Thanksgiving is right around the corner and is a time to celebrate with family and friends; so with that in mind here are some fun Thanksgiving facts: • In Plymouth, Massachusetts, Governor William Bradford, the Pilgrim leader, organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621 and invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast. • The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. • Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States. • Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation on Oct. 3, 1863, and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. • The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920s. • In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on Nov. 23 as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season. • Congress passed a law on Dec. 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unified Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year. • Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday; it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada. • The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds, which usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat. Now onto crafting for Thanksgiving….in September of this year I was asked to create a project with Neenah EPC film to share on my website. Since fall was fast approaching I thought I would create a fall centerpiece that would take me right into Thanksgiving and remind me of things that I am thankful for every day. If you have never heard of Neenah EPC Film it is a heat transfer film similar to what is used for lettering on T-shirts you buy in stores….and this product works perfectly for that also if you ever want to try it. To create you will need:
• Neenah EPC Film – black – (available on amazon.com and other locations) • Silk leaves • Electronic die cutter • Iron • Platter • Candle holders
Instructions • Think of things you are thankful for in your life; then create those words with your die cutting machine. Be sure to reverse the words before cutting….I made my words one inch high. • Peel away excess EPC film so you only have the words on the backing paper; be sure and remove the inside of such letters as the Os, Ds Bs and such. Cut your words apart. • Peel the stem off of your silk leaves. • Place one word face down onto a silk leave and iron following manufacturer’s instructions. Let it cool down and peel away backing. Repeat for all of your words. • Arrange your leaves onto the platter and set candle holders on top. Tips & Tricks • If you do not have an electronic die cutter you can create this same effect by writing onto the leaves with a Sharpie. • Rearrange the leaves every now and then so you can see the words and be reminded of what you are “thankful” for. • Arrange the leaves in a cornucopia with other items and use as a centerpiece; with the leaves coming out onto the table. • Use the leaves for placecards at your Thanksgiving Dinner (a tip given to me by one of my readers). • Glue the leaves onto napkin rings.