Invite your kids to help with some Thanksgiving decorating this year by making this easy no-sew table runner. It really is as simple as cutting out some felt pieces and gluing them in a row.
Younger children may need a little extra help, but older kids can do this all on their own. And they’ll be so proud when you use this runner on the kids’ table (or even on your coffee table) come Thanksgiving.
Want to ensure that this looks a little less like a “kid craft” and a little more like something you want to display in your home? One of the easiest ways is to choose colors of felt that YOU like. A runner made of pastel pumpkins or all white “ghost” pumpkins might be more your style than bright orange.
And of course, the size is easy to adjust by using as many or as few pumpkins as you want. Make it just the right size for your home!
What You Need
- Pumpkin Table Runner template (download here)
- Wool blend felt (in several pumpkin colors + tan)
- Pins
- Scissors
- Fabric glue
How-To
Step 1
Print the pumpkin templates on regular printer paper and cut them out. Pin the pieces to the felt and cut around them.
Cut several pumpkin shapes from each color of felt and cut out a tan stem for each pumpkin.
Step 2
Glue the stems to the top of the pumpkins with a bit of fabric glue.
Step 3
Arrange the pumpkins in a row so they overlap. Play around with the layout a bit until it looks like you want it to.
Leave them laying flat and start gluing them together where they overlap. Don’t use too much glue or it will squeeze out and get messy!
After the pumpkins have had time to dry, your table runner is ready to set up your Thanksgiving kids’ table!
The simplicity of this runner makes it easy to dress up with a few candles or other basic table decor. It’s also pretty enough to use on a coffee table or other areas that aren’t just designed for kids.
To dress it up a little more, try adding some lines of embroidery stitches to define the ridges of the pumpkin.
To make this project a little easier for young children who are still practicing their scissor skills, have them cut the pumpkins from colored paper instead of felt.
Instead of making a runner, cluster the pumpkins together to make placemats!
And no matter how smooth (or rough) the edges looks or how gluey the seams get, be sure to thank your little crafter for helping with the decorations!
Happy crafting!
