This is 2020, and it’s a weird year to say the very least. There is so much we have missed out on or lost because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Time with loved ones. Travel. Experiences indoors in poorly ventilated rooms. Meals made by – and cleaned up by – other people.

 

What is there to be thankful for?

A lot as it turns out. If you are reading this, it means you are still alive, which is a wonderful and lucky thing. I have friends who have lost dear ones because of COVID-19. We are alive, and even if we can’t celebrate Thanksgiving in person with our loved ones, if we are lucky they are also still alive. That is definitely something to be thankful for.

 

Sometimes we need a reminder. Enter the DIY Gratitude Gourd.

If you’ve got an extra un-carved pumpkin laying around from Halloween, this is a great way to upcycle it! Or if you don’t have one, many grocery stores and farm stands have extras they are selling for super cheap (or even in some cases giving away for free!).

 

And be sure to get an extra so you can also make a Pumpkin Succulent DIY Thanksgiving Centerpiece.

 

What is a DIY Gratitude Gourd?

Ok here’s where it gets…easy. All you need for this DIY Gratitude Gourd is a sharpie marker and said gourd. It doesn’t even matter if it’s a traditional orange pumpkin either! You can use a green kabocha squash and a gold/silver permanent marker. Or a white gourd and a colored marker.

 

How to make a DIY Gratitude Gourd:

Step 1: get out the marker

Step 2: think of things you are thankful for

Step 3: write them on the DIY Gratitude Gourd.

That’s all there is to it, really.

 

Activities to do with your DIY Gratitude Gourd:

I made the one in the featured image at the very top during Thanksgiving a couple years ago. My family and I sat at the table and each said a few things we were thankful for as I wrote them down. It’s our tradition to give thanks around the table like this before we begin Thanksgiving dinner anyway. But now we had it written down to look at the rest of the evening as a table centerpiece. And it’s a fun Thanksgiving activity for kids where they can contribute in a meaningful way.

I opted to write in capital letters and concentric circles in that case to give it a uniform look, but you could do yours any way you like. We’ve also done it in a spiral shape from top to bottom of the pumpkin (see photo just above).

If everyone at the table can write on their own, you can have them each add what they’re thankful for to the Gratitude Gourd so you can see everyone’s unique handwriting. (Or if you have small children, they can make a little drawing of what they’re thankful for instead).

Another idea (and perhaps this is better saved for a year when it is safe to have people gather indoors) is to get one small gourd per person at your Thanksgiving table (perhaps one of those cute pie pumpkins). While they’re waiting for dinner to begin, they can fill theirs out with thankful words and then take them home afterwards as a parting gift.

 

Why you should make a DIY Gratitude Gourd

As I mentioned above, it’s a fun way to upcycle an extra pumpkin and an activity to fill up time at your Thanksgiving gathering before the main event. It also is a really nice way to remind yourself of the positive things in life to be thankful for. Even if it’s a difficult year, like this one has been for me and for many many others all across the world, and you can’t be with your loved ones in person, there’s always something to be grateful for.

And by putting it down on paper – or pumpkin in this case – it’s an exercise in positive thinking, either individually or as a group. It’s a way to honor the people you care about when they can’t physically be at your Thanksgiving table. And I always find that there are things that others are grateful for that I am not even thinking of before they say it, but can also count as a positives in my life as well.

Another bonus: because pumpkins can last for weeks if not months, you can keep this visual reminder of all your many reasons to be thankful this year around well past Thanksgiving. Heck, it may even last into 2021!

However you choose to give thanks this year, I hope you have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!