Kids love the sparkly glitter this Thanksgiving centerpiece relies on. Its final shape is open ended, allowing for kids’ creativity and utter lack of precision. The clear glass compote (stemmed serving dish) or salad bowl makes arranging easy. Just throw the pretty stuff in!  A few Thanksgiving flowers in a tall vase beside the bowl lend the centerpiece height and even a touch of elegance.

Materials:

6 ears of dried corn with husks (+ extras for those that don’t work)

2 acorn or any small squash

Fall leaves

Glitter glue

Craft glue

Foam brush for craft glue

Loose glitter in gold and silver, both regular and superfine (don’t go too crazy with glitter colors; while reds, blues and other shades are available, too much color will compromise the precious metals theme.)

Steps

  1. Put kids and glitter in garage with drop cloths or lots of newspaper under them. Glitter is notoriously difficult to remove from floors, hair and fingernails.
  2. Pull husks back from cob. Leave them glitter-free so that their natural colors provide balance to the sparkly kernels. If husks don’t cooperate or threaten to break, manipulate them over a steaming pot of water into the shape you desire and let dry/cool.
  3. Tell kids that not all corn cobs get the full glitter treatment. Too much “bling” is overkill in this centerpiece. Give them one ear each (assuming 2 kids) to cover completely with glue and roll in glitter.
  4. Have kids dab or streak the other ears with glue and sprinkle those areas with glitter. You’ll want to be able to see the corn kernels to generate the harvest feel of the pilgrims, after all.
  5. Dab or streak the leaves with glue and sprinkle with glitters. Experiment with which color leaf looks best with silver or gold glitter, regular or superfine.
  6. Let dry. Put glittered corn, fruit and leaves in glass compote. Add and remove elements per your taste.

Gleaming with gold and silver, this centerpiece adds the extraordinary touch that make holidays so memorable. Guests and grandmas alike are sure to gush over it, reddening kids’ cheeks with pride. Coordinating it with the some tall glittery candles (thanks glitter glue!), bright silverware and dishes, and the Thanksgiving table imprints into guests’ memories as deeply as the yearly family flag football (or monopoly) game.