Egg Carton Turkey Craft for Kids
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An egg carton cup turns into a turkey with paint, paper, and glue. You cut one cup free from a cardboard carton, paint it brown, and attach a fan of paper feathers plus googly eyes and a beak. The whole project takes about an hour including drying time, and the main material comes from your recycling bin.
What supplies do you need?
One cardboard egg carton, the paper kind. A paintbrush and brown paint. Colored cardstock or construction paper for the feathers. Googly eyes and white glue. A paper plate for a paint palette, plus newspaper to protect the table.
Which paint covers egg carton best?
Acrylic wins by a mile. One coat of brown acrylic covered our carton cups completely, and the color stayed put once dry. Washable tempera needs two coats, and ours shed brown flakes on the shelf when little hands bumped the dry turkey. Use tempera for younger kids who might wear the paint, but plan on two coats with 15 to 20 minutes of drying between them, and handle the finished turkey gently. Acrylic stains clothes, so put the kids in old shirts first.
How do you make it?
- An adult cuts one cup free from the carton with sturdy scissors. This is a grown-up job because the carton flexes and scissors slip on the curved ridges.
- Flip the cup dome-up and paint it brown. One coat of acrylic does it; tempera needs two coats with 15 to 20 minutes of drying between them.
- While the paint dries, cut 5 to 7 feather shapes from colored cardstock. Teardrop shapes work well; trim the tops to points for feathers.
- Fold a 1-by-6-inch cardstock strip into a shallow V. Glue the feathers along the strip with the tallest in the middle.
- Glue the folded strip inside the back rim of the cup so the feather fan stands upright on its own. Hold it for 30 seconds while the glue grabs.
- Glue on two googly eyes and a small folded-paper beak. Let the turkey dry 20 minutes before it joins the Thanksgiving table.
What can go wrong?
Tempera paint flakes when little hands bump the dry turkey, so switch to acrylic if the flaking bothers you. Feathers flop over when the folded strip is too narrow, so widen the fold and add a second glue dot at the base. The cup wobbles when the cut edge is uneven, so trim it flat with scissors. Paint beads up and will not stick on foam cartons, so use the cardboard kind from the start.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What age is this best for?
Ages 3 to 6 love it with an adult cutting the cup and helping with the glue. Kids 7 and up can run the whole project after the cutting step.
How messy is it?
Paint-messy. Cover the table with newspaper and put smocks or old shirts on the kids, because acrylic does not wash out.
How long does it take?
About 20 minutes of hands-on work plus 40 minutes of drying. The paint coats and the final glue set make up the waiting time.
Is it safe?
Yes, with two rules. An adult does all the carton cutting, since the curved cardboard slips under scissors. Googly eyes are small, so keep them away from children under 3 or glue them on yourself.
Be safe and have fun!
Want more recycled holiday crafts? Try the turkey crafts linked below.
Be safe and have fun!