How to Make a Fun Turkey Hat for Kids

We made it to November and I am so ready for all the turkey crafts! This is one of my favorites but make sure you stay tuned for more!

This Adorable Thanksgiving Turkey Craft Will Be A Hit With The Kids! This Activity Involves a Turkey Hat with Name Recognition Added In And It Inspires Just Plain Fun and Learning. Awesome Thanksgiving Crafts Are A Absolute Must This Year!

Crafts that are wearable are always special for little kids and it makes the time spent making it even more worth while. I plan to let the kids have fun and wear them on Thanksgiving.

It was super fun to see their little turkey hats come together, adding the finishing touch of the the feathers at the end. The kids had a great time with this activity.

Like many of my kids projects, this particular craft took about 5 minutes to set up and has medium difficulty since there is a considerable amount of cutting for the kids. I helped a lot with that.

I hope you enjoy the craft and please leave a comment if you have any questions after checking out the setup!

If you love these ideas, and some are super funny games, check out my other recent Holidays post on Thanksgiving crafts for toddlers or fall crafts for kids and activities post! Also, head on over to Pinterest and follow me for daily update craft ideas!!

Making a turkey hat with your kids is a fun craft activity for fall or Thanksgiving. Turkey hats allow kids to get creative practice art techniques and roleplay. The end results make for great holiday photos and memories.

In this article, we will cover different methods and step-by-step instructions to make turkey hats out of paper plates, bags cardboard and more. Follow along to create a homemade turkey hat that will look adorable on your kids!

Why Make Turkey Hats?

Turkey hats are a playful Thanksgiving tradition that kids of all ages enjoy. Here are some of the benefits of making turkey hats:

  • Lets kids roleplay and use their imagination
  • Practices scissor and gluing skills
  • Allows kids to get creative with colors and materials
  • Provides an activity families can do together
  • Makes for cute holiday keepsakes and photos
  • Can be incorporated into Thanksgiving plays or pageants
  • Doubles as a costume for dress-up play

Turkey Hat Ideas and Inspiration

From simple paper designs to more advanced 3D hats, there are so many options when it comes to making turkey hats

Some popular ideas include:

  • Paper bag turkey hats
  • Handprint or footprint turkey hats
  • Paper plate or cardboard turkey hats
  • Pompom turkey hats
  • Felt turkey hats
  • Foldable paper turkey hats
  • Turkey hats with wings or feathers

Look for inspiration online for turkey hat templates, coloring pages and tutorials. Get creative with construction paper, foam, felt and more.

How to Make Paper Bag Turkey Hats

Paper bags like brown lunch bags make excellent turkey hats. Here’s how:

Supplies Needed:

  • Brown paper lunch bags, 1 per hat
  • Orange, yellow, red construction paper
  • Glue, scissors
  • Markers, googly eyes (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Cut out feather shapes from construction paper in fall colors.

  2. Glue feathers onto the bottom flap of the open paper bag. Turn bag over so bottom flap becomes the headpiece.

  3. Cut out and glue on a turkey wattle from red paper. Add googly eyes.

  4. On the sides of the bag, draw or glue legs and feet.

  5. Optional: Draw a beak and other turkey features with crayon or marker.

  6. Open up bag and place on child’s head, flap on top. Adjust bag size as needed.

How to Make Handprint Turkey Hats

Trace your child’s handprint onto paper and cut out several tracings. Then fold each tracing into a segment to form a feather. Glue onto a paper headband for a turkey hat that’s truly homemade.

Supplies Needed:

  • Construction paper
  • Child’s hand tracings, about 5 per hat
  • Scissors, glue
  • Headband

Instructions:

  1. Trace child’s hand several times onto fall colored paper.

  2. Cut out handprint shapes. For each, cut a line from fingertips to wrist.

  3. Fold into a feather shape, folding along the cut line.

  4. Glue handprint feathers onto a headband until covered.

  5. Add eyes, beak, wattle or feet if desired.

How to Make a 3D Cardboard Turkey Hat

Make a round turkey body hat from poster board or cardboard. With some coloring and the right accessories, it transforms into a wearable turkey masterpiece.

Supplies Needed:

  • Poster board or cardboard
  • Tape, stapler
  • Paper, feathers
  • Glue, scissors

Instructions:

  1. Trace head onto cardboard and cut out two identical rounds.

  2. Overlap edges of the rounds and staple or tape together into a ring shape that fits child’s head.

  3. Cut turkey wattle, snood, feet from paper. Glue onto hat.

  4. Use markers, construction paper, foam and feathers to add color, patterns, eyes, beak.

  5. Staple or tape strips of paper inside to adjust fit.

Helpful Turkey Hat Tips

Follow these tips for fun and success when crafting turkey hats with kids:

  • Use child’s head to measure hat size. Add extra room.

  • Trace onto paper plates for quick turkey shapes.

  • Let kids color designs before assembly.

  • Glue strong feathers onto cardstock before attaching to hat.

  • Ruffles, fringe and pompoms make great turkey details.

  • Store unfinished hats flat until ready to wear and finish.

  • Turn any hat into a turkey with simple cut-outs and coloring.

  • Use ribbon to tie under chin for a secure fit.

Turkey Hats Set the Mood for Thanksgiving Fun

Engage kids’ creativity and holiday spirit by making turkey hats together. With so many fun materials to work with, there are endless possibilities. Follow tutorials or experiment with new ideas. Display your homemade turkey hats proudly and make it a new family Thanksgiving tradition!

how to make a turkey hat

Thanksgiving Turkey Hat Craft

The Materials were super easy for this little craft project but the outcome was so adorable!

  • Construction Paper. I usually buy three or four packs at a because they can be used for sooo many things.

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Turkey Hat Craft Setup

1. Gather all materials! These are super easy!

2. Cut out strips of paper to go around your child’s head. Mine were about two inches wide and I decided to use brown paper. You can use any color!

3. Use the strips you just cut to measure the length around your child’s head and then glue any necessary pieces together to create the hat size that fits around the forehead and the back of the head. Allow the headband to dry.

3. Next use brown construction paper to cut a circle for the head and a shorter circle for the body.

4. Next cut out the eyes, a triangle for the nose, the yellow feet, and the turkey’s wattle in red. I helped both kids with this part at their request and then we allowed it to dry as we moved on to the next part.

5. Cut out feathers for the turkey in a long oval shape and allow the kids to add their name. I only wanted to use five feathers so I used my son’s nickname that he goes by anyways.

6. Glue the feathers together first and let them dry, then glue the feathers to the headband so you can see the name from the front of the hat.

7. Done! Let your kids have fun and wear them on Thanksgiving.

Take a look at the pictures below to see what we did and how it turned out!

Before you do, check out another Thanksgiving Craft on my Instagram page and be sure to follow!

For more turkey activity fun for toddlers, check out this video!

I hope you and the kids will enjoy this Thanksgiving Turkey post! I hope it brings joy to your family during this time, even if it’s just your immediate family this year.

Please comment below and let me know any additional activities , crafts, or games that you have planned for the family over the season.

Also check out my posts on a great fall craft ideas toddlers will love for more fun ideas!

Also, remember to sign up for your FREE weekly activities planner on the top or the right side of the page and check out my printables page.

how to make a turkey hat

how to make a turkey hat

Welcome to my blog! I am an activity mom of three and I have over 15 years of experience crafting, writing, designing and creating. My mission is to bring fun, balance and learning to your busy homes with activities, tips, inspiration, and organization!

Printable Turkey Hat Craft

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