect for this cute craft. Carve out the pumpkin, throw in some Miracle Grow and plant the succulents of your choice in a beautiful arrangement. With minimal water and plenty of sunlight, this will make a great centerpiece for your Thanksgiving Party.

The next craft is something a little more useful than a pumpkin garden. This is a holiday themed bar of soap! You could always just go buy some pumpkin spice soap at the store but where is the fun in that? I am not talking about going out and buying lye so you can take a month to whip up your very own batch of so

ap, more like a melt and pour with a holiday twist. You can buy kits for this purpose online at www.amazon.com or www.newdirectionsaromatics.com to name a few. Prices vary depending on bulk and quality of the soaps but range from 5 to 45 dollars The first step is melting a bar of soap. Put it in the microwave for a minute and then stir it and put the contents back in the microwave and repeat until it is completely liquid. The Thanksgiving part of this craft is in the shape of the soap. The liquid soap can be poured into silicone muffin pans in th

e shape of whatever you choose. It could be pumpkins or leaves, whatever your heart 

desires. With the liquid soap in the pans, you can sprinkle cinnamon, rosemary, even coffee grounds into the soap. The amount depends on how scented you want your soap to be. After your bars have been scented, place them in the refrigerator for about an hour and voila! You have a great smelling accent piece for your bathroom.

The holidays would not be complete without some scrumptious treats. Everyone loves a little themed dessert at their Thanksgiving party and this one is as easy to make as any. I know what you're thinking, “Finally, a realistic expectation of my desert-making abilities.” You would be right. Although these may be not be the cutest little snacks you have ever seen, making this will prevent the inevitable sinking feeling we all get when reality catches up with us and our desert looks like it was made on a monkey farm. There is really no where to go but up from this point.  You only need a handful of ingredients for this endeavor. Melt some 

baking chocolate on the stove and put Oreos on skewers. The amount of chocolate does not need to be exact and will vary depending on how many Oreos you are planning on dipping. After the chocolate has turned to liquid dip the skewered Oreos into the pan. While the chocolate begins to harden stuff the candy corn into the top if the Oreo. If the chocolate is thick enough y

ou may be able to stick the M&M eyes and beak on but you’re best bet would be to put a dollop of chocolate icing on the face of the Oreo and then place the M&M features on the turkey. Setting the turkeys in the fridge will reduce the chocolate drying time. After the chocolate is set you can enjoy your delicious Thanksgiving treats!