Thanksgiving Whiteboard Craft: DIY Dry Erase Board & Free Printable

The “Gimme Gimmes”

Thanksgiving is approaching fast, and Christmas is just around the corner. The barrage of captivating advertisements, colorful toy catalogs, and tempting store displays can turn even sweet-natured kids into whiny little creatures obsessed with new things.

My husband affectionately calls our kids "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" when they trade their normally lovable dispositions for demanding ones-as though they were a sweet 1960s girl group instead of gremlins focused on toy lists!

Learning Gratitude

What's a parent to do? According to Slate Magazine, gratitude is a learned behavior. If we want our children to be content, we need to teach them.

It sounds intuitive to model good behavior, but for busy families, it's easier said than done. We teach our kids to say “please” and “thank you,” but how often do we stop to reflect on our blessings in front of them?

A Craft That Emphasizes Thankfulness

Family traditions and rituals can reinforce grateful habits. With this in mind, I created a printable dry-erase board to spark discussions with your kids. We use ours every day during the holiday season, and they've already led to some wonderful family dinner conversations.

How to Make Your “I Am Thankful” Board

This is a great way to upcycle old frames you have lying around the house or from a thrift shop. The glass (or clear plastic) of the frame acts as the dry-erase surface! It's a very easy Thanksgiving craft for kids:

1. Print: Choose your favorite free printable design and print it on scrapbook paper or colored cardstock.
   
2. Frame: Place the print into an 8×10 frame.
   
3. Decorate: Personalize the frame using washi tape, twine, or scrap paper to make tiny banners.
   
4. Write: Use a dry-erase marker to write a new thought on the glass each day.

Fancy Printable with Starburst	Bold Printable with Swirl	Cutie Printable with Finale
Fancy Printable to Decorate	Bold Printable to Decorate	Cutie Printable to Decorate

Download the Free Printables

I have included three designs, plus three “blank top” versions for those who want extra space to add their own decorations.

• Get your favorite design HERE (a ZIP file will download with all the designs.)

Featured Designs:

• Fancy: With a starburst border.
• Bold: Featuring a stylish swirl.
• Cutie: A minimalist finale design.

A Fun (and Clutter-Free) Kid’s Craft

One of the best parts of this project is watching the kids get involved! Our kids had a great time browsing my scrapbook paper stash to find the perfect patterns and designs for their individual boards.

Because we used 8×10 frames we already had around the house (plus a few unique finds from the thrift shop), it felt like a purposeful way to upcycle rather than adding more “stuff” to our holiday bins.

Personalize Your Boards: Don’t stop at the printable! To decorate the whiteboards we used:

• Washi Tape: To add colorful borders.
• Twine & Scrap Paper: To create tiny, festive bunting banners.
• Paper Flags: To decorate the edges with little pops of color.

Six Ways to Get Creative

I've included three free printable designs that look beautiful printed on your choice of paper and popped straight into a frame.

PLUS: I've added three “Decorate Your Own” designs that feature extra space at the top border. These are perfect if your kids want to add their own hand-drawn turkeys, leaf stickers, or extra Thanksgiving decorations. The design possibilities are truly endless!

More Thanksgiving Craft Inspiration

• Have Fun: These Thanksgiving Joke Tellers are perfect for kids’ table entertainment.
  
• Express Yourself: Our kids love these Thanksgiving Cootie Catchers for expressing gratitude.
  
• Get Glowing: Pair your boards with my PBK Inspired Give Thanks Glitter Banner for a cohesive holiday look.

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