Vellum Thankfulness Luminaries

Thanksgiving is such an amazing time to express our appreciation for the many gifts God has given us. I came up with these vellum thankfulness luminaries because I wanted my kids to help create the centerpiece for our table.

I didn’t just want the decorations to be beautiful and homemade by kids, but I wanted them to be meaningful. I absolutely love the results. For more thankfulness ideas, check out my free gratitude printable.

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Materials Needed to Make Vellum Thankfulness Luminaries

• Vellum
• Vellum Marker or Sharpie or
• Black Alphabet Stickers or
• Computer & Printer
• Double Stick Tape
• Fire-safe Electric Candles

How to Make Vellum Thankfulness Luminaries

1. Brainstorm with your kids all of the things they are thankful for in this life. I wanted each child to make their own luminary. Each kid will have their own list of ideas.
2. There are three ways you can do these luminaries. 1) Kids can write on the vellum using a Sharpie or a vellum marker. 2) They can use alphabet stickers like the ones I linked to above and featured here. 3) They can add words in different fonts and sizes on a computer 8.5 x 11 document. All three methods will work, so it depends on your preference. Some might want these super clean and neat looking so will opt for the printed versions. Others will want their own children’s writing. Others still will want a mix of both – looking fairly clean with the stickers but with a more hands-on experience.
3. Simply write, type, or put stickers that spell out all that the kids are thankful for. You will want the layout of the vellum to be horizontal.
4. Once completed, put a long strip of double-stick tape on the left or right edge of the vellum. wrap the other side around to make a cylinder, sticking the edges together carefully.
5. Put a small, flameless candle in the middle of the vellum. If you want the entire column to light up like a pillar candle, there are 7″ flameless pillar candles on Amazon.

This is a beautiful display for your Thanksgiving celebrations. You could set them on birch slabs, on pillar candle holders or set amidst a display of pinecones or acorns. It’s a great way to keep the focus this holiday season.