Gratitude Tree

A Copyrighted Activity Re-Posted with Permission from Gretchen Miller MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S  www.gretchenmiller.wordpress.com

Objectives:

The participants will:

1. Reflect on the blessings they have in their lives

2. Create art elements using line, color and symmetry with nature as their inspiration

Audience:

This activity can be enjoyed by all age groups.

Supplies/Materials:

• Mason jars
• Sand, stones, glitter, etc. for jar fill
• Small tree branches
• Textured scrapbooking paper
• Scissors
• Leaf templates
• Embroidery thread
• Markers, pens, etc.
• Single hole punch

Supplies

The Process:

1. I started to collect small branches around my neighborhood and workplace until I had a nice bundle to use for the foundation of the tree.  

2. These branches went into a mason jar filled with sand, stones, glitter, and other fun bits.

Branches

3.  Using some textured scrapbooking paper, I cut out leaves and punched a hole in each of them. 

4. With embroidery thread, the leaves were threaded so they could hang from the tree’s branches.  

5. On the paper leaves (with a little distressed ink, of course) I wrote or rubber stamped some of the simple, good stuff in my life I am so very grateful for:  health, kindness, family, growth, friends, support, love, art & creativity, and appreciation for the abundance in my life.  Little notes of thanks associated with each of these items are written on the back of the leaf.

6. You could also have students find or write their own poems on gratitude. Example shared: this could be placed around the container or other parts of the project.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

It turns what we have into enough, and more. 

It turns denial into acceptance,

chaos to order,

confusion to clarity. 

It can turn a meal into a feast,

a house into a home,

a stranger into a friend. 

Gratitude makes sense of our past,

brings peace for today,

and creates a vision for tomorrow.” 

~Melody Beattie

Need some more Gratitude Tree inspiration?  Check out these Gratitude Tree “pinners” on Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/search/?q=gratitude+tree .

Completed tree