It’s turkey time! Decorate your Thanksgiving table with a hand crafted turkey. This turkey can sit so place it place it on the edge of a mantle or counter with its feet dangling.
Have a look at this turkey to get an idea of its shape and characteristics. What colour is it? Does it have a big or small head? Do feathers cover its entire body? Our craft turkey will be a lot cuter than these.
Did you notice the red flab of skin hanging from its beak? That’s called the wattle.
Gobble, Gobble Game:
Why not play this fun game once the guests have sat down at the table and are waiting for the feast to begin? This game is also a great classroom activity as it uses the times table.
Sit around a table or in a circle. Start by counting around the circle with each person saying one number. “One, two, three, four… but when you get to five or any multiple of five then you must say “gobble gobble”. It’s more fun if you go fast. Change the multiples after going around the circle a few times.
When crafting, use whatever materials are available especially if small amounts are needed. I didn’t have any red felt so I cut up a balloon to make the wattle. Paper, ribbon or fabric will do.
Supplies:
- 3 inch or 7.5 cm. Styrofoam ball
- 1 inch or 2.5 cm. Styrofoam ball
- Brown acrylic paint
- Paint brush
- Small piece of orange craft foam or paper for beak
- Small piece of red felt for beak
- Googly eyes
- Feathers
- Tacky glue or low-temp glue gun
- 8 inch length of ½ inch wide ribbon.
- Two 2 inch square pieces of brown or orange craft foam for feet
Directions:
- Using a sharp knife cut a half inch section from the large ball so it can sit flat.
- Paint the two styrofoam balls with the acrylic paint.
- Glue the head onto the body
- Cut one square measuring about ½ inch or 1 cm. on each side from the orange foam. Make two triangles by cutting the square on a diagonal. To make the beak, glue the triangles onto the head one above the other.
- Cut the wattle from the red felt and glue it on top of the beak.
- Glue on the eyes above the beak.
- From each of the 2 inch squares of brown or orange craft foam, cut out an egg or web shape to make the feet.
- Cut the 8 inch piece of ribbon in half. Glue a foot to one end of each ribbon. Glue the other end of the ribbon to the bottom of the turkey.
- Decorate the back of the bottom half of the Styrofoam ball with the feathers.
Here’s a suggestion for decorating your Thanksgiving table. Perch the Styrofoam turkey on a candlestick. Go on a hike outside and gather an assortment of colourful leaves. Wash the leaves first before tossing them around the base of the candlestick.
[Photograph by Linda Dunbar. Reproduction prohibited]
