Coffee filter turkey
What You Need: 1 coffee filter; food coloring (or markers, etc.); brown, red, and orange construction paper; two googly eyes; scissors; glue.
How to Make It: Drip or spray food coloring onto wet coffee filter. Or, use markers. Set aside to dry on a paper towel. Cut turkey shape (kind of like a peanut) from brown construction paper. Cut out and add orange beak and red wattle. Glue on googly eyes. Once coffee filter feathers are dry, glue turkey body to it.
These cute turkeys can double as Thanksgiving place cards!
What You Need: Styrofoam ball; brown tempera paint; feathers (with stiff quills; they’re a little more expensive); wooden “spoon” (sold in the craft aisle, or with your ice cream); 2 googly eyes; red cardstock; office brad; paint brush; scissors; glue.
How You Make It: Paint turkey brown. (Note: It takes awhile to dry. Try setting it on a cup and rotating it from time to time.) Glue googly eyes to top of spoon. Cut wattle from red cardstock (we used a heart-shaped punch) and glue below eyes. Poke spoon “head” into ball about one-third of the way. Poke feathers into styrofoam for plume. You can use an office brad to attach the Styrofoam ball to a piece of cardstock; then write a guest’s name on the cardstock. If you’d rather, an adult can cut off the bottom of the ball so the turkey can sit on its own.
Here’s a twist on the classic handprint Thanksgiving turkey craft. If you’re wondering why the hand in the example is so big, it’s because 3-year-old Alec didn’t feel like getting paint on his hands so Mom used her own, which gives us a chance to remind you to, as always, “enjoy the process,” because the most important thing at craft time is that preschoolers are having fun.
What You Need: Brown washable tempera paint; glue; feathers; googly eye; scrap of red and yellow cardstock or construction paper; full sheet of light-colored construction paper.
How You Make It: Paint hand using brown paint and press onto paper. Once dry, use glue to add feathers to finger areas. Glue on googly eye. Cut out wattle shape or use a heart-shaped paper punch to make one from red paper and glue on. Cut rectangle legs from yellow construction paper and glue on.
What You Need: Paper plate; assorted feathers; scrap of red construction paper; 2 googly eyes; scissors; glue or tape.
How You Make It: Cut inward from bottom of plate in two places about 2″ apart angled inward but not connecting (adult job). Fold in half and upward to form turkey head. Glue or staple feathers to top of paper plate. Cut out wattle shape from red construction paper and glue on. Glue on googly eyes.
Here’s a fun Thanksgiving project made with things you can find in nature!
What You Need: Pinecone; 2 acorn tops; 2 googly eyes (optional); scraps of orange and red cardstock or construction paper; 6 to 8 feathers (dyed or natural); scissors; glue.
How You Make It: Use glue to stick feathers in back of upright pinecone. Glue on 2 acorn caps for eyes (they should slide right over the pinecone parts). Add googly eyes. Cut out orange triangle for beak and red wattle shape and glue on.