Turkey and Thanksgiving Craft Projects

This is a fun project for either a class project, a fall party, or even just to do at home. It will keep the kids happy and busy for a long time, and create adorable decorations in the process.

Turkey Potatoes

What you'll need:
Large brown potatoes
toothpicks
peanut butter
wiggly eyes
assorted fruits-fresh and dried, mini pretzel sticks

Push three toothpicks into the bottom of the potatoes to get them to stand up. Either use the top of the potato as a head, or attach a smaller potato with the toothpicks for a separate head. Put the assortment of fruits and nuts out. Let the kids attach the softer items to the potato's using the toothpicks. Peanut butter can be used to stick on the harder items. You can also use the wiggly eyes to stick on peanut butter.

A wide variety of trimmings can be used. Choose from any of these:carrots, summer squash(cut), red onions, apple, orange and lemon peels, raisins, cranberries, radishes, cashews, pistachios, pretzels, carrot slivers, almonds.

The best part of this craft is that kids can have a great snack while they play at the same time!

Turkey Planter

What you'll need:
drying modeling clay-brown, butter knife, Terra cotta pot, 2 white pebbles, black marker, one walnut in its shell, one red pipe cleaner, 6 corn kernels, hot glue gun, corn husks, potted mum plant

To make the head, you will use the modeling clay to make two balls about 3 inches or so across. Then, make a third ball thats about half the size of the other two. Put the balls together so the smallest ball is in the middle, press them together, and then form a head, neck and chest from them. If cracks appear in the clay, use a small amount of water to smooth the edges down and out. On the bottom ball, cut a vertical slit halfway in the center with a dull butter knife. Then slide it over the top of the Terra-cotta pot. Push the two sides of the clay ball together so that the turkey's head stays securely to the pot. Pat the clay down on the inside of the pot gently.

For the face, you will need the marker to draw black circles for pupils in the center of the white pebbles. If needed, you can also paint the circles a brighter white. Push the walnut in for the beak, and press in the wiggly eyes above it. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together, fold it in half, and insert it into the clay for the wattle. Bend down the end.

Use the clay to make the turkey's feet, and put a kernel of corn onto each toe. Then, press the feet onto the front of the Terra-cotta pot.

Wait for the clay to dry, and secure any loose pieces with a bit of hot glue. Then use the glue to put the dried corn husks onto the sides of the pot and to the back of the inside of the pot to make wings and feathers. When everything has dried, put the mums into the turkey planter.