Easy Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey Craft for Kids
Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey Craft – A Sweet Keepsake for Kids
When my kids were little, I loved finding ways to turn their little handprints into something we could keep. We made quite a few handprint crafts over the years, but these Thanksgiving turkeys are some of my favorites.
There’s something about those tiny hands that makes even the simplest craft feel special. At the time, it’s just a fun afternoon with paint, paper, and probably a little mess. Years later, it’s a reminder of just how small they once were.
These handprint turkeys are easy to make, don’t require many supplies, and are a cute way to add a little Thanksgiving fun to the day. They’re also a sweet keepsake to bring out each November.
Why I Like This Thanksgiving Handprint Craft
There are plenty of Thanksgiving crafts for kids, but handprint crafts have always been some of my favorites because they’re so personal. I especially like painted ones on canvas and paper. I have a few on ceramic and one we made at a glass shop… and they are lovely, but I have also had a couple ceramic pieces break. That was heartbreaking, so I love that I did some that are much less fragile.
Here are a few other reasons I love this idea…
- Uses just a few basic craft supplies
- Easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers with help
- Makes a cute Thanksgiving decoration (or anytime)
- Can be turned into a card for grandparents or other family members
- Captures your child’s handprint at that age
Trust me, now that my kids are getting older, having those little handprints around means everything!
What You’ll Need
You don’t need anything fancy for these little turkeys, and you may already have most of the supplies at home.
- White paper, cardstock, or canvas (I used a 16×20 canvas but if doing just one or two, smaller sizes would work)
- Acrylic, non-toxic paint in fall colors
- Brown paint for the turkey’s body
- Paintbrushes or a sponge brush
- Black marker or googly eyes (only use googly eyes if not going in a frame)
- Orange and red markers or paint for the beak and snood or waddle
- Paper towels and water for cleanup
You can use whatever colors you like for the feathers. We tend to think of turkeys in browns, reds, oranges, and yellows, but there’s no reason your little one can’t make a colorful turkey!
How to Make Your Thanksgiving Handprint Turkeys
This is a fairly simple craft, although I recommend having everything ready before you start, especially if you’re making these with toddlers.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Start by laying out your paper or canvas, paint, and brushes. You’ll also want a damp cloth or some paper towels nearby for cleaning little hands between colors.
If you’re planning to save these as keepsakes, I’d use cardstock or canvas rather than regular printer paper.
Step 2: Paint Your Child’s Hand
Using a paintbrush, carefully paint your child’s palm brown for the turkey’s body. Then paint each finger a different color to create the feathers. You can use traditional fall colors or let your child choose their own. Below you will see that the girls used a pink feather and the boys a blue one.
You don’t need a thick layer of paint. Just enough to make a good print. I would also say that before you begin… just have a quick chat with your kiddos and let them know that the paint might feel weird and that they need to resist the urge to close their hands. Explaining that it is a “forever” keepsake might help and letting them see you do it first will help too.
Step 3: Make the Handprint
Help your child press their painted hand firmly onto the paper, keeping their fingers spread apart. Gently lift their hand straight up so the print doesn’t smear too much.
If you’re making these with very young children, this might take a couple of tries, but that’s part of the fun! Allow the paint to dry before adding the details.
Step 4: Give Your Turkey a Face
Once the handprint is dry, add an orange beak, and if you didn’t use red on the thumbs for the snood like we did, you can draw or paint one on. You could also dot an eye on or if it is for a card, you could paste on a googly eye.
We also added little legs… so cute!
Step 5: Add a Name and Date
Write your child’s name and the year somewhere by their print. When you pull these out years later, you’ll be glad you did. Two of my kids are 50 weeks apart and so I wanted to make sure I knew which print was which.
A Few Ways to Use Your Handprint Turkeys
I love crafts that can become something more than just an afternoon activity, and these little turkeys are perfect for that.
Thanksgiving Decorations: Frame the handprints or hang them somewhere in your home during November. We bought a festive orange frame just for this and bring it out every season. I love having a special frame for these little keepsakes, and you can find a similar orange frame here.
Cards for Grandparents: Fold a piece of cardstock in half and make the turkey on the front. Add a little message inside, and you have a sweet homemade Thanksgiving card.
A Yearly Keepsake: Make a new handprint turkey each Thanksgiving and compare how much those little hands have grown.
Thanksgiving Place Cards: For a smaller version, use handprints to decorate place cards or seating signs for Thanksgiving dinner.
You could even make one with every child in the family and display them together.
A Few Tips for Making Handprint Crafts with Little Kids
If you’ve ever tried to get a perfect handprint from a toddler, you know it doesn’t always go as planned!
I would have the paper ready, paintbrushes nearby, and everything within reach before painting their hands. It’s much easier than trying to find supplies while someone is waving a paint-covered hand around.
A few other things that help:
- Have a chat about what you are doing and what will happen
- Use washable, child-safe paint
- Have a damp cloth ready for cleanup
- Practice placing their hand on the paper before adding paint
- Make an extra print if you want one to give away and one to keep
- Let the paint dry completely before adding the turkey’s face
Don’t worry if the handprint isn’t perfect. Honestly, mine is the messiest of them all, and I’m an adult! Sometimes those slightly messy little prints are the ones you’ll love most later.
A Few Supplies That Make Handprint Crafts Easier
You probably already have most of what you need, but if you enjoy making seasonal keepsakes, there are a few supplies that are handy to keep around.
- Acrylic paint: Useful for handprints and plenty of other crafts.
- Cardstock or heavyweight paper: Holds up better than regular printer paper, especially if you’re saving the finished project.
- Canvas: This is what we used for this project. I used a 16×20 canvas because I wanted to fit all of our handprints together, but if you’re making just one or two, a smaller canvas would work perfectly.
- Paintbrushes: Helpful for spreading paint over little hands.
- Orange Frame: We bought one specifically for this project and bring it out every Thanksgiving. If you’re using a 16×20 canvas like we did, make sure you choose a frame that accommodates the size or check this one out.
More Thanksgiving Fun for the Family
If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving activities to enjoy together, we also made some fun Thanksgiving turkey hats using construction paper and googly eyes. They’re another easy craft that turned into a favorite family memory.
I’ve also shared some of the other Thanksgiving activities and traditions we’ve enjoyed over the years, including carving Thanksgiving messages into pumpkins, reading our favorite holiday books, and finding ways to give back during November.
👉 READ OUR THANKSGIVING FAMILY ACTIVITIES AND TRADITIONS
Final Thoughts
I think one of the things I love most about these Thanksgiving handprint turkeys is that they capture something you don’t always realize you’re going to miss. When your kids are little, you’re busy with all the everyday things that come with raising them. You don’t necessarily think about how quickly their hands will grow or how much those little crafts will mean years later. Then you pull one out of a box or bring it out with the Thanksgiving decorations, and suddenly you’re remembering the afternoon you made it.
These are easy, inexpensive, and a little messy, but they’re absolutely worth making.
If you make these Thanksgiving handprint turkey crafts with your kids, I’d love to see them! Leave a comment below or share your pictures on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @bemandfam.
Happy Thanksgiving!
BEM and Fam 🙂
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