Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey Craft

This turkey handprint craft is not only fun for the Thanksgiving time of year but it’s a perfect way to preserve your child’s handprints (because my grandma was right– they grow up WAY too fast!)

Years ago, I found the original inspiration for this cute handprint art on Pinterest but can no longer find the original pin.

Knowing how Leah, who is three, likes to paint and get her hands messy, I thought this turkey handprint art would be the perfect combination of the two as far as a craft is concerned :) Isn’t this little turkey cute?

What you need:

Red, orange, white and brown construction paper
White cardstock (or any heavy weight paper; our paint soaked through regular paper on the first try)
Googly eyes
Glue
Washable paint in various colors–we used red, orange, and yellow (could also use green and brown paint)
Paintbrush

What to do:

Paint your child’s hand with a thin layer of one paint color at a time and then “stamp” his or her hand on the piece of cardstock, making a fan pattern (i.e. the turkey’s feathers). We didn’t have brown or green tempera paint at the moment, so we mixed other paints to make fall-ish shades of color.

Cut out a round turkey body with brown paper, and a smaller head with white paper and glue them to the feathers after they have dried. Add some googly eyes, a beak, a giblet, and feet. Super cute!

We cut the turkeys away from the rest of the cardstock because I underestimated the size of my kiddos’ hands! Then we glued the little guys onto brown construction paper and hung the finished product up on the fridge for viewing by relatives at Thanksgiving dinner.

I wrote Leah’s name and the year on the bottom so we could keep this for future fall decorating and to remember what her little hands were like when she was 3! This was a fun craft and my children enjoyed putting it together.

For a personal touch, you could also have your child write Happy Thanksgiving or sign their name on the bottom if you have room. To give as a Thanksgiving gift, purchase an 8.5 x 11-inch picture frame and have your child present this fun keepsake to your loved one. 

This would be a fun Thanksgiving art project for a school or church classroom.

Looking for more easy crafts to make a great keepsake for family members at Thanksgiving? 

Find another great handprint project by clicking on the links below:

• Free Turkey Handprint Poem
• ​Handprint Turkey on Ceramic Plates
• Adorable Handprint Card 

Take a look at our Thanksgiving lesson plans for Sunday school or home!

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