A tradition in the Kazimir family every Thanksgiving is to share, over a delicious dinner, things and people for which we’re thankful, especially in the past year. As we’re eating dinner, we take turns sharing our stories. Taking this tradition a step further, I decided to create a permanent record of these sentiments for the hostess or matriarch of the family to treasure. This article shows you how to make simple books in which your guests can record their own grateful memories. Ask your guests, as they’re having cocktails and appetizers, to pass around the books, or in some cases, the book pages, and write down their own reflections.
The first book is incredibly simple and can hold as many pages as you have dinner guests—just add more tags! Offer your guests pens for writing their thoughts and colored pencils for coloring in the pumpkin image on each page.
Foil leaf gives this book a little extra glitz, sure to impress your guests. If you don’t have a binding system, take your finished pages to Kinko’s and they’ll take care of the binding for you!
For a completely different look, this book uses computer-generated vintage clipart to express your holiday wishes to your dinner companions. Test various pens on scraps to see what inks show up best before offering them to your guests. This book is as expandable as necessary and offers a large space on each page that’s roomy enough for casual Polaroid shots.
The next book doubles as a centerpiece for your holiday spread and doesn’t take up a lot of room, leaving plenty of space for all of the food! You can unzip the book so your guests can sign it easily (and more than one person can write at once), and then zip it up when you’re ready to place it on the table. Dominoes hold it steady while in use and the book folds up easily for storage.
Here’s to a safe and creative holiday season. I hope that these projects help spark your creativity in making your Thanksgiving a memorable and thoughtful one.
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