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    Home » DIY Projects

    How to Make A Gratitude Jar for Thanksgiving Dinner

    by Patti Estep · Oct 14, 2020

    Jump to How-to Card
    Gratitude jar and gratitude cards below.

    Here's a DIY for a great family activity on Thanksgiving Day. Make a gratitude jar that everyone can contribute to and share with the group. Use the free printables in this post or create your own.

    Gratitude jar on table next to a couple of pumpkins and write in cards.

    How many of you go around the table at Thanksgiving asking everyone to say what they are grateful for? I've held Thanksgiving dinner at my house and have also been a guest. Depending on the size of the group this is something we often do.

    Last year I made thankful word stones at every place setting for my guests. However, today I'm taking it one step further with a Gratitude Jar. This is something that you can create and use as a special prayer before dinner or a fun game during dessert. It's a great way to bring a little positivity to the table.

    Gratitude jar with the lid off sitting next to some grateful cards and a pen.

    How to Create and Use a Gratitude Jar

    As your guests are coming into the home have a child or another designated person ask each person to fill out a gratitude card and place it in the jar.

    Top down view of grateful cards in a jar.

    Then before the meal, after the blessing have everyone pull out a card and read it.

    Gratitude printable for the jar.

    You can use any kind of jar. I used an old apothecary jar but anything from a mason jar to a clean pickle jar will do. Next, click on the image above and print it out. Tape or glue this gratitude graphic to your jar to make it official.

    Grateful graphic to print out as cards to write on.

    The image above can be used to make gratitude cards to write on. Just click on the Grateful image above and a pdf of eight cards will pop up for you. Print as many sheets as you need and then cut them up for the jar.

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    Make it a Game

    Wait until dessert or gather in another room after dinner. Have each person pull a card and read it. Then have them try to guess who wrote it. The person/people who guessed correctly can be given a small prize or just have bragging rights as smarty pants.

    Gratitude jar for Thanksgiving with pumpkins fall leaves and cards.

    We all know that we have so much to be grateful for. Why not make it a fun activity with all your loved ones? After all, they are probably the number one reason to be thankful.

    Fall colored gratitude jar on a table with a lid, filled with paper cards.
    thanksgiving gratitude jar
    Print

    How to Make A Gratitude Jar for Thanksgiving Dinner

    Create a gratitude jar for a fun Thanksgiving tradition. You can use the included printables, or create your own.
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Active Time10 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Course: Holidays
    Yield: 1 Gratitude Jar
    Author: Patti Estep
    Cost: $5-$10

    Equipment

    • Printer

    Materials

    • Glass jar
    • Gratitude Printable
    • Tape

    Instructions

    • Print out the gratitude graphic.
    • Tape or glue it to the jar.
    • Next, click on the Grateful image and a pdf of eight cards will pop up.
    • Print as many sheets as you need.
    • Cut them up for the jar.
    • Have each guest write what they are grateful for and place it in the jar.  
    • Have each person pull a card and read it.
    • Then have them try to guess who wrote it.
    • You can give a prize for who guessed correctly.
    Tried this project?Tag @hearthnvine on Instagram
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carole West

      October 16, 2020 at 9:02 am

      Great idea - I think so many times we forget to stop and take note of all the good things. We live in a time where it's so easy to point out the negative. I'm guilty as well but lately I've been really putting an effort forward to see the good and it's been really neat to see all the wonderful things God is doing in my life...

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        October 17, 2020 at 5:23 pm

        Thanks Carole. I agree. We all need more positivity!

        Reply

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    I'm Patti

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