These laminated placemats are a great way to liven up your turkey meal! The idea is to create a scrapbook layout and then make copies, laminate and use.

The beauty of Thanksgiving is that it's not about shopping, gifts or blinking lawn ornaments. It's about eating, family bonding and more eating. Make that bonding more entertaining by adding a personal touch to your table setting with these family scrapbook place mats. Incorporate pictures, phrases and, best of all, a list of family trivia questions that is sure to bring up those classic side-splitting memories of turkey dinners from years past. They'll also work wonders for those who have ho-hum feasts that could use a bit of fun. This idea works great for any holiday and even in between seasons. It's just a matter of creating a collage of your favorite pictures, color copying it and sealing it with lamination. You can take a shortcut and color copy scrapbook pages you already have or use the kids' school artwork.

Thanksgiving Trivia Placemats
Double-side tape or glue stick

1 piece of patterned scrapbook paper, 12 inches by 10 inches

1 piece of heavy paper, 11 inches by 17 inches

Printout of fun family trivia questions that you write

Color copies of family photos

Paper frames for the photos

Assorted embellishments: decorated tags, stickers, die cuts, etc.

Directions: Tape or glue the patterned scrapbook paper onto the heavy paper, leaving a border all the way around. Affix the trivia questions to the other side, also leaving a border. Attach the photos and top with paper frames. Add embellishments in the open areas. When finished, take the mat to your neighborhood copy center and have it color copied and then laminated. Make as many copies as needed.

Variations: You don't have to laminate the place mat, but if you do, your guests will be able to take it home as a keepsake. Add speech bubbles with funny sayings to the photos. Repeat he process to create a two-sided place mat, or use black-and-white drawings with no lamination so kids can color.

***
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: crafty video, LifetimeTV, Thanksgiving