How to Make a Paper Turkey Craft

Grab your scissors as we have another wonderful paper turkey craft idea to share with you.

This one can be made with or without our turkey paper craft template, which you can grab at the end of this tutorial.

Fall is the best time of the year to make some turkey crafts with kids, and this latest addition is perfect for kids in kindergarten to make.

Can’t you just see the wonderful classroom display made out of a ton of paper turkey crafts? We sure can!

We prepared a printable template, that comes really handy when working with younger kids whose scissor skills are not yet at the level of cutting out rounded and detailed shapes.

So use the template for younger kids to color in and have the older kids cut out their own turkey out of brown paper.

Making a paper turkey craft is a fun Thanksgiving tradition for kids and adults alike With just some simple craft supplies like construction paper, glue and tape, you can create a cute paper turkey in no time In this easy tutorial, we’ll walk through how to make a paper turkey craft step-by-step. It’s a great Thanksgiving activity for classrooms, parties or just crafting at home.

Supplies Needed

To make a paper turkey craft you’ll need just a few basic craft supplies

Brown paper lunch bag
Construction paper in fall colors like orange, yellow, red, brown
Googly eyes
Glue or tape
Scissors
Gel pens or markers for decorating
Newspaper to stuff the bag

The paper bag forms the body, while colored construction paper is used for the waddle, head, beak and feathers. Googly eyes add fun detail, while gel pens allow kids to get creative decorating.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these simple steps to make a cute paper turkey craft:

Form the Body

Take a brown paper lunch bag and fill it about 3⁄4 full with crumpled newspaper. This gives the bag shape and stability to create the turkey’s body.
Fold over the top flap of the bag and secure it closed with tape to finish the body.

Make the Feathers

Use fall colored construction paper to cut out feather shapes in a variety of sizes. Around 9-12 feathers looks best.
Using gel pens, let kids decorate the feathers by writing what they are thankful for or drawing fun designs.
Glue or tape the finished feathers onto the back of the paper bag turkey body.

Add Details

Cut a red waddle shape from construction paper and glue to the front of the turkey body.
Cut an orange beak and glue under the waddle.
Finally, glue on googly eyes above the beak to finish the face.

And just like that, you have a cute paper turkey craft! For more decorative options, try adding feet cut from brown paper or glittering the feathers. Customize your turkey however you like.

Paper Turkey Craft Tips

For stability, use brown paper lunch bags rather than thinner paper gift bags.
Stuff the bag firmly with crumpled newspaper so it holds its shape.
Have kids write what they are thankful for on the feathers as a nice activity.
Glue feathers on the back of the body so the turkey can stand up on its own.
Use bright fall colored paper for the waddle, beak and feathers.
Add details like glitter, sequins or pom poms to decorate the feathers.
Draw or cut out turkey feet from brown paper and glue to the bottom.
For a classroom craft, have each child write their name on their turkey.

Paper Turkey Craft Variations

Get creative with these fun ways to modify the basic paper turkey craft:

Handprint Turkey – Use traced handprints in fall colors for the feathers. Kids can write on their own handprint.
Envelope Turkey – Unfold a large mailing envelope and decorate it as the turkey body.
Clothespin Turkey – Use a clothespin for the body and clip on feathers.
Coffee Filter Turkey – Color coffee filters with markers for the feathers.
Toilet Paper Roll Turkey – Use an empty toilet paper tube for the body.
Footprint Turkey – Trace kids’ footprints for the body and tail feathers.
3DTurkey – Make the turkey head and body out of brown modeling clay.

Displaying Paper Turkeys

Once completed, paper turkey crafts can be displayed in many creative ways:

Line them up on a mantel, shelf or table.
Hang them on the wall with pieces of yarn.
Stack them in a cornucopia centerpiece.
Use them as name cards on a Thanksgiving table.
String them on a garland to hang as decor.

However you choose to present your paper turkeys, they make a great addition to any Thanksgiving decor!

The Perfect Thanksgiving Kid Craft

Making paper turkeys taps into kids’ creativity and gives them a fun holiday project. As an easy craft that uses common supplies, it’s budget-friendly for classrooms and parties. Kids will love customizing their turkeys with unique decorative touches. Displaying their handmade turkeys also lets them feel involved in your Thanksgiving decorating. With just a simple paper bag and some construction paper feathers, you can create a Thanksgiving tradition they’ll look forward to each year!

how do you make a paper turkey

Step by Step Tutorial

Print out our paper turkey craft template or cut out a turkey shape out of brown paper.

Cut a whole bunch of yellow paper strips. The more the merrier!

We love working with paper trimmers when it comes to paper strips as it’s really easy and quick, perfect for teachers to prep this activity for a larger class.

No need to be super precise, we cut ours along the width of A4/letter-sized paper, and made them about a “thumb” wide.

Now move on to orange paper. Cut, cut, cut.

And lastly cut red paper.

Glue the ends of paper strips together to make “teardrop” shaped loops.

Now to make the turkey tail. Start with the yellow paper strips and glue them in a half-circle shape.

Now make another half circle shape inside the yellow one with the orange strips.

And one with red ones.

Color in the turkey craft template.

Glue on the turkey feet if you are going to use them.

Apply a generous amount of glue on the back of the turkey body and press it down to the tail, allow the glue some time to set.

What you need:

brown construction paper OR our printable paper turkey craft template (you can grab it at the end of this tutorial)
a sheet of yellow paper (regular print paper is fine)
sheet of orange paper
a sheet of red paper
sheet of white heavier or construction paper
coloring supplies
scissors (paper trimmer is super handy too, especially if you are a teacher and want to prep this as an activity for your classroom)
glue

How to Cook an Origami Turkey!

How to make a turkey tail with paper strips?

Glue the ends of paper strips together to make “teardrop” shaped loops. Now to make the turkey tail. Start with the yellow paper strips and glue them in a half-circle shape. Now make another half circle shape inside the yellow one with the orange strips. And one with red ones. Color in the turkey craft template. Cut it out.

What color paper do you use for a turkey body?

Brown or white cardstock (brown if you want to make the turkey body brown and white if you want your kids to color it in themselves) 1. Grab some fun colored papers for the tail feathers of the turkey. Fall-inspired colors are a nice touch, but I would let children pick the colors they prefer to use.

How long does it take to make an origami Turkey?

The origami turkey is a perfect addition to any Fall or Thanksgiving decorations and can make an excellent addition to your papercraft collection. This beginner-friendly origami design requires a single piece of paper and about five to eight minutes of your time. Let’s get folding!

How do you add paper tail feathers to a Turkey?

Attach the accordion/fan folded tail feathers onto the tail base cutout. Attach the paper feathers around the curved end of the tail base. 11. Continue to add paper tail feathers to the tail base until you’re happy with how the turkey looks. 12.