Thanksgiving Paper Crafts for Kids

Paper is an easy and economical way for kids to get creative with crafts. Holidays are the perfect opportunity for your kids to display their creations. This year, consider making Thanksgiving paper crafts for kids.

My kids like to make crafts with paper. We always have some on hand for creative moments. Paper is so versatile for crafts, the possibilities are only limited by your kids' imaginations. Following are some ideas for ways your kids can use paper to make Thanksgiving crafts.

NOTE: Be sure to cover the work area before beginning. I like to use cheap disposable tablecloths as they can be taped down, stick less to the crafts and can be tossed out when done.

Traditional Hand Turkeys. These are one of the simplest Thanksgiving paper crafts your kids can make. This idea is especially good for younger kids.

Difficulty: Easy. Tracing, cutting and decorating or all that is required.

Materials needed: Paper, crayons, scissors, decorations, glue if desired.

Instructions: Have your kids trace their hands with fingers spread out on the paper. Cut out the hand shape and let your child color or decorate, using the thumb for the neck and head, and the fingers for the tail feathers.

For a more colorful version out of different colors of construction paper, see my article Homemade Cards for Thanksgiving for instructions on making a construction paper turkey.

Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Tree. This Thanksgiving paper craft will give your kids a chance to show their thankfulness during the season while finding a use for traditional hand turkeys, above.

Difficulty: Easy.

Materials needed: Paper, brown construction paper, crayons, scissors, decorations and glue if desired.

Instructions: Cut out a leafless tree shape from the brown construction paper. For a larger tree, tape several pieces together. Attach the tree to a door, wall or window. When having your kids decorate their traditional hand turkeys, above, have them begin by writing one thing they are thankful for on each turkey. They may decorate around their "thanks". These thankful turkey hands can be taped to the tree.

Thankfulness Paper Chain. Paper chains are versatile and can be made to fit the season or holiday depending on the colors you choose and what decorations you attach. Following are two ways to make a thankfulness paper chain.

Difficulty: Easy. All that is required is folding, cutting, gluing and decorating.

Materials needed: Construction paper in various fall colors, such as brown, yellow, orange and red, glue, scissors and crayons or markers. For version two, you will need to have your kids make some of the hand turkeys, above.

Instructions: Cut strips from various colors of construction paper about the same size. An easy way to do this is to take a piece of construction paper and fold it in half short-wise. Cut along the fold. Take half the paper, fold it in half short-wise, then repeat two more time. Open the paper and cut along the folds. This will give you eight strips for each half sheet of construction paper.

VERSION ONE: On each strip, let your kids write one thing they are thankful for. Take one of the strips, overlap the ends and glue together, press and hold. You may want to hold the ends together with a paper clip until dry. Take another strip of paper, place it through the center of the first strip, overlap the ends and glue together as above. Keep going until you have a chain the desired length.

VERSION TWO: Instead of writing thanks on each strip of paper, make the chain as above without writing on the strips first. Once the chain is made, let dry thoroughly. Let your kids write one thing they are thankful for on each hand turkey to be used. Attach the turkeys to the chain.

Paper chains can be used for decorations around windows, on walls, around door frames or in doorways, just about anywhere you choose.

This year you don't have to go all out on buying supplies for Thanksgiving decorations. Give your kids something to do and save money with Thanksgiving paper crafts for kids.

SOURCES:

Personal Experience

Jolynne M Hudnell, Homemade Cards for Thanksgiving; Associated Content/Yahoo!