Thanksgiving is a time for family, food, and creative fun. While the holiday meal is usually the highlight, adding some hands-on turkey crafts can make the day even more memorable for kids. Crafting together is a fantastic way to bond, and these projects offer a chance for kids to explore their creativity while getting into the Thanksgiving spirit. Here are 25 turkey craft ideas, each designed to be fun, easy, and perfect for keeping little hands busy.
Let’s dive into these gobble-worthy craft ideas that will add festive charm to your Thanksgiving and create lasting holiday memories.
1. Colorful Paper Plate Turkeys
Start with a craft that uses a basic household item—paper plates! Kids can paint a plate in vibrant autumn hues, making it the perfect backdrop for a turkey’s colorful feathers. Once dry, a brown paper circle becomes the face, complete with googly eyes and a beak. This activity allows for creative color choices, and little ones love watching their turkey come to life.
Paper plate turkeys are not only easy to make but also make adorable decorations for Thanksgiving. Display them as part of your table decor, or let kids show off their creations around the house.
2. Pinecone Turkeys
This craft brings nature indoors with pinecones as the base for turkeys. Glue on small felt or paper feathers to one side, creating a whimsical feathery tail, and add googly eyes and a felt beak to complete the look. Pinecone turkeys make charming centerpieces, especially when arranged in a “turkey family” with different-sized pinecones.
Kids can have fun picking out the perfect pinecone, and this activity doubles as an outdoor adventure. It’s a wonderful way to connect with nature while making something special for Thanksgiving.
3. Handprint Turkeys
Handprint turkeys are a classic Thanksgiving craft that doubles as a keepsake. Paint your child’s palm brown and their fingers in bright colors to create the turkey’s feathers. Press the painted hand onto paper to make the turkey’s body, then add eyes and a beak.
Not only is this a fun, sensory experience for kids, but it also captures a memory of their tiny hands. Write the date on the paper, and you’ll have a timeless Thanksgiving memento to cherish year after year.
4. Tissue Paper Turkey Collage
Tissue paper collages are perfect for kids who love color and texture. Start by cutting out a large turkey shape from paper, and let kids glue torn tissue paper pieces to form colorful feathers. The variety of tissue paper colors makes for a lively, eye-catching display, and kids can layer or mix hues as they please.
This project offers a tactile experience, allowing kids to feel the difference between smooth paper and soft tissue. The finished collage can be framed or used as a vibrant wall decoration for the season.
5. Popsicle Stick Turkeys
Popsicle sticks make perfect feathers for a crafty turkey. After painting the sticks in fall colors, arrange and glue them around a small cardboard circle. Add eyes and a beak, and you’ve got a charming turkey ready to display. Kids love seeing the sticks transform into feathers, and it’s a great way to use up extra popsicle sticks.
These turkeys are versatile, too—they can be used as name tags for the Thanksgiving table or turned into fridge magnets. Popsicle stick turkeys bring a rustic touch to your holiday decorations.
6. Feather and Bead Turkey Necklace
A turkey necklace is a creative way for kids to make their own Thanksgiving accessories. Using colorful beads and feathers, kids can thread their design onto a string, adding turkey flair to their outfits. The necklaces are fun to wear and make a great Thanksgiving keepsake.
Each necklace is unique, and kids can customize their designs with different bead patterns or feather colors. Encourage them to wear their turkey necklaces during Thanksgiving dinner for a festive touch.
7. Clothespin Turkeys
Clothespin turkeys are adorable, easy to make, and functional! Glue paper feathers to one side of a clothespin, then add eyes and a beak to the front. They can even be used as placeholders on the Thanksgiving table. Kids enjoy assembling these little turkeys, and they’re a wonderful way to add a personal touch to your holiday setup.
Make it even more special by letting kids write guests’ names on each turkey. The clothespin turkeys can also be clipped to holiday napkins for added charm.
8. Cupcake Liner Turkeys
Cupcake liners offer a simple, mess-free base for turkey crafting. Flatten the liner and use it as the turkey’s body, adding eyes, a beak, and construction paper feathers. Kids can hold onto a stick and turn their creation into a puppet.
These turkey puppets make great entertainment for Thanksgiving day! Encourage kids to perform a little turkey skit, or use the puppets as decor for a lively holiday table.
9. Pom-Pom Turkeys
Create fluffy, cute turkeys with large pom-poms. Add googly eyes, a small felt beak, and attach tiny felt feathers around the back. The pom-pom turkeys are soft, easy to handle, and kids will love their plush texture.
They’re perfect as small Thanksgiving table decorations or can be used as playful “desk buddies.” Kids can even gift them to family members as a little holiday keepsake.
10. Paper Bag Turkey Puppets
Turn a simple paper bag into a turkey puppet that’s fun to make and play with. Decorate the bag with colorful feathers, googly eyes, and a beak, then let kids put on their own Thanksgiving puppet show.
This craft not only stimulates creativity but also encourages storytelling. Kids will enjoy giving their turkeys personalities and entertaining guests with a little puppet performance after dinner.
11. Felt Turkeys with Velcro Feathers
This felt turkey craft is interactive and lets kids rearrange their feathers any way they like. Attach Velcro dots to felt feathers, and kids can swap or reposition them on the felt turkey body.
It’s a craft that provides endless possibilities for play and design. Kids can create different feather patterns, making each turkey unique and offering a new activity every time they play.
12. Rock Painting Turkeys
Rocks make a great canvas for turkey designs, adding a bit of nature to your Thanksgiving decor. Kids can paint smooth rocks with turkey faces and feather patterns, creating colorful little friends.
These turkeys are durable, and a clear varnish can make them suitable for outdoor display. They also make cute paperweights or Thanksgiving table decorations.
13. Toilet Paper Roll Turkeys
Transform toilet paper rolls into festive turkeys by wrapping them in brown paper and adding colorful feathers. This is an eco-friendly craft that gives new life to an everyday item.
Toilet paper roll turkeys can also double as napkin holders for your Thanksgiving dinner table, adding a personal touch to each place setting.
14. Pipe Cleaner Turkeys
Pipe cleaners make fun, bendable turkey feathers. Wrap them around a pom-pom for a soft turkey body, then twist the pipe cleaners to create colorful, fluffy feathers.
These little turkeys are perfect for decorating windowsills or as cheerful additions to your Thanksgiving setup. The craft is easy for younger kids to manage, and they can make a whole flock to decorate the house.
15. Yarn-Wrapped Turkeys
Kids can practice their fine motor skills by wrapping yarn around a cardboard turkey shape. This activity is calming and allows them to choose their yarn colors for a cozy turkey craft.
When finished, the yarn-wrapped turkeys make adorable wall or door decorations, adding a soft, handmade touch to your home.
16. Coffee Filter Turkeys
Coffee filters make perfect fluffy feathers for turkeys. Color the filters with washable markers, spray them lightly with water to blend the colors, and let them dry before attaching them to a paper turkey shape.
The result is a colorful, textured turkey that looks fantastic in any Thanksgiving setting. Kids love the “magic” of watching colors blend on the coffee filter.
17. Sock Turkeys
Put those lonely socks to good use by turning them into stuffed turkeys. Fill a sock with stuffing, tie off the end, and add felt feathers, eyes, and a beak.
These make delightful little decorations or gifts for family members. Sock turkeys are also a fun surprise to hide in Thanksgiving decor for a festive touch.
18. Paper Cup Turkeys
Paper cups become adorable turkeys with the help of some construction paper feathers and googly eyes. Flip the cup upside down, decorate, and let kids use them as turkey “puppets.”
Filled with treats, paper cup turkeys make fantastic party favors. Kids love making them, and they’re perfect for adding some extra fun to the holiday.
19. Button Turkeys
Button collections make lovely turkey feathers! Draw a simple turkey outline and glue on buttons for feathers, creating a colorful, textured look.
This is a great way to reuse old buttons and create a one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving decoration. The finished piece can be framed or turned into a card for a special holiday memory.
20. Bubble Wrap Print Turkeys
Use bubble wrap to create textured turkey feathers. Paint the bubble wrap, press it onto paper, and cut out feather shapes for a unique, bumpy design.
The bubble wrap printing technique adds a sensory experience, and kids love popping the bubbles after the painting is done. These feathers give the turkey an eye-catching look.
21. Leaf Turkeys
Real autumn leaves make stunning turkey feathers. Collect dried leaves and arrange them around a turkey drawing, adding eyes and a beak.
This craft is both eco-friendly and beautiful, capturing the season’s natural colors. It’s a perfect outdoor project that also brings nature inside.
22. Paper Quilling Turkeys
Older kids and adults can try paper quilling to create intricate turkey designs. Roll paper strips into coils, then arrange them to form a stunning turkey design.
This craft makes a great wall hanging or framed art piece, giving your Thanksgiving decor a sophisticated, handmade touch.
23. Woven Paper Turkey Feathers
Kids can weave colorful paper strips to create feather patterns for their turkeys. This activity teaches basic weaving and results in a creative, one-of-a-kind turkey craft.
Woven paper turkeys are beautiful to display, and kids love the hands-on weaving process. It’s a great introduction to crafting techniques.
24. Egg Carton Turkeys
Egg cartons are the perfect size for mini turkey bodies. Paint each cup, add small feathers and googly eyes, and arrange them in a cute turkey line-up.
These little turkeys make adorable placeholders for Thanksgiving dinner, and kids enjoy painting and assembling them.
25. Painted Walnut Turkeys
Tiny turkeys made from painted walnuts are as charming as they are simple. Paint on a turkey face, add feathers, and place them as cute table accents.
Walnut turkeys are a fun way to create tiny keepsakes that capture the Thanksgiving spirit. Kids can even string them for little turkey ornaments.
Conclusion
Crafting turkeys with kids is a wonderful way to make Thanksgiving even more memorable. Each project, from colorful paper turkeys to nature-inspired pinecone creations, adds a personal touch to the holiday and keeps little hands happily busy. These activities aren’t just about crafting—they’re about creating lasting memories together.
So, gather your supplies, let the kids’ creativity shine, and enjoy the joyful mess of glue, paint, and feathers. These turkey crafts bring the family closer, add festive flair to your home, and make Thanksgiving extra special. Here’s to a holiday filled with laughter, gratitude, and a whole flock of feathered friends!