Sunflower of Thanks

This is a great project to keep younger kids busy as guests arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. Put the kids in charge of collecting an "I am thankful for" messages on each petal, and then have them glue on to the paper plate to create the flower.

What you'll need:

• 9" paper plate
• 3-4 sheets of yellow construction paper
• Brown acrylic paint
• Black marker
• Scissors
• White craft glue

How to make it:

1. Place paper plate, right side up, on work surface.
2. Paint the center circle of the plate with brown paint (see image). 
3. Fold yellow construction paper like a business letter to achieve three equal sized pieces.
4. With paper still folded, draw a simple petal onto the paper (see image). 
5. Holding the paper, still folded, cut through all three layers and cut out the petal. You should have three petals. Repeat this for as many petals as you need.
6. As guests arrive, have them write their names at the top and a short description of what they are thankful for on the petal. Also have family members living in the house fill out their own as well (see image).
7. Glue each petal onto the paper plate, lining up the bottom of the petal with the brown center circle on the plate.
8. Hang the flower where all your guests can see it.

Tips:

1. Our sunflower holds 10 petals. Be sure to paint enough plates to account for however many guests that will be at the party. If you are having a smaller crowd, fold the construction paper in half instead of thirds, to make larger petals.
2. If you only have a few extra guests, but not enough for another flower, make leaves from green construction paper instead. Attach a piece of green yarn to the back of the flower, and then attach the leaves to the yarn.
3. To hang your flower, you can attach a magnet to the back for metal surfaces, roll a few pieces of sturdy tape and stick on the back, or attach a piece of yarn to hang from a nail or thumbtack. You may need to tape some of the upper petals to the wall to keep them from drooping over.