Thanksgiving is such a special time of year for gathering with loved ones, reflecting on gratitude, and filling your home or classroom with warmth. It is also the perfect excuse to break out the craft supplies!
Keeping toddlers, preschoolers, and older children entertained during the holiday season can feel like a big job, but hands-on crafting is a wonderful way to keep little hands busy while creating festive decorations for your Thanksgiving table.
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Hi, I'm Andreja from Easy Peasy and Fun — and I just wrote a book!
50 paper crafts your kids can actually do themselves
CRAFTS
I designed every project so kids can do it themselves — no fancy supplies, just paper, scissors, and a little imagination.
“If you need easy crafts to keep busy, Andreja delivers with this book!”
Whether you are looking for simple paper turkey projects, nature-inspired crafts, or fun table settings that kids can show off to family, this collection of Thanksgiving crafts for kids has something for every age group and skill level.
Here are 17 creative, fun, and easy-to-make Thanksgiving craft ideas to try this fall!
1. Printable Thanksgiving Gratitude Wreaths
Teaching kids about thankfulness is at the heart of the holiday season, and this interactive project makes sharing gratitude simple and visual. Kids can write or draw what they are thankful for on colorful paper cutouts, like fall leaves, turkeys, acorns, and pumpkin pies, and glue them onto a printable wreath base. It makes a beautiful display for a classroom bulletin board or a front door!
- Read the full tutorial: Printable Thanksgiving Wreaths
2. Paper Bag Turkey Craft & Puppet
Turn a simple brown paper lunch bag into a fun Thanksgiving puppet! Using colorful construction paper or our printable template, kids can build a turkey complete with big eyes, a bright yellow beak, a red wattle, and a fan of colorful feathers glued to the back. Once the glue is dry, children can slip their hand inside to put on a holiday puppet show.
- Read the full tutorial: Paper Bag Turkey Craft
3. Apple Stamping Pumpkin Art
Apple stamping is a classic fall art technique that kids of all ages adore. By slicing an apple in half, dipping it in orange paint, and stamping it onto paper, children create instant pumpkin shapes! Add a few lines with crayons and finish off the artwork with green painted stems or leaves. It’s an engaging, tactile painting project that works wonderfully for toddlers and preschoolers.
- Read the full tutorial: Apple Stamping Pumpkin Art
4. Curly Turkey Craft
If you want to practice fine motor skills with your kids, this paper craft is a fantastic choice. By wrapping strips of colorful paper around a pencil or swirling them around, kids can create playful 3D curls that pop right off the page to form the turkey’s tail feathers. Glue the turkey body right on top for a lively, textured piece of art.
- Read the full tutorial: Curly Turkey Craft
5. Craft Stick Scarecrow Craft
Make every guest feel special at the dinner table with personalized handprint place cards! Kids can trace their hands on brown paper, paint the fingers in vibrant autumn shades, and attach painted wooden clothespins at the bottom. The clothespins act as turkey feet and securely hold a name card for each family member at dinner!
- Read the full tutorial: Handprint Turkey Place Holder
6. Craft Stick Scarecrow Craft
Popsicle sticks are an essential craft supply, and they make an ideal base for creating friendly fall scarecrows. Line up a row of craft sticks to form the face and hat, then let kids paint them and add googly eyes, a felt nose, and raffia or yarn hair. These little scarecrows are great for fridge decorations or classroom displays.
- Read the full tutorial: Craft Stick Scarecrow Craft
7. Rocking Paper Plate Turkey
Bring a bit of motion to the kid’s table with this rocking paper plate turkey! By folding a painted paper plate in half to form a cone-like base, kids can attach paper loop feathers to the back and a sweet turkey face to the front. Give it a gentle tap, and watch the turkey rock back and forth across the table.
- Read the full tutorial: Rocking Paper Plate Turkey Craft
8. Leaf Rubbing Art
Combine an outdoor nature walk with a classic art technique! Have your children collect fallen leaves from the yard or park. Place the leaves vein-side-up under a sheet of paper, and peel the wrappers off some fall-colored crayons. Rubbing the side of the crayon over the paper reveals the intricate patterns and veins of the leaves beneath.
- Read the full tutorial: Leaf Rubbing Art
9. Turkey Pinecone Craft
Natural materials make some of the best holiday decorations. Gather a few pinecones on a crisp autumn walk and turn them into festive turkey centerpieces. By adding paper or felt feathers, a small paper head, googly eyes, and tiny orange feet, you turn an ordinary pinecone into an adorable Thanksgiving keepsake.
- Read the full tutorial: Turkey Pinecone Craft
10. Bubble Wrap Corn Craft
Introduce your kids to simple printmaking using leftover bubble wrap! Paint the raised bubbles with yellow, orange, or brown paint, then press it onto cardstock to print textured corn kernels. Cut out the corn cob shape and add green construction paper leaves for a fun harvest-themed craft that reuses packing materials.
- Read the full tutorial: Bubble Wrap Corn Craft
11. Classic Paper Plate Turkey
Paper plate crafts are budget-friendly and easy to execute for large groups or classrooms. Paint a paper plate brown, cut out colorful construction paper feathers, and glue everything together to form a proud, cheerful turkey. You can even use pipe cleaners for the legs and add a pop of blush on the cheeks!
- Read the full tutorial: Paper Plate Turkey
12. Turkey Clothespin Puppets
Clothespin crafts add an interactive element that kids love! This clever printable project splits a turkey design in half so that when the wooden clothespin is squeezed open, the turkey “gobbles” or reveals a fun surprise. It’s an ideal project for practicing fine motor skills and encouraging creative play.
- Read the full tutorial: Turkey Clothespin Puppets
13. Scarecrow Mason Jar
Add warmth to your Thanksgiving mantel or dinner table with a rustic scarecrow mason jar! Kids and adults alike can paint a glass jar, add painted facial features, glue on burlap or cardstock for a miniature hat, and finish it off with raffia or straw hair. Pop a tea light inside or use it to hold utensils on the big day.
- Read the full tutorial: Scarecrow Mason Jar
14. Real Leaf Turkey Craft
Embrace the beauty of autumn foliage by turning colorful maple leaves into a turkey’s tail feathers! Print out our turkey body base, color it in, and glue real collected leaves in layers behind the body. It’s a wonderful, eco-friendly project that combines outdoor exploration with indoor crafting.
- Read the full tutorial: Turkey Leaf Craft
15. Simple Standing Paper Turkey Craft
Using simple rolls of brown paper for the body and layered paper cutouts for the tail, this 3D paper turkey stands up all on its own! Kids can use decorative pattern scissors to trim the feather edges for extra flair. It works wonderfully as a standalone decoration for desks, bookshelves, or side tables.
- Read the full tutorial: Simple Paper Turkey Craft
16. Raffia Wrapped Pumpkins
Give decorative faux or real pumpkins a cozy, rustic makeover with raffia wrapping! Wrapping natural raffia string around pumpkin shapes is a calming tactile activity for older kids and teens, resulting in textured fall decor that looks lovely placed on a Thanksgiving table runner.
- Read the full tutorial: Raffia Wrapped Pumpkins
17. Turkey Corner Bookmarks
Keep kids reading through the holiday break with an adorable corner bookmark! Using origami-style paper folding, children can build a corner bookmark base and customize it with a small turkey face and colorful feathers fanning out behind the page. It makes a sweet handmade gift for teachers or family members.
- Read the full tutorial: Turkey Corner Bookmarks
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