Holiday seasons are always joyous occasions where we gather with our loved ones enjoy various traditions. These celebrations are the perfect time to share stories, reminisce, and enjoy a glass of wine along with a welcome feast to fill our bellies. Thanksgiving is one of the most celebrated holidays of the year. We can anticipate the roasted turkey plus some iconic holiday desserts. To make the affair more festive, you can use Thanksgiving borders to create artworks and activities to make your celebration even more amazing.
Thanksgiving Borders
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
As history tells us, this special day falls on the 4th Thursday of November and it’s a day to honor the harvest meal of the colonial Pilgrims, which they shared with the Wampanoag Indians back in 1621. The native tribe played an important role in the survival of the colonists, especially during the 1st year they arrived. But there is some controversy in terms of whether they originally meant to share the meal or not. Since then, the designated feasts have been annually dedicated to giving thanks and this has become a tradition in other settlements in New England too.
Thanksgiving Border Cliparts
Icons to use for making borders
On Thanksgiving, kitchens transform into hubs of activities as families celebrate the special day. Often, the food they serve conforms to tradition. This makes it the best time to find out about the iconic symbols of Thanksgiving. You can use this information to help you decide what Thanksgiving border clipart to use for your invitations and artworks.
Turkey
Without the turkey, Thanksgiving won’t be the same. Its association with the holiday has made the bird a legend. The turkey is a must when adorning your table the celebration’s main course.
Cornucopia
Described as a “Horn of Plenty,” this is the most popular icon of the harvest festival in the US and many other countries. Usually, the cornucopia is a horn-shaped container that holds the abundance of the harvest. Based on tradition, it was a curved goat’s horn filled to the brim with grains and fruits. Based on mythology, it was a broken horn of Amalthea, a goat, who offered it to Zeus to show reverence. To counter the offering, Zeus placed the goat’s image in the sky as Capricorn, the constellation.
Corn
This is another symbol that’s always present on a Thanksgiving dinner table. The varieties of corn we have today have made things even more interesting. For instance, in America, they consider the blue-and-white corn sacred. Some even say that corn was a part of the 1st Thanksgiving dinner. The tradition has continued until today where corn has earned its place on all dinner tables over the world during this special occasion.
Pumpkin
Another favorite item on a Thanksgiving table is pumpkin pie, although this isn’t an original Pilgrim offering. The young leaves of the pumpkin plant were also used as an ingredient in salads. Historians agree that the pumpkin is one of the most iconic symbols of the harvest festival and it is an American favorite too.
Cranberries
This was originally called “crane berry” as it reminded the Pilgrims of a crane thanks to its drooping head and pink blossoms. Although it’s a symbol of Thanksgiving, many also consider cranberries a diet staple during these modern times. This berry has a tart taste but the Pilgrims found a way to make the cranberries sweeter using maple sugar. Since then, cranberry sauce has become a permanent addition to any Thanksgiving dinner.
What are Thanksgiving borders for?
Thanksgiving is a time for people to gather together and celebrate. Families share a turkey dinner and other goodies as they express their gratitude for all the blessings they received throughout the year. These are the main activities of Thanksgiving: family, dinner, and gratitude. The time after the traditional dinner feast is the best time to do some fun activities. This is where you can use a customized or free thanksgiving border. Some examples are:
Thanksgiving invitations
Adding a page Border will enhance the appearance of any invitation. The more compelling the look of your invitation is, the better it will be for the recipients to go through the contents. Even business owners use page borders to make proposals or business plans. This simple addition will draw the interest of anyone who receives your invitation.
With the many applications today, you can create custom borders in programs like Word. You can create Thanksgiving borders, business borders, or any other borders you need. You can also make different decorations by using the page border feature provided by Microsoft Word.
Thanksgiving crafts
A simple solution to make fun artworks after dinner is by using the Thanksgiving border cliparts. These are cliparts with a Thanksgiving theme. You can use these to make various crafts and other decorations.
Thanksgiving-themed writing activities
Your young guests will feel excited to write about their Thanksgiving ideas and plans if you create for them a fun writing paper complete with a themed border. This would include lines for writing with a border and some writing prompts to move things along. Some examples of writing prompts to include are:
- What do you feel thankful for?
- What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
- What do you want to do for your Thanksgiving break?
- Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
- In your own words describe the 1st Thanksgiving.
- Write something about the pilgrims or the Native Americans.
- What do you think it would be like to have a turkey for a pet?
- What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?
Free Thanksgiving Borders
How to add borders to your page
It isn’t that difficult to add a Thanksgiving page border to your photos as there are now several ways to do complete such a task. You can avail online tools, download mobile apps, or use desktop programs.
You can select a simple border like a plain one with simple icons to surround your page. you can also create a collage or diptych using multiple images. You can even get more creative with your borders by adding patterns, color, graphics, and more.
All these tools you have at your disposal will allow you to stylize your pages, especially if you plan to share them online or with your loved ones. If you don’t want to install new software on your smartphone or computer, you can download free borders and frames through various sites. You can also choose to try out a software, then upgrade to the paid version if you want to access more designs and features.
Tips for creating a page border in Word
Many families have a tradition of preserving their family documents and records meticulously. The older generations would do this the “old-fashioned way,” by printing photos on quality paper that already have borders around them. But what about the other visual elements? For this, they used thin, black markers or they left those visuals as they were. It was a delicate, tedious, and time-consuming process.
Today, we have programs like Microsoft Office, which began a revolution called desktop publishing. These programs allow us to create professional-looking works of art using border templates and customized borders. But sometimes, because of your haste to get things done, you might have forgotten that some convenient functionalities exist.
You should know that you can give your invitations and other Thanksgiving-themed documents a unique look by learning how to add Word document borders. Here are the steps to follow when you’re using Word:
- Open the program, then click the Design tab.
- Under Page Layout, click Page Borders. Click Page Border in the Borders and Shading window.
- Choose the Custom option. From there, you can select the style, width, and color of the page border. Decide whether you want to apply the border to the whole document or just on selected pages only. By default, Word will apply the border you’ve chosen to all of the pages unless you choose a different setting. To customize it, go to the Apply To box on the bottom-right, then click the arrow until you see the option that you find the most appealing. For instance, you can apply the border to the 1st page only, all of the pages except for the 1st one, and other options.
- Click OK to create your page border. You may want to experiment with the different options to find the choices you like best. As good as this program is at depicting, for instance, the difference between different lines, there is nothing like seeing the line encircle a page so you can see its full effect.
- You also have the option to add Borders to Visual Elements. This includes documents with pictures, shapes, and text boxes. You can make them pop by adding borders.
- To add a border to these elements, click on the picture, shape, or text box, then click Shape Format. Choose Shape Outline, which is right beside the arrow. From here, you can choose to:
- Change or add color to a border by clicking on the color you prefer.
- Change or add a thickness to the border by pointing to Weight, then set the desired width.
- Change or add a border style by pointing to Dashes and making a selection.
- If you want to change anything, you can do this too. Click No Outline to remove the whole border from the visual element and begin the process again.
It will take some practice for you to become a master at adding borders in Word to make your work better. Your efforts will make your guests feel impressed with what you have created.
Thanksgiving Page Borders
Bring everything together with the perfect table setting
When you’re done with your printed masterpieces, you should start focusing on Thanksgiving table settings, especially if you’re the one hosting Thanksgiving dinner. It might not seem that important to some people but remember that the table settings are one of the 1st things that your guests will see when they arrive.
Many hosts even consider the table settings as the most important elements of the celebration coming after the menu they worked hard on. Even after the turkey, pumpkin pie, and other Thanksgiving treats has all been gobbled up, what remains are the Thanksgiving place cards and other settings you prepared meticulously. Therefore, you should make them as inviting and beautiful as possible.
If you don’t want to put in too much effort for the most beautiful and best Thanksgiving setting ideas, you can always go online. Browse through various sites and lists, then surprise your guests with thoughtful and gorgeous tablescapes this coming Thanksgiving.
There are many great elegant ideas to choose from like rustic Thanksgiving centerpieces to delightfully unique place cards that will set your table with style and pizzazz! Whether you plan to host a more elegant, glamorous, or casual look, there will always be something out there for you. Use one of these ideas as your starting point, then come up with a table setting that is uniquely you!
Ombre-style pumpkin centerpiece
Paint some small pumpkins in varying shades of pink and red to create a pretty ombre effect down the middle of your table. Embellish these with maroon flowers in small vases for a lovely floral touch.
Neutral tones throughout the table
Fill your table with neutral tones including some painted pumpkins. This setting is both sophisticated and modern.
Personalized place settings for your guests
Use some old family photos to help your guests find their seats. This will also inspire the reminiscing portion of your celebration.
Modern rustic setting
By having such a table setting, you should make sure that the food you serve is also amazing as the table setting might upstage your menu! Use copper silverware, organic bouquets, and earthy linens to create a look that is both low-key and lively.
Bold and bright setting
Combining colors like coral and bright blue in a table setting can become even more special if you add some personalized messages on each of the plates. For the message cards, you can use free printables with Thanksgiving borders.