Families across the US gather together, share a special meal and talk about all the things they’re grateful for.
After the big meal, why not come together and make this paper plate turkey craft? It’s a simple way to build special family memories and get the kids thinking about their blessings!
Read or watch our step-by-step video tutorial below to see how easy it is to make with your kids.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s time to break out the craft supplies! Making Thanksgiving crafts with your kids is a fun way to get them excited about the holiday while sparking creativity. One of the easiest and most popular Thanksgiving kids crafts is a paper plate turkey. Read on to learn how to make this cute turkey craft using simple supplies.
Why Make a Paper Plate Turkey?
Paper plate crafts are always a hit with little kids for a few reasons First, paper plates are inexpensive and easy to find Chances are you already have a stack in your pantry! They also provide a great flat surface for painting and gluing. Finally, it’s satisfying for kids to transform an everyday disposable item into a fun piece of art.
With just a paper plate and a few craft materials, you can create an adorable 3D turkey perfect for Thanksgiving. The hands-on process helps develop fine motor skills too. Once completed, kids will be proud to show off their paper plate turkey masterpieces!
Easy Supplies Needed
Part of the appeal of a paper plate turkey craft is that you likely have all the supplies on hand already:
- Paper plates
- Paint and paintbrush
- Glue (glue stick or white craft glue)
- Googly eyes
- Colored construction paper
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons for decorating
Optional items that take the craft up a notch include:
- Feathers
- Pompoms
- Wiggly eyes
- Glitter
- Stickers
So simple and budget-friendly! Avoid messy paint by using colored paper plates instead.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to make a colorful paper plate turkey with your kids:
1. Paint Paper Plate
Have kids paint the back of a paper plate brown and set aside to dry completely.
2. Add Face
Glue on googly eyes near the top to make the face. Cut an orange triangle for the beak and a red wattle out of construction paper. Glue on under the eyes.
3. Create Feet
Cut two orange feet shapes. Glue or tape feet to the bottom of the paper plate.
4. Make Tail
Cut feather shapes from construction paper. Glue or tape feathers onto the back of the paper plate to make a tail.
5. Embellish
Use crayons, markers or stickers to add fun details like feathers, dots, stripes or glitter.
That’s it! Let dry then display your paper plate turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Creative Ways to Customize
The fun of paper plate crafts is how easily kids can customize with their own unique touches. Here are some creative embellishment ideas:
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Add wiggly eyes, pom poms or craft jewels
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Outline with glitter glue
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Stick on fuzzy balls for feathers
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Use patterned scrapbook paper for the wings
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Stamp designs with alphabet stamps
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Glue on real or artificial leaves and flowers
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Use fabric scraps to make a pilgrim hat or bow tie
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Attach a paper beard or hair with brads or glue
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Color feathers with markers, crayons or paint
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Stickers like stars, hearts and swirls
Encourage kids to let their imagination run wild designing their turkey. They’ll be amazed at how no two end up looking the same!
Displaying Paper Plate Turkeys
The fun doesn’t have to stop once the craft is complete. Use these ideas to make the most of your paper plate turkeys:
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Set them on the Thanksgiving dinner table.
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Line them up along the mantel or on a bookshelf.
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Cluster in the center of the table as part of your Thanksgiving centerpiece.
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Hang with string or ribbons from the ceiling.
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Place names under them to designate seats.
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Attach magnets to the back and display them on the fridge.
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Add a loop of ribbon to hang as ornaments.
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Give them as Thanksgiving treats or favors for party guests.
Creative Writing Activity
You can also turn the paper plate turkey into a gratitude craft activity. Have kids write what they are thankful for on the turkey’s feathers. Help them think of blessings like family, friends, pets, toys, food, nature, Jesus, etc.
Displaying the thankfulness turkeys is a great way to remind everyone the meaning of Thanksgiving during the holiday.
Gobble Up the Fun!
Making paper plate turkeys allows kids of all ages to enjoy creating for Thanksgiving with minimal prep or expense needed. Simply grab some paper plates and basic craft supplies then let kids gobble up the fun! They’ll be proud to show off their handmade turkeys. Display them for festive decor kids will actually cherish. With a little creativity, the simple paper plate is transformed into a wonderful turkey craft.
Thanksgiving Ideas For Kids
Thanksgiving is a great time to teach kids about the importance of being thankful, pilgrims, and being with family. And what better way to do that than to throw together a Thanksgiving themed unit for kids that is not only fun but educational too?
We have lots of ideas that will keep kids busy and engaged. Read on below for our favorites!
One of our favorite things to start with is books. Reading to your kids is not only a fun way to spend time with them but also great for helping them improve their vocabulary and develop a love of reading!
Below are some of the top Thanksgiving books for kids!
Turkey Trouble – If you’ve never read this book, you have to add it to your holiday collection! It’s so cute and fun and kids just love it! Follow the turkey around the farm as he disguises himself as different animals so the farmer doesn’t catch him for Thanksgiving dinner!
How To Catch A Turkey – Kids who love the How To Catch books will want to see all the crazy contraptions kids make to try to catch a turkey loose at the school!
Pete The Cat: The First Thanksgiving -Every Pete the Cat book is fantastic, but this one takes it up a notch with flaps for the kids to open. It’s a great way to get the kids excited about reading and Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to get crafty with your kids! Not only are there a ton of Thanksgiving-themed crafts to choose from, but working on crafts together can have some great benefits for your children.
For one, it can help them to express their creative side. Another way it can help is to boost their self-esteem. Finally, it’s just so much fun!
So this Thanksgiving, put down the pumpkin pies and turkey roasting, and enjoy some quality time crafting with your kids. Try out these fun ideas:
Handprint Pilgrim Craft – This Thanksgiving, why not have the kids make their own handprint pilgrims? It’s a great way to keep them occupied during the long holiday weekend, and it’s also a lot of fun. Plus, no messy paint is needed! All you’ll need is some paper, scissors, glue, and our free template.
Flamingo Turkey Disguise Craft – Mr. Turkey is up to his old tricks again, disguising himself as a flamingo! But with this easy and fun flamingo turkey disguise craft, your kids can help Mr. Turkey fool the farmer and stay safe this Thanksgiving.
Name Turkey Craft – Another year, another turkey crafts project! This year, help your little ones learn how to spell their name with this fun and easy name turkey craft. Just download the editable template, print it out, and let them go to town creating their very own personalized turkey.
Acorn Paper Bag Craft – This cute and easy acorn puppet craft is perfect for kids to make and play with. The best part is that it requires only a few supplies that you probably already have around the house.
This Thanksgiving, why not give your kids something that will keep them entertained and learning – these free printable turkey worksheets! This set can help kids with handwriting, scissors skills, letter recognition, and more.
These turkey connect the dot printables for kids are great for helping little ones practice their fine motor skills. Each printable features a different turkey, with dots to be connected in order to complete the picture. As kids work on each one, they’ll be improving their pencil control and coordination.
Did you make this paper plate turkey craft with your child or students?
We’d love for you to take a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook wall or in our private Facebook group.
Kids will have fun making this paper plate turkey on Thanksgiving Day!
- Paper plate
- Brown acrylic paint
- Colored card stock (in brown, yellow, red, orange)
- White card stock
- Kraft paper
- Glue stick
- Paper plate turkey craft template
- Paint brush
- Scissors
- Download the turkey craft template, print, and cut out the pieces.
- Paint the paper plate brown and let dry completely.
- Glue the turkey wing in the center of the paper plate.
- Assemble the turkey head by glueing the eyes towards the top of the head.
- Glue the snood onto the beak, then use scissors to trim the excess off.
- Glue the beak onto the head, just below the eyes.
- Glue the completed turkey head onto the paper plate.
- Position the feathers along the back side of the paper plate and glue in place.
- Place the feet at the bottom of the paper plate and glue.
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Turkey Craft For Preschoolers
Paper plate crafts are some of kids’ favorite activities because they love seeing something ordinary transform into a cool new art project!
Moms love them because they’re simple, only require a few supplies, and are great for a wide variety of young children.
If your kids love paper plate crafts where they paint, they’ll especially love this turkey craft.
- Paper plate
- Brown acrylic paint
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Glue stick
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Paper plate turkey craft template (enter your email in the form at the end of this post to have the link sent to you)
Download the turkey craft template, print, and cut out the pieces.
Paint the paper plate brown and let dry completely.
Glue the turkey wing in the center of the paper plate.
Assemble the turkey head by gluing the eyes towards the top of the head.
Glue the snood onto the beak, then use scissors to trim the excess off.
Glue the beak onto the head, just below the eyes.
Glue the completed turkey head onto the paper plate.
Position the feathers along the backside of the paper plate and glue them in place.
Place the feet at the bottom of the paper plate and glue them in place.
That’s all the steps to make a simple Thanksgiving craft for kids!
Looking for some Thanksgiving fun and learning for your kids? Look no further than this Thanksgiving fun bundle! It’s packed with 79 pages of Thanksgiving-themed worksheets, do a dot printables, family activities, and more. This is the perfect way to get your kids excited about Thanksgiving and help them learn all about this special holiday. So don’t wait – grab the Thanksgiving printables bundle today!
This craft is so simple and works great for toddlers (with help of course), preschoolers and kindergarten children.
Inside the template download, there are two different versions. One is for home use with just a couple of kids. You’ll print it out on white card stock, then trace the pieces onto the colored card stock of your choice.
The other version has multiple copies of the same piece all organized by the colored paper it should be printed on.
This type is great for doing in classrooms, daycares, and library storytime. You’ll just print it out directly onto the colored card stock. The kids won’t need to trace any pieces and they’ll only have to cut them out one time.