What Are You Giving for Thanksgiving?

It's 14 days until Thanksgiving, when holiday season kicks into high gear.

Don't worry – we are not about to suggest that you jump on the bandwagon and whip up a line of turkey-inspired designs or go gaga for gourds. There are many ways you and your creative business can observe the harvest festival in good taste.

In the spirit of the holiday, here are some ideas for giving things away and making a great impression along the way.

1. Offer a free Thanksgiving craft tutorial: You don't have to be Martha Stewart, with an army of professional craft stylists, to demonstrate a quick, fun craft project on your blog or website. Anything that combines your craft discipline with harvest images, colors or themes would work. Since much of the holiday revolves around cooking and eating, any project that has to do with table settings or entertaining would work. Here's a tutorial for an apple-printed burlap placemat that looks like great fun for kids. Or a fall wreath. Or a Thanksgiving advent calendar. Providing a free tutorial shows that you're up for sharing fun ideas.

2. Give thanks by giving away: You can give away one or more of your products and tie your giveaway to a Thanksgiving theme. Starting now, ask your blog or website readers to write in comments about what they are most thankful for, or how they celebrate (or survive) the coming holiday. The best comment will win the author a freebie. As well as hosting a giveaway on your own blog, you can ask someone else to host it for you (to take advantage of their blog traffic).

3. Offer to take a family photo: If photography is your business, or simply one of your creative interests, offer to take a family photo for a friend that they can send out in holiday cards, or add to their website or Facebook profile. Ask that your friend credit you and link to your website or post your contact information with the photo, so that others will see it and take a look at your work.

4. Send out thank-you notes: Using either email or snail mail, send thank-yous out to anyone who has inspired, supported or helped your creative business over the past year. If it's an email, you can also include links to your own personal "holiday gift guide", pointing people toward artisans that you admire.

5. Organize a Thanksgiving craft contest: Put out a call to readers and clients for Thanksgiving-related craft projects and products, asking them to point out "a quirky turkey" or "the Tackiest Turkey". Whoever submits the best photo or link wins a free product or service. Here's a beautiful collage of Thanksgiving inspiration.

6. Offer special deals or bundles during the week of Thanksgiving, to reward early holiday shoppers.

7. Get creative for a cause: Designate one of your products or services for fundraising throughout the holiday season – and display it prominently in your shop or on your website. Let customers know that if they buy this product, all or a portion of the sales will go to a particular cause.

8. Offer a fellow crafter your feedback, expertise or time: You like their products, but have a suggestion for their website, or photographs, or designs. This would be a good time to offer to share resources or connections that might help another creative type improve their business.

Happy Thanksgiving!