Janet Butler 
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to make your home look festive for Thanksgiving; lots of décor is already outdoors — and for free, or for very little cost — in the form of colored leaves or branches, fall flowers, dried cornstalks, straw, and pumpkins. You can also dress up your home for small change by making one or more of these festive banners. Take a look at these ideas and you’ll no doubt be inspired to create clever paper-and-ribbon garlands for your own hearth! The lettering on these is easy with stencils from an art store, or patterns you can print from art sources online and transfer to construction paper or even fabric. Drape a hutch with “Happy Thanksgiving,” fill the shelves with pumpkin and leaf trims, and you’ve got an instant eye-catcher. First, decide what you want to say…then how you want to convey it.
Try checkered or dotted fill on your lettering, solid-color letters against print backgrounds, or leaf-shaped or turkey-shaped backgrounds. Have gold-colored letters on off-white paper and edge with brown or orange trim; or, flip the color wheel around and use silhouettes of Pilgrims, Indians, or turkeys in black on white or off-white. Shiny gold-leaf paper is a striking background with deep rust, burgundy, or umber letters; even a banner that matches your home’s normal colors but which spells out a holiday message, works terrifically. Go lighthearted — “Gobble Gobble Gobble” — or solemn — “Give Thanks”, whichever suits your mood. Easy-to-make and easy-to-string up, both inside and out, banners are a quick, inexpensive way to give your home, or yard, true Thanksgiving spirit.
