Paper Plate Turkey Craft for Kids
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You make a paper plate turkey by painting a paper plate brown, letting it dry, and gluing a ring of colorful paper feathers around the back edge. Add googly eyes, an orange triangle beak, and a red wattle for the face. Nine to twelve feathers give the tail a full look without flopping over.
What supplies do you need?
- One sturdy paper plate per child (uncoated plates hold paint best)
- Brown washable tempera or craft paint plus a wide brush
- Construction paper in fall colors for the feathers (two or three shades look best)
- Orange paper for the beak and red paper for the wattle
- Googly eyes
- Glue sticks for the feathers and liquid school glue for the face pieces
- Scissors
How do you make a paper plate turkey?
- Paint the whole front of the paper plate brown in one thin coat. A thick coat stays tacky for almost an hour. A thin coat dries in about 20 minutes.
- While the plate dries, cut the feathers. Trace a simple feather shape or freehand it. Your child's feathers do not need to match.
- Flip the dry plate face down. Glue the feathers in a fan around the top half of the rim with a glue stick, overlapping each feather slightly. Glue sticks grab fast and kids can do this step alone.
- Flip the plate face up. Glue two googly eyes near the top with liquid school glue.
- Cut an orange triangle for the beak and glue it below the eyes. Cut a red rounded teardrop for the wattle and glue it beside the beak.
- Let everything sit for 10 minutes before your child carries the turkey around.
Why do nine to twelve feathers work best?
Fewer than eight feathers looks sparse, and more than twelve gets heavy so the outer feathers flop forward. Nine to twelve gives a full tail that holds its shape. Ten feathers is the sweet spot. If your child's turkey looks droopy, peel off two or three outer feathers and the rest will stand up.
What age is this best for?
Preschoolers 3 and up can paint the plate and glue feathers with help cutting. Kids in kindergarten and early elementary can do almost all of it on their own.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How messy is this?
Moderate while painting. Washable paint on a covered table cleans up fast. Smocks help for younger kids.
How long does it take?
About 45 minutes including drying time. Active crafting time is around 20 minutes.
Can I skip the paint?
Yes. Leave the plate white and let your child color it with brown crayons or markers. It looks different but still works.
Should I use a glue stick or liquid glue?
Use a glue stick for the paper feathers and liquid school glue for the googly eyes and the beak. Glue sticks do not hold googly eyes well. Ours popped off within a day when we tried.
Is it safe for toddlers?
Toddlers can paint the plate, but googly eyes are a choking hazard. Skip them for children under 3 and draw the eyes with a marker instead. Adults should handle the scissors.
Be safe and have fun!