Paper Plate Turkey Craft

Looking for a fun way to keep little hands busy this Thanksgiving? This paper plate turkey craft is a simple, sweet project that brings out the giggles—and the glue sticks. Whether you’re crafting around the kitchen table or leading a classroom activity, this one’s easy to prep and even easier to love.

It’s the kind of project that invites creativity, lets kids practice those fine motor skills, and gives you something adorable to hang on the fridge. If you’re diving into preschool crafts this season, this one’s a keeper. Bonus: it doubles as a festive table decoration or grandparent gift.

Keep reading for the full step-by-step instructions, tips for crafting with little ones, and a few ways to sneak in learning while you play.

Turkey Paper Plate Craft

To make this colorful turkey, kids will sponge-paint a half paper plate to create a bold, dotted feather display. Then, they’ll cut and glue a simple construction paper face with a triangle beak, googly eyes, and a dangling wattle.

It’s an easy process with big visual payoff—and no need to fuss with full-body shapes or feathers. You can prep the pieces ahead for younger kids or let preschoolers do it all themselves. Either way, it turns out adorable every time.

What You’ll Need

• Paper plate
• Scissors
• Round sponge brushes
• Craft paint in fall colors
• Construction paper: brown, orange, and red
• Googly eyes
• Glue stick
• Jar lid for tracing

How to Make a Paper Plate Turkey

This easy Thanksgiving craft comes together with just a few supplies and a little creative mess. Here’s how to make your own sponge-painted paper plate turkey:

Prep the workspace.
Lay down newspaper or a disposable tablecloth to protect the table. Have kids wear paint smocks or old t-shirts, especially if you’re using washable paint.

Cut the plate.
Start by cutting a paper plate in half. You’ll only need one half per turkey—the rounded edge becomes the feather fan.

Paint the feathers.
Pour small amounts of red, orange, yellow, and green paint onto a palette or paper plate. Let kids use sponge brushes to dab the paint across the curved edge of the paper plate. There’s no wrong way—layer, blend, or spot colors to mimic bright turkey feathers. Set it aside to dry completely.

Make the face.
Use a jar lid to trace a circle onto brown construction paper and cut it out. From orange paper, cut a small triangle for the beak. Use red paper to cut a waddle (a simple teardrop shape works fine).

Assemble the face.
Glue the beak near the center of the brown circle. Add the waddle slightly to one side underneath it. Stick on two googly eyes above the beak—wide spacing gives it a classic goofy turkey look.

Glue it all together.
Once the painted plate is dry, glue the face to the center of the flat edge so it looks like the turkey is peeking out from behind its feathers. Hold in place a few seconds to help it stick.

Let it dry.
Give everything time to dry before picking it up or hanging it on display.

Tips for Success

Crafting with groups or toddlers
If you’re making these in a classroom, co-op, or playgroup, prep is your best friend. Cut the plates in half ahead of time and portion out paint onto individual trays or plates to minimize sharing struggles. For toddlers, simplify further by pre-cutting the face shapes and letting them focus just on painting and gluing.

Ideas for easier cutting or less mess
Use sponge brushes with handles for easier grip and more control. Want to skip scissors altogether? Offer pre-cut pieces and let kids assemble with glue sticks. Swap liquid glue for glue dots if sticky fingers tend to take over.

How to prep pieces in advance
Trace and cut a batch of brown circles, beaks, and waddles ahead of time, storing them in small sandwich bags for each child. You can even pre-trace circles on brown paper so older preschoolers can still do some of the cutting independently.