Tin Can Turkey Craft

Gobble gobble! This adorable little turkey-themed craft for kids is perfect for filling with wrapped candy. Place him on the Thanksgiving table and everyone will comment on just how cute he is!

What you'll need:

• 1 vegetable can
• Felt: brown, red, orange, tan, goldenrod, white, black
• Scissors
• Tail pattern
• All other patterns
• Scissors
• White craft glue
• Hot glue gun

How to make it:

1. Inspect the opening of the vegetable can and be sure there aren’t any sharp edges. If there are, use a piece of sandpaper to wear them down. Remove label, wash and dry completely.
2. Lay can on its side on the short end of the sheet of brown felt. Roll up to determine how much felt you will need, trim the end so that you have about an inch overlap at the top, bottom and around the perimeter as well. Glue the brown felt to the can, folding over the excess and gluing to the bottom and inside the lip of the can. Look for the seam, this will be the back of your turkey.
3. Using pattern, cut out the tail from a piece of cardstock, you will need this to glue your felt to as the felt is too flimsy to stand on its own. Using the other patterns, cut out a red waddle, white eyes, black pupils, brown head, black eyebrows, goldenrod beak, tan collar, and orange feet. For tail feathers, cut out 2 red, 2 tan, 1 orange, 1 goldenrod and 1 brown.
4. Glue the collar, straight side lines up with the top of the can, to the front of the turkey (remember, seam is in the back).
5. Glue the red waddle just above the bottom of the collar.
6. Glue the head over the top of the waddle, leaving just the bumps of the waddle showing below the head. The head will be above the lip of the can
7. Glue on the whites of the eyes in the center of the head. Glue on the black pupils to the white.
8. Glue on the goldenrod beak, overlapping the bottom of the eyes slightly.
9. Glue on the eyebrows above the eyes, pointing upward.
10. Glue 2 orange feet to the bottom portion of the can (see photo).
11. Lay the card stock tail template on to the table. Glue a red felt tail feather on top of the far right point. Repeat on the left side with the other red tail feather. Glue a tan feather to the next point on the right, overlapping the first red one. Do this on the left as well, using a goldenrod tail feather.
12. Repeat on the right with an orange feather and on the left with a tan feather. Finally, glue the brown feather to the center point, overlapping feathers on both sides. Be sure there is no card stock peeking through, all should be covered with felt feathers.
13. Hot glue the completed tail to the back of the can. Put some hot glue on the sides of the can and squeeze the tail feathers around the side by gripping the can with your hand. 

Tips:

• You can use any colors you like for the feathers, our choices are just festive suggestions.
• Save vegetable and other tin cans for fun projects like this one all year long.
• Felt is fairly inexpensive, so stock up whenever you can. We buy ours at our local craft supply store for 20 cents per sheet.

Turkey Fridge Magnet

You’ll be amazed at just how easy these cute turkeys are to make. If you prefer to skip the painting steps, be sure to check out the helpful tips at the end for simple substitutions.

What you'll need:

• 3” wooden heart
• 1” wooden heart
• 1 ½” wooden football or oval
• 8-10 colorful feathers (red, brown, orange, yellow)
• 2 miniature craft sticks
• Acrylic craft paint: brown, red, yellow, white, black, orange
• Sponge applicator
• Small paint brush
• White craft glue
• Wax paper
• 2 magnets of medium weight

How to make it:

1. Paint the 3” wooden heart and the wooden football brown.
2. Paint the 1” wooden heart red.
3. Paint the 2 miniature craft sticks orange. Let all painted surfaces dry completely.
4. Place brown heart on work surface so that the pointed end is at the top. Glue the red heart onto the brown heart. The red heart should also be upside down, point facing upward, and should overlap the tip of the brown heart a little.
5. Glue the brown football (head) on top of the red heart, allowing the bumps of the heart to show underneath the football (chin).
6. Position the orange craft sticks underneath the brown wooden heart and glue in place for the legs.
7. Place turkey on to a piece of wax paper. Arrange feathers behind the “turkey” to make its tail. When you have them where you want them, glue them in place and let dry. The wax paper will keep the glue for the feathers from sticking to the table.
8. While feathers are drying, dip the handle end of the sponge applicator in to the white paint. Dot on eyes. Repeat this process with the handle end of the paint brush and black paint, adding the pupils.
9. Use the paint brush and yellow paint to add a triangular beak.
10. Allow everything to dry completely, then glue magnets to the back and let dry.

Pipe Cleaner Turkey

Thanksgiving is a busy time of year and you can keep small hands and active minds occupied with this pipe cleaner turkey craft. Kids can assemble these quickly and they make great place settings.

What you'll need:

• Wire cutters
• 1 red bumpy pipe cleaner (chenille stem)
• 1 orange bumpy pipe cleaner
• 1 brown bumpy pipe cleaner
• 1 yellow bumpy pipe cleaner
• 2 tan pipe cleaners (bumpy would look cute)
• Glue
• 2 (5-6 mm) wiggle eyes
• 2 ounce paint bottle (any color)

How to make it:

Note: Any pipe cleaner "bumps" leftover after cutting can be used in future projects.

1. Cut the brown bumpy pipe cleaner into two pieces, so that both pieces have two bumps each.
2. Cut the pipe cleaner stem into two pieces, so that one piece has just one bump and the second piece has two bumps.
3. Cut the pipe cleaner stem into two bumps.
4. Cut the yellow pipe cleaner into one bump.
5. Twist the end of one tan pipe cleaner together with the end of the second tan chenille stem.
6. Wrap the long tan pipe cleaner around the outside of a paint bottle.
7. Slip one, 2-bump brown pipe cleaner under all the layers of the tan pipe cleaner. Twist once to hold all the tan pipe cleaners together. (The brown pipe cleaner will make the turkey's head.)
8. On the opposite side of the paint bottle slide the following 2 bump pipe cleaners under all the layers of the tan pipe cleaner in one area: one each of red, brown, and orange. Position the tan pipe cleaner close together on top of the narrow part of the colored, bumpy pipe cleaner.
9. Bend the colored pipe cleaners in half and twist once to hold the tan pipe cleaners in place. (see photo)
10. Slide the turkey body off of the paint bottle.
11. Bend the head (brown) up and over slightly.
12. Bend the one-bump, red pipe cleaner in half and twist it around the neck of the turkey.
13. Place the one-bump yellow pipe cleaner at the bottom of the tan pipe cleaner and twist it around the tan pipe cleaner. Bend the middle of the pipe cleaner in towards the turkey to resemble feet.
14. Separate and fan  the tan turkey body out to give it a more rounded shape.
15. Glue a wiggle eye on each side of the turkey's head.
16. Fan out the red, brown, and orange tail feathers. (See photo)

Turkey Note Holder

This cute little turkey note holder can hang from your refrigerator or your front door. Whether his note says “Welcome”, “Where’s the Beef?” or “What’s for Dinner?," everyone will think he’s adorable!

What you'll need:

• 2 jumbo craft sticks
• Brown acrylic craft paint
• Small wooden clothespin
• Paintbrush
• Small straw hat, cut in half
• Scissors
• Small red foam heart
• Miniature orange foam triangle
• 2 yellow foam chick feet
• 2 small wiggle eyes
• White craft glue
• Hot glue gun
• 9 feathers in fall colors

How to make it:

1. Paint both craft sticks and clothespin with brown paint, set aside to dry. Paint a second coat on the craft sticks, but not the clothespin.
2. Glue feathers in a fan behind one of the craft sticks. Sandwich the second craft stick behind the feathers.
3. Glue the straw hat half to the top of the craft stick.
4. Glue two wiggle eyes under the hat.
5. Glue red heart upside down for waddle. Glue the orange triangle upside down at the top of the waddle.
6. Glue the yellow duck feet to the bottom of the craft stick, pointing upward.
7. Glue the clothespin to the front of the craft stick, pointing downward.

Tips:

• To hang on the fridge, attach two round magnets to the back of the turkey.
• To hang on a door, attach a piece of ribbon or yarn to the back of the turkey.  
• Save the other half of your straw hat for another project.

Framed Handprint Turkey

Kids will literally need to lend a helping hand for this framed handprint turkey project! A twist on the classic handprint turkey, this craft makes a wonderful keepsake that you and your child will cherish for years to come.

What you'll need:

• 9" paper plate
• Acrylic paint: goldenrod, brown, yellow, orange, green, red, white and black
• Black marker
• Paintbrush
• Felt in fall colors, cut into 1" squares

How to make it:

1. Place paper plate on work surface upside down and write the child's name and the date. Turn the plate right side up. Paint entire plate with goldenrod color and set aside to dry (see image).
2. Meanwhile, cut felt into 1" pieces. Use several fall colors, such as red, brown, orange, tan, gold and cream. If you made our Mosaic Family Frame, perhaps you have some pieces left over that you can use!
3. Have all of your paint colors handy and a separate paintbrush for each color. Paint the child's palm and thumb with a generous amount of brown paint. Working quickly so that the paint doesn't have time to dry, paint each of the child's four fingers with red, green, orange and yellow (see image). 
4. Have child gently place their handprint in the center of the paper plate. Gently press down on the child's hand and each individual finger to ensure a good distribution of paint.
5. Have child lift hand directly up into the air so as not to smear any of the colors.
6. Use a paintbrush to add a red gobbler and an orange beak. Let dry (see image). 
7. While the paint is drying you can glue on the pieces for the frame. Pipe glue around the outside edge of the plate and press the felt squares onto the glue, overlapping the outside of the plate. Alternate the colors to create a pattern.
8. Use black marker to draw legs and feet.
9. Use the handle end of a small paintbrush to add a dot for the eye, let dry. Once dry, use a toothpick to dot on the black.

Tips:

1. You can add a magnet to the back of the plate or use tape and a piece of yarn to create a hanger.
2. Always save scraps of felt and construction paper for projects such as these.
3. Instead of painting on the eye, you can glue on one wiggle eye.

Paper Bag Turkey

This darling paper bag tom turkey makes a great centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. The best part is it can be put together with the simplest supplies.

What you'll need:

• Brown paper lunch bag
• Acrylic paint or crayons: brown, red, orange, green, yellow
• Rubber band
• Newspaper
• Plastic spoon
• Scraps of felt: orange, brown, green and maroon (or red)
• 2 medium wiggle eyes
• White craft glue
• Scissors

How to make it:

1. Lay paper bag flat on the work surface.
2. Use crayons or paint (crayons are less messy and will be much easier for younger children) to add stripes of colors to the opening of the bag, about 5-6” long (see image).
3. Open the bag and be sure to add stripes to the sides as well.
4. Cut the strips with scissors (see image).
5. Paint or color the other side of the strips. This is a little messier, so be sure kid are wearing smocks and your work surface is protected. When painting the other side of a strip, the paper may curl up on you. Just hold it flat for a few seconds and this will correct it (see image). Allow the strips to dry completely.
6. Fill the bag halfway with crumpled newspaper.
7. Gather the bag together with your hands, just under the strips, and secure with a rubber band (see image).
8. Pinch the bag, just under the rubber band, to bend the strips upward so that when the bag lies on its side, the strips will be pointing upward. Use your hands to manipulate the strips to point up; these are your turkey’s feathers (see image).
9. Cut the following from felt: Triangle – beak - orange; Heart – gobbler – maroon/red; 2 triangles – feet - brown; Bowtie – green
10. Paint the plastic spoon with tan or brown paint and let dry (see image).
11. Glue the gobbler, beak and eyes onto the spoon face.
12. Place the bag on the work surface on its side with the feathers pointing up. Make a small hole at the end of the bag where the neck and head should be.
13. Push the handle of the plastic spoon into the hole and add some glue to the opening (see image).
14. Cut toes from the flat end of the two brown triangles and dot some glue on the triangle points. Place bag body on top of the feet so glue will catch. Let dry (see image).
15. Glue the bowtie where the spoon meets the bag.

Tips:

1. For added fun, draw a sign on a piece of construction paper that says “Happy Thanksgiving” and glue to the front (chest) of the bag.
2. If you would like to keep the mess minimal, use markers or crayons instead of paint.
3. Save scraps of felt from other projects to use with projects such as this.

Paper Cup Turkeys

Kids can make several of these paper cup turkeys so the family can use them as place cards for the big Thanksgiving feast!

What you'll need:

• Paper or foam cup (8.5 oz)
• Acrylic paint in fall colors (brown, tan, orange, red, green, yellow, etc.)
• Large pom-pom for head (brown, yellow, red, orange, etc.)
• Small foam heart for gobbler (to contrast with color of head)
• Small foam triangle (orange or yellow)
• 2 small wiggle eyes
• 3” x 2” piece of orange construction paper
• 1 sheet of white construction paper
• White craft glue
• Scissors

How to make it:

1. Place cup upside down on work surface and paint brown (see image).
2. To make the feathers, paint the white construction paper with several fall colors, crisscrossing the colors as you go. Let dry (see image).
3. Cut feathers out in one large piece, should be shaped similar to a hand or crown. Cut the tips of each feather into a point (see image).
4. Apply glue to the bottom portion of the feathers and press onto the bottom of the cup. Hold in place for a minute or so to let the glue grab.
5. Place foam heart upside down so that the bumps are facing downward. Glue the foam triangle, point down, onto the upside down heart--the upper points of the triangle will be hanging over the edge. This is the beak and gobbler (see image).
6. Glue the pom-pom to the top of the paper cup.
7. Glue the wiggle eyes and the beak and gobbler to the head.
8. Cut two feet from the orange construction paper and glue to the bottom of the cup.

Tips:

1. Instead of throwing away the paper that you use to protect your work surface from paint, add more color to it to make the feathers!
2. The feathers can be simplified by using a piece of brown, orange, or red construction paper.
3. Make these even more fancy by using actual feathers and by writing the name of your dinner guests on a piece of paper and gluing to the front of each turkey.