When it comes to decorating your Thanksgiving table, these DIY pinecone turkeys are fun family crafts and great Thanksgiving decor all in one. You can group them in the middle of the table as a centerpiece, or leave one at each place for guests to take home with them. Write the names of your friends’ and family members on the tail and they become place cards as well! However you use them, their ruffled tails, in fun fall colors, add a festive touch to your Thanksgiving table.
These fine feathered friends are made of cupcake liners, crepe paper, gold-painted pinecones, and our printable turkey head, which comes in color or black and white so kids can color it in on their own. Start the fun the day before by having kids of all ages forage for pinecones in the park or backyard. Then pull out your glue gun and DIT (Do It Together). The finished product is a fun, reusable decoration you’ll want to pull out year after year. And the fun you have creating them together is one more thing to be thankful for.
What You’ll Need:
- Pinecones
- Gold spray paint
- Orange crepe paper
- Pink crepe paper
- Gold cupcake liner
- Pinecone turkey head template
- White paper or cardstock
- Scissors
- Hot glue and glue gun (you can also make these with craft glue, but will have to wait longer to let them dry in between steps)
How-To:
Step 1 Spray paint pinecones gold.
Step 2 Cut a rectangle out of a roll pink crepe paper 3 inches long by 6 inches wide.
Step 3 Cut a rectangle out of a roll of orange crepe paper 4” long by 9” wide.
Step 4 Flatten out the gold cupcake liner and attach it to the fatter, flat end of the pinecone with hot glue so that the gold side of the liner faces the pinecone.
Step 5 First, work the pink rectangle into a semi-circle by folding creases in one side as needed. Then, glue the crepe paper to the back of the cupcake liner so that the pink extends about 1” above the edge of the cupcake liner.
Step 6 Repeat with the piece of orange crepe paper, so that it extends above the pink ruffle.
Step 7 Download pinecone turkey head template, print, and cut out of white paper or card stock. If using the black and white template, color in the turkey heads.
Step 8 Fold the template in half along the middle dotted line, and cut out along the solid line (the two turkey heads will still be attached at the beak).
Step 9 Fold the base of the turkey’s neck to create two flaps and attach them to the pinecone with hot glue. Now you’re ready to gobble!
For more fun Thanksgiving activities and decor ideas, click here.
