by Jennifer Claerr

Created on: January 11, 2008   Last Updated: January 12, 2008

Try this super-easy Thanksgiving turkey craft project is really fun to do with your kids. Also, if your kids tend to get rowdy on Thanksgiving day while you're trying to cook, this turkey craft project can keep them busy and happy while they wait for dinner.

Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey Craft Project

What You Will Need

Construction paper
Two empty toilet paper rolls

Scissors
Pencil
Glue
Watercolors or fingerpaints
Paint brush
Staples

First, cut one of the two toilet paper rolls in half. Wrap one half of one toilet paper roll and the other whole one with construction paper. I used orange, but you could use brown, black or white, depending on how you want your Thanksgiving turkey craft to look. Staple the construction paper to the rolls, then staple the rolls to one another. Be sure that any exposed staples face the back of the craft.

Spread out some newspaper on a table to protect the surface from the paint. I like to use the funny pages, since it makes the craft production process more fun for the kids. Trace your kid's hand with a pencil on a piece of white construction paper. Have him paint the handprint with watercolors any way he likes. Or place fingerpaints of several different colors on a piece of plastic, and dip your kid's hand it it. Press it on the white construction paper. After it dries, cut out the handprint.

Cut out eyes, eyeballs, feet, a beak and a gobbler out of construction paper. They eyes should be white and black, the feet and beak yellow, and the gobbler red. Look at the accompanying picture to see how this should be done. Glue the Thanksgiving turkey's features onto the empty toilet paper rolls. Allow to dry. Staple the handprint onto the back of the turkey craft.

Things to Do with Your Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey Craft

This is a particularly easy and inexpensive craft, so you can make lots of these little Thanksgiving handprint turkeys. Make them to give away as gifts.

Use them as place settings on Thanksgiving day. These turkeys make especially good place settings for the kids' table.

Use the Thanksgiving handprint turkey as a centerpiece for your table on Thanksgiving day.

Use the turkey crafts to decorate walls, doors or windows.

Keep your kids busy on Thanksgiving day by letting them have a "Turkey Race."

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