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If you’re looking for a cute and easy Thanksgiving craft for your toddler, look no further! In this post, I’ll share with you how to create an adorable Handprint Turkey craft that you can display proudly on your refrigerator this fall.
The handprint turkey craft is a total classic. Your toddler will have a great time getting messy and expressing their creativity, and you’ll have a sweet keepsake to bring out every Thanksgiving. Okay let’s get into how to make this handprint turkey craft!
Materials Needed
- Small Canvas – I used a 6 x 8
- Acrylic Paint – brown, red, yellow, black, white
- Paintbrush – 1 large and one small
- Paint Tray
- Feathers
- Tacky Glue
- Small Craft Magnets
- Roll of Craft Paper (optional)
- Bib/Apron (optional)
Prepare the Handprint Turkey Crafting Area
Before we get started, it’s best to take a little time to prepare the crafting area. Let’s be honest, there’s paint involved and we all know how quickly things can get messy with a toddler. I like to line the table with craft paper. This protects the table and creates additional space for your little one to express their creativity. I usually put some sort of apron on my son too, but we skipped that step for this craft. Next, lay out the canvas, paint, brushes, feathers, and glue. Now you’re ready for some crafting!
Paint the Turkey Handprint
The first (and most important) step is to get that cute little handprint! This will be the body of the turkey, and the sweetest keepsake of your toddlers tiny hand. You can either paint your toddlers hand, or put the brown paint straight in their hands and have them rub them together before stamping down on the canvas. I’ll be honest, when I first tried painting my son’s hand, he was NOT into it. So before we started, I got a dry paintbrush, and pretended to paint his hand (which tickled and made him laugh). Then we practiced stamping his hand on the craft paper a few times before going in for the real deal. After this, he was excited and ready to get messy!
Add the Finishing Touches
Once the handprint is dry, it’s time to add the finishing touches to the turkey handprint. First, add feathers to your turkey. For this step, put some tacky tacky glue on the stem of the feathers and place them in between the finger prints. Next, paint the beak, eyes, wattle and feet of the turkey. I took the lead on this step since my son is only two, but if your little one is able, let them give it a go! Finally, add small magnets to the back of the canvas on each of the four corners. Now you’re ready to display your masterpiece on the refrigerator.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We had so much fun creating this handprint turkey craft together. We got to paint, play with feathers, and create a timeless keepsake that we will display every thanksgiving!
Let me know in the comments if you’ve tried this craft with your little one this fall!