How To Make A Paper Plate Turkey: Easy & Fun Craft For Kids

Make a cute paper plate turkey craft for kids with this easy tutorial and free template! A fun Thanksgiving activity that keeps little hands busy and happy.

Thanksgiving crafts are always a hit at my house. One of the easiest and cutest? A paper plate turkey. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and the kids can actually do most of the work. Plus, it doubles as holiday décor. Win-win! 🦃

What is a Paper Plate Turkey?

A paper plate turkey is exactly what it sounds like—a craft made from a regular paper plate, cut and decorated to look like a colorful turkey. It’s a classic Thanksgiving activity for kids because it uses supplies you probably already have at home.

You can make the feathers out of paint, paper, or even real leaves from the yard. It’s one of those flexible crafts where you can go all out or keep it super simple.

Why You’ll Love This Idea

First, it’s cheap. We’re talking pennies per project if you already have paint and glue. No fancy craft store haul needed. Just grab a paper plate, some paint, scissors, and you’re good.

Second, it’s mess-friendly (kind of). Sure, paint might get on little hands, but that’s half the fun. The craft itself doesn’t take long, which makes it perfect for short attention spans. And once it’s done, you’ve got a sweet little turkey to display on the fridge, mantel, or even as part of your Thanksgiving table setup.

Why This Craft is Great for Kids

Kids love crafts that give them freedom. With this one, they can choose feather colors, paint however they want, and proudly show off the finished turkey. It helps them practice cutting, painting, and gluing—without being too tricky.

And let’s be real—keeping little hands busy around the holidays is a parenting survival tool. This project buys you 20–30 minutes to stir the gravy or sip a hot coffee while they create. Total mom hack. 😉

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How to Make a Paper Plate Turkey

Gather what you need to make this thanksgiving fun turkey craft and get creative.

Supplies you’ll need:

• Paper plates
• Orange, red, and yellow acrylic paint (or any fall colors)
• Paintbrush or sponge
• Scissors
• Glue
• Construction paper (cardstock works too, you’ll want red paper, orange paper and brown paper) 
• printable template (download the free template at the bottom of the post)
• googly eyes (optional)

Shop everything you need to make this craft by clicking on the images below:

Steps to Make the Paper Plate Turkey Craft:

Take a look at the completed craft and then dive in to make your own!

1. Cut the paper plate into a turkey body shape (use a template or freehand).
2. Paint the turkey’s feathers with splashes of red, yellow, and orange. Let dry tail feathers.
3. Cut out the beak, eyes, wattle/snood (that red thing under the beak), wings, and feet from construction paper.
4. Glue the pieces onto the plate and the turkey’s head. Add googly eyes if you’ve got them or coloring in black pupils with a marker.
5. Let everything dry, then proudly display your masterpiece!

Tip: If you’re doing this with a group, cut all the pieces ahead of time, especially if doing it as a classroom craft. It saves a ton of chaos.

Variations for the Easy Paper Plate Turkey Craft

• Handprint feathers: Trace your child’s hand on construction paper in different colors, cut them out, and glue them behind the turkey’s body. Instant keepsake.
• Leaf feathers: Go outside, grab colorful fall leaves, and glue them around the paper plate. Nature-made feathers! 🍂
• No paint option: Use markers, crayons, or colored tissue paper if you want less mess.
• Mini turkeys: Use small paper plates or cupcake liners to make a flock of little turkeys. Cute for classroom projects.

Common Questions About Paper Plate Turkeys

How long does this craft take?
Usually 20–30 minutes, plus drying time for the paint, but if you use thin layers of acrylic paint it dries quickly. If not pre-cutting template pieces, do this while paint is drying.

Do I need a template?
Nope! You can freehand it. But if you’re not artsy, the printable template helps.

Can toddlers make this?
Yes! Just pre-cut the shapes so they can focus on painting and gluing. Gobble Gobble!

What if I don’t have paint?
Markers, crayons, or even cut paper feathers work just fine for this easy craft.

How to Use This Craft

Parents often ask, “What do I do with all these turkeys once the kids make them?” A few fun ideas:

• Table décor: Use them as placemats or put one at each place setting.
• Mantel display: Line up all your kids’ turkeys across the fireplace for instant holiday cheer.
• Classroom project: Teachers love this one for a group activity that is a lot of fun.
• Memory keepsake: Date the back of the plate and keep it in a holiday memory box.

My Favorite Printable Supplies:

Contains affiliate links for your convenience; learn more and see our full disclosure policy here. 

• Printer: I love my HP Home Printer, it prints beautifully everytime no matter what projects I am working on.
• Paper: Depending on the durability you want with your printables, consider printing on white card stock or high quality paper.
• Laminator: For printables you are planning to use over and over again, simply laminate and use dry erase markers to mark up the printables.
• Paper Cutter: I love my CARL Paper Cutter. It makes trimming and cutting out printables a breeze.
• Sticker Paper: When printing tags or other free printables, sticker paper can make it easy to attach to gifts, boxes, or to make your own stickers.
• Cutting Supplies: You’ll want a great pair of paper cutting scissors and I love using an Xacto Knife for intricate details.
• Pens and Coloring Supplies: Here are some of my favorite writing tools for pencils and pens. Coloring supplies that I love to use in my own home: colored pencils, crayons, markers for adults, and markers for kids.

Download the Free Printable Template for the Craft Here

Please remember my printables are free for classroom use or personal use only. You may not sell or distribute the printable or digital file. If you wish to share the digital files, please refer friends to the link of this blog post where they can sign up to receive the free printable directly in their inbox.

Be sure to check your printer settings before printing, I generally make sure that the scale to fit option is selected to make sure all of the printables fit on the page.

To ensure emails for printables are received in your inbox add hello@thebensonstreet.com to your email contacts. Also check your promotions, updates, spam, junk or other folders if you do not see the email in inbox. Also for educators, consider using your personal email as many school districts block the emails or downloading of files.

Conclusion

Making a paper plate turkey is one of those easy, low-cost holiday activities that kids love and parents actually enjoy. It’s quick, it’s festive, and it doubles as décor. If you’re looking for a fun Thanksgiving craft to keep little hands busy while making Thanksgiving extra special, this is it.

So grab some plates, set out the paint, and let the turkey fun begin! 🦃✨ Happy Thanksgiving!

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More Thanksgiving Activities:

• Turkey Handprint Poem
• Turkey Arts and Crafts
• Printable Thanksgiving Hat
• Thanksgiving Word Search
• Thanksgiving Word Scramble
• Printable Thankful Turkey Craft

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