How to Create a Gratitude Box
If you need a Thanksgiving craft idea for your family, this gratitude box would make the perfect family craft project. A gratitude box is a small or large box that you can place anywhere in the home.
You write the things you are grateful for on small pieces of paper each day, fold them, and put them into the box. By the time you fill the box and are getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones, you can go through the box and read aloud all the different things that you are grateful for in life.
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How to Make a Gratitude Box
To make a gratitude box, you’ll need a few basic supplies. A small box is ideal, but you can use anything easy to decorate and personalize. The process of creating the box can be just as meaningful as using it, so take your time and make it your own.
To create this gratitude box, we used an old tissue box, but you could also use a shoe box. You can cover it with construction paper, making sure to leave the slot open for all the small pieces of paper that will include your reasons for being grateful.
If you do not want to cover the tissue box in construction paper, you can paint over it or glue different embellishments to it, including items like artificial flowers and gemstones.
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Supplies needed to make a gratitude box:
Tissue box or Shoe Box
Scrapbook paper (or Paint)
Scissors
Stickers or other embellishments, optional
And here is a fun idea for an Easy Gratitude Game you can play as a family. A gratitude game can provide many benefits, including promoting positivity, improving relationships, enhancing empathy, encouraging mindfulness, teaching gratitude, and being a fun and engaging activity for the entire family.
Lay the tissue box against the scrapbook paper to measure where to cut. Cut the scrapbook paper to fit. Cut a line through the scrapbook paper where the opening of the tissue box is located.
Glue the scrapbook paper into the tissue box and allow it to dry completely.
If desired, cover the edges where the scrapbook paper meets by cutting 1-inch strips from a coordinating scrapbook paper. Fold the paper strips in half to create a sharp edge. Glue the strips to the corners of the box and allow them to dry.
Creatively, decorate the box with stickers or any decorations you prefer. Cut the remaining scrapbook paper into smaller pieces to use for notes.
To use, each day for a set number of days (i.e. each day from November 1st until Thanksgiving,) ask children to write down one thing for which they are thankful and place it into the Gratitude Box.
Optionally, on the last day, you can remove the notes and ask the children to guess who wrote which note.
More Thanksgiving Crafts and Printables:
Turkey Feather Craft Using a Raisin Box
Pumpkin Life Cycle Worksheets (Free Printable)
21 Free Christian Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
More ideas that would work when making a Gratitude Box:
Painted Mason Jars
Mason jars work perfectly as gratitude boxes. While they are not boxes, you can still paint them and decorate them to make them look even prettier. You may need to use a knife to cut a slit into the lid of these mason jars to give you an easy and convenient way to put your small notes into the jar. If you are going for a fall theme with your mason jars, you can cover them in colorful artificial leaves and tie some ribbon around the mason jars’ lids. And check out this adorable Mason Jar Reindeer Craft!
Old Subscription Box
Do you get any subscription boxes sent out to the home? If so, you might have a few of these cardboard boxes available to use as gratitude boxes. Just like you would decorate the tissue box or the mason jar, you can decorate the subscription box to match the theme you prefer, such as a turkey theme or harvest theme to go with the Thanksgiving holiday. Tape the box shut and cut a slit in the top of it to use as your entry point for your blessing notes.
What to Put in Your Gratitude Box
Each day, you can put something else that you are grateful for in the gratitude box. These are a few of the things you may be genuinely thankful for:
- Loving family
- Good friends
- Steady, reliable job
- Food to eat
- A comfortable home
Of course, you can add anything you want and are most grateful for on a note and put it in your gratitude box.
How to Use a Gratitude Box
Daily Gratitude Practice
Using a gratitude box can be an effective way to cultivate a daily gratitude practice. Each day, take a few moments to reflect on what you are grateful for and write it down on a small piece of paper. These can be simple things like a delicious meal, a kind gesture from a friend, or a beautiful sunset.
Once you have written down your gratitude note, fold it up and place it in the gratitude box. This simple act of gratitude can help shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life and increase feelings of happiness and contentment.
Reviewing Gratitude Notes
The Thanksgiving season is perfect so take some time to review the gratitude notes in your box. This can be a powerful way to reflect on the good things in your life and to see patterns of gratitude over time.
Using a gratitude box can be a simple and effective way to cultivate a daily gratitude practice and increase feelings of happiness and contentment. By taking a few moments to reflect on what you are grateful for and storing those notes in a gratitude box, you can create a powerful tool for cultivating a positive mindset.
Remember that gratitude is a mindset that can be developed with practice. By incorporating a gratitude box into your daily routine, you can begin to shift your perspective and experience more joy and contentment in your life.
Consider these ideas when you want to create a gratitude box. Making one of these boxes is an excellent way for you and your loved ones to show thanks for all the beautiful things you all have in life.
