Thanksgiving crafts for kids are all over Pinterest, but this is one of my favorites! It's so basic and simple, it can even be done as a classroom project with young students. It makes a cute decoration for Thanksgiving and constructing it can keep the little ones occupied on a rainy (or cold!) day. It makes a cute gift for grandparents or teachers, and you can even personalize the turkey by adding a name across the belly or adding a little hat or bow.
I love easy projects, and this one is about as simple as you can get! Be sure to Pin it for later!
What You'll Need
-paper plate
-crayons or paint
-glue stick or tape (I used clear packing tape, believe it or not)
-scissors
-construction paper in brown, red, green, yellow and orange
-markers to draw the eyes or personalize
-a rubber band for hanging
1. Make the Wreath
Start by cutting out the center part of a paper plate, so it looks like a steering wheel or donut.
Color the paper plate brown with crayons, or use brown paint (I used acrylic gloss, my son used crayons). It takes a while to color this with crayons, so it's a good busy task for little hands! It goes much faster when you paint it. You can also skip this step if you buy brown paper plates!
2. Cut Out Your Feathers
Cut your construction paper into thin strips (size depends on your preference!). I cut two each of green, yellow, orange, and red.
Curl the feather strips with a marker or pencil by rolling it up in the paper. You don't need a tight curl, just enough to make it bend over your plate.
3. Make the Turkey's Body
Draw a pear shape on brown paper (The Jersey Momma's Boy called it a snowman shape), then cut it out.
4. Make the Beak, Waddle, and Wings
Use any extra construction paper scraps to make the beak and red waddle. I wanted my beak a little larger, but you can also make it a small triangle, like in the photo. Use extra brown construction paper to make two wings.
5. Make the Legs
Cut two strips of yellow (or orange) paper. The length is up to you! Fold them accordian style to get a nice crimped look for the turkey's legs.
You can also cut the bottoms to look more like feet, too!
6. Assemble the Turkey
Glue your beak, waddle, and wings onto your turkey body. Draw eyes with a marker or crayon. Glue or tape (I used clear packing tape - I swear by that stuff) to the bottom of the paper plate ring. Be sure the paint is dry! Then glue (or tape) the yellow accordian legs to the bottom of the body (on the back).
7. Add Feathers
Tape (I used clear packing tape again) or glue the curled feathers to the back of the paper plate. You can trim them if they are too long.
8. Add a Rubber Band for Hanging
You don't have to use a rubber band for this- you can add something much nicer like a ribbon or beads. But all I had handy was a rubber band and it actually worked perfectly, again, with a little tape!
9. Personalize Your Turkey
Add words, a greeting, even clothes for your little turkey, and you're all set!
What You'll Need
-paper plate
-crayons or paint
-glue stick or tape (I used clear packing tape, believe it or not)
-scissors
-construction paper in brown, red, green, yellow and orange
-markers to draw the eyes or personalize
-a rubber band for hanging
1. Make the Wreath
Start by cutting out the center part of a paper plate, so it looks like a steering wheel or donut.
Color the paper plate brown with crayons, or use brown paint (I used acrylic gloss, my son used crayons). It takes a while to color this with crayons, so it's a good busy task for little hands! It goes much faster when you paint it. You can also skip this step if you buy brown paper plates!
2. Cut Out Your Feathers
Cut your construction paper into thin strips (size depends on your preference!). I cut two each of green, yellow, orange, and red.
Curl the feather strips with a marker or pencil by rolling it up in the paper. You don't need a tight curl, just enough to make it bend over your plate.
3. Make the Turkey's Body
Draw a pear shape on brown paper (The Jersey Momma's Boy called it a snowman shape), then cut it out.
4. Make the Beak, Waddle, and Wings
Use any extra construction paper scraps to make the beak and red waddle. I wanted my beak a little larger, but you can also make it a small triangle, like in the photo. Use extra brown construction paper to make two wings.
5. Make the Legs
Cut two strips of yellow (or orange) paper. The length is up to you! Fold them accordian style to get a nice crimped look for the turkey's legs.
You can also cut the bottoms to look more like feet, too!
6. Assemble the Turkey
Glue your beak, waddle, and wings onto your turkey body. Draw eyes with a marker or crayon. Glue or tape (I used clear packing tape - I swear by that stuff) to the bottom of the paper plate ring. Be sure the paint is dry! Then glue (or tape) the yellow accordian legs to the bottom of the body (on the back).
7. Add Feathers
Tape (I used clear packing tape again) or glue the curled feathers to the back of the paper plate. You can trim them if they are too long.
8. Add a Rubber Band for Hanging
You don't have to use a rubber band for this- you can add something much nicer like a ribbon or beads. But all I had handy was a rubber band and it actually worked perfectly, again, with a little tape!
9. Personalize Your Turkey
Add words, a greeting, even clothes for your little turkey, and you're all set!
Now you're ready for a Thanksgiving with all the trimmings! And for Paper Plate Turkey Wreath supplies, check out my Amazon Affiliate link below!
Adorable!
ReplyDeleteHello Friend, This is perfect!!! Thank you for sharing with us at the Friday Favorites Link Party, where every link is pinned and tweeted! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!! Hugs - Christine at Must Love Home
ReplyDeleteYou're a sweetie! Thanks, Christine! And thanks for hosting us all!
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