This easy turkey paper craft idea is a simple Thanksgiving decoration that toddlers and preschoolers can make in just a few minutes using their hand patterns.
It is a quick and easy activity to do with your kids to get them into the Thanksgiving spirit and start to teach them about some of the traditions associated with this holiday.
We have a detailed step by step guide including video, photos, and written instructions so you can make this Thanksgiving turkey hand craft at home.
Prepare Your Craft Area
Compared to some of our other Thanksgiving craft projects this one is relatively mess-free!
No paints, or water to keep track of. Just paper and glue… But make sure you have somewhere safe or out of reach to store the scissors so a curious toddler can’t rwach them and potential do some damage.
A nice flat, and clutter free space is all you need for this easy project.
Turkey Hand Craft Video Demonstration
Before we jump into the step by step written instruction, check out the time-lapse video below.
This will show you the process from start to finish in around two minutes. It will make it much easier for you to follow the instructions once you have an understanding of how we reach the finished product.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey Hand Paper Craft
This is a versatile Thanksgiving decoration because it is light and flat. So you can hang this up anywhere, and also keep for years to come.
With little handprints featuring as the colorful feathers of the turkey craft, the kids will have a lot of fun tracing their hands, and selecting the bright colors to make up the craft project.
Materials
Instructions
Stage 1: Cut the Turkey Features and Hand Print
- Step 1 - Using a pencil trace out a big circle, and a smaller circle on top to create a peanut-shaped outline for you to cut around. This will create the body of the turkey.
- Step 2 - Cut two more pieces in a leaf type shape to serve as the wings of our turkey.
- Step 3 - Using the marker, draw two small dark circles on white paper and cut bigger circles for the eyes.
- Step 4 - Cut a small triangle from yellow-colored paper to serve the nose of the turkey.
- Step 5 - Cut a letter j this will serve as the snood of the turkey.
- Step 6 - Draw two small crown shapes on yellow paper, and cut these out for the feet of the turkey.
- Step 7 - Select the assortment of feather colors you want in your turkey craft and place in a small paper stack ready to trace around a handprint on the top layer.
- Step 8 - Cut around the handprint, including all of the layers of colored paper below. This creates a colorful display of feathers ready to go.
Stage 2: Assemble Your Hand Turkey
- Step 9 - Glue the facial features of the turkey onto the body, followed by the wings.
- Step 10 - Arrange the handprint feathers and glue to the body of the turkey.
- Step 11 - Your turkey hand craft is now ready for display!
Why Make this Turkey Hand Craft
Your kids can get involved at a young age with this craft being simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers to handle the tracing and cutting without too much supervision.
They may need some help with the gluing to get it organized correctly though.
These easily stored away also and may be a cute reminder to hang on to for how small those hands once were.
For more Thanksgiving Craft Ideas
You can check out a full list of ideas here. This includes plenty of great craft projects including:
Final Word
This hand turkey should brighten up your Thanksgiving decorations and are relatively cheap to make. A nice and simple addition to your family celebrations.
