5 adorable kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts

Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to get into the DIY spirit! While Thanksgiving dinner is the headlining act, no feast would be complete without festive decorations and crafts. Believe it or not, Thanksgiving crafts go way beyond a handprint turkey on paper! If you’re looking for ways to involve your little turkeys in the celebration preparation, here are 5 kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts to get you started. 

1. Mini Turkey Pots

These adorable flower pot turkeys make a delightful addition to the dinner table. To start, you’ll need mini terra cotta pots, acrylic paint pens, artificial leaves, acrylic paint, and a hot glue gun. Have your child start by drawing the turkey’s face on the pot using paint pens. Next, have them paint the artificial leaves to make the turkey’s feathers. After the leaves are dry, help your child by hot-gluing a few leaves together and then hot-gluing them to the back of the pot. Finish your little turkeys by filling them with your child’s favorite treats. 

2. DIY Pretend Thanksgiving Dinner

This clever craft lets your little one play with their food without the mess! The filmer begins the pretend Thanksgiving feast with mashed potatoes made from cardboard, cotton balls, and hot glue. Next, they make the corn on the cob by hot-gluing popcorn kernels or bubble wrap onto painted corn-shaped cardboard. Finally, they cut and paint cranberry sauce, turkey legs, and bread rolls to round out the pretend meal. 

3. Gratitude Tree

Gratitude trees are a fun and tangible way for kids to give thanks. Begin by arranging an assortment of gourds or other fall-centric items around a decorative tree branch. Next, make leaf cutouts with construction paper, then punch a hole at the end of each leaf and loop a strand of ribbon through it. Have your child write or draw things they’re grateful for on the leaves and then hang them on the branches. 

4. Handprint T-Shirt

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Thanksgiving is a time of gathering and reflection, and this crafting activity makes for a wonderful keepsake. First, paint the palms of your child’s hand orange, then have them press down on a plain white t-shirt. Repeat this process twice more using yellow and red paint, so the handprints form turkey feathers. Then, paint the bottom of your child’s foot brown and have them place their foot right below the center of the three handprints. Two googly eyes and a small triangle-shaped piece of fabric provide a fun finishing touch. 

5. Felt Pie Garland

Pie in the sky doesn’t have to be unattainable, thanks to this craft! The filmer begins by cutting squares of orange, burgundy, beige, brown, and white felt into triangles. Next, they take a beige triangle to form the crust. They then fill the crust by gluing on a burgundy triangle. They make the rest of the crust by weaving strips of beige felt over the filling. Other pie flavors include chocolate and pumpkin made from brown and orange felt, both topped with whipped cream made from white felt. Glue each slice of pie to a long piece of twine, and it’s ready to hang!

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