I'm drawing a blank for cute, inexpensive ideas for a thanksgiving themed box for my group of 7 (or 8 if he didnt count himself). I got to find out the extact number of people in his group so i can do my cute snowman soup idea for Christmas. Does anyone have ideas for Thanksgiving? Thanks!

Hi Kaitlin,

Because you are in Pennsylvania, you are probably close to peak leaf season.  Last year I sent fall leaves that I ironed between two sheets of waxed paper (remember girl scouts?).  I cut them out leaving a small amount of waxed paper around the border of the leaves, these were a great hit!  Maybe not something for the Thanksgiving table, but the guys loved a "little bit of home" and hung them up in offices and living areas.  The best part of this project is they weigh very little and dont take up any room at all in the boxes!  Have fun!  Jami 

Please check with your postal clerk on this before going to that much work.  Something like this can't be carried into another country in a suitcase, so I have some doubts about being able to mail it.

JOCEE,

I believe you are right.  That would be classified as "plant material" and would be contraband.

Gran

This time of year I send fall colored maple and oak leaves made of fabric that you can pick up rather inexpensively in small bags in the craft section or the holiday section of many stores. They are lightweight, small, and flat so they can be tucked into a card or letter as well as in a package. I was worried about sending real plant material, and this just seemed like the next best thing.

Kaitlin - Some of this is based on different posts read overtime, I'm sending some of the following, none of which are expensive.  Check your local Walmart -

1.  Smoked Oysters (small cans by the tuna packs) w/crackers (a traditional stuffing ingredient)

2.  Dried cranberries

3.  'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' mini-book (ok a little more expensive)

4.  Small box of raisins Golden or other (also a traditional stuffing ingredient)

5.  Mini-sodukos,cosswords, etc w/mechanical pencils

6.  Single use camera (buy a multipack and split it up)

7.  Funny Thanksgiving cards - lots of good Turkey cards at CVS if you have one near you.

Hope this helps some.

Ann

Almost forgot - little chocolate turkeys!!!  Buy a box and split it up.

Kaitlin - Forgot one thing - J&R tobacco has a cigar called 'Don Diego Babies', short cigar - hence the name(???).  Apparently very popular.  Also extremely affordable!!!!

They have them in their stores - don't know about on their site.  I think they are about $5 dollars a box of 5 - maybe less not sure, do know they are inexpensive.  A nice treat for people who like them and they won't break your budget.

Ann

snowhouse:

  Last year I sent fall leaves that I ironed between two sheets of waxed paper (remember girl scouts?).  I cut them out leaving a small amount of waxed paper around the border of the leaves, these were a great hit! 

I like this idea so much I am tempted to do it!  BUT I think Gran is correct, and the only way you'd be able to send them is to leave them off of the customs form...not something I am comfortable doing.  Thanks for the idea though, I think the kids and I will do them to hand out to the residents of a nursing home we are visiting in a few weeks! 

Kaitlin,

What about those bags of candy -- Brach's or store brand -- that are the brown-tipped candy corn, sometimes they call it Fall or Harvest.  They're usually pretty inexpensive.  And I have seen those chocolate turkeys, too.  And if you didn't want to be too heavy on the candy,  at Michael's or A.C. Moore they have little felt pilgrim hats that you could include as decoration.  Or even some small fake pumpkins, not all pumpkins have to be jack-o-lanterns.

Pan