35 Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids Using Supplies You Already Have

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Thanksgiving is the perfect time to slow down, get creative, and enjoy quality family time. The best part? You don’t need expensive craft kits to make something special. With everyday supplies like paper plates, toilet paper rolls, construction paper, popsicle sticks, crayons, and glue, your kids can create adorable Thanksgiving decorations they’ll be proud to display. These easy Thanksgiving crafts are fun for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged kids, making them perfect for classrooms, homeschool activities, or cozy afternoons at home.

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1. Handprint Turkey Craft

Trace your child’s hand on colorful construction paper and transform it into a cheerful turkey by adding googly eyes, a beak, and little legs. It’s a classic Thanksgiving craft that doubles as a keepsake.

👉 Craft Tip: Write your child’s name and the year on the back to remember this sweet holiday memory.

🛍 Shop here:
Construction Paper Pack

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2. Paper Plate Turkey

A simple paper plate becomes a colorful turkey with painted feathers, paper cutouts, and googly eyes. Kids love decorating each feather with different fall colors.

👉 Craft Tip: Add glitter glue to the feathers for a festive sparkle.

🛍 Shop here:
Paper Plates for Crafts

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3. Toilet Paper Roll Turkey

Recycle empty toilet paper rolls by turning them into adorable standing turkeys using paper feathers, paint, and googly eyes.

👉 Craft Tip: Make several turkeys in different colors for a fun Thanksgiving display.

🛍 Shop here:
Googly Eyes Assortment

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4. Leaf Rubbing Art

Collect colorful fall leaves from outside and place them beneath paper. Rub crayons over the top to reveal beautiful leaf patterns.

👉 Craft Tip: Try leaves of different sizes and shapes for unique designs.

🛍 Shop here:
Crayon Set for Kids

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5. Thankful Tree

Draw or build a tree using construction paper and invite kids to write something they’re thankful for on paper leaves before attaching them to the branches.

👉 Craft Tip: Add a new thankful leaf every day leading up to Thanksgiving.

🛍 Shop here:
Autumn Colored Cardstock

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6. Popsicle Stick Scarecrow

Glue popsicle sticks together to form a scarecrow, then decorate it with paint, raffia, buttons, and a tiny paper hat.

👉 Craft Tip: Use markers instead of paint for a quicker cleanup.

🛍 Shop here:
Popsicle Craft Sticks

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7. Pinecone Turkey

Gather pinecones during a nature walk and glue colorful paper feathers onto the back to create adorable little turkeys.

👉 Craft Tip: Tiny pom-poms make perfect turkey noses and beaks.

🛍 Shop here:
Pom Pom Craft Kit

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8. Coffee Filter Fall Leaves

Color coffee filters with washable markers, lightly spray them with water, and watch the colors blend into beautiful autumn leaves.

👉 Craft Tip: Let the filters dry completely before cutting them into leaf shapes.

🛍 Shop here:
Washable Markers

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9. Paper Bag Turkey Puppet

Turn an ordinary lunch bag into a playful turkey puppet that kids can use for storytelling and imaginative play.

👉 Craft Tip: Encourage kids to perform a Thanksgiving puppet show afterward.

🛍 Shop here:
Brown Paper Lunch Bags

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10. Thanksgiving Paper Chain

Create a colorful countdown by linking strips of fall-colored paper into a festive chain to decorate your home.

👉 Craft Tip: Write a gratitude message on each paper strip before connecting them.

🛍 Shop here:
Fall Craft Paper Pack

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11. Fingerprint Turkey Art

Use washable paint to make colorful fingerprints that become a turkey’s feathers. Finish with a simple turkey body using markers or paper cutouts.

👉 Craft Tip: Frame the finished artwork for a fun seasonal decoration.

🛍 Shop here:
Washable Finger Paint Set

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12. Egg Carton Turkey

Cut sections from an empty egg carton to create a turkey body, then paint and decorate it with colorful feathers, googly eyes, and a tiny beak.

👉 Craft Tip: These little turkeys make adorable Thanksgiving table decorations.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Acrylic Paint Set

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13. Paper Strip Pumpkin

Cut orange construction paper into strips and staple or glue them together to form a round pumpkin shape. Add a green paper stem and curly pipe cleaner vine to complete the look.

👉 Craft Tip: Make pumpkins in different sizes and hang them together as festive decorations.

🛍 Shop here:
Orange Construction Paper

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14. Turkey Headband

Kids will love wearing their own turkey crowns made from strips of construction paper decorated with colorful feather cutouts.

👉 Craft Tip: Write each child’s name on the front of the headband for a fun classroom activity.

🛍 Shop here:
Colorful Craft Feathers

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15. Leaf Garland

Collect colorful autumn leaves from your backyard and string them together with yarn to create a beautiful Thanksgiving garland.

👉 Craft Tip: Mix real and paper leaves for a fuller garland that lasts longer.

🛍 Shop here:
Jute Twine Roll

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16. Sponge Painted Pumpkins

Cut a kitchen sponge into small pieces and dip them into orange paint to stamp textured pumpkins onto paper.

👉 Craft Tip: Use different shades of orange and yellow to give each pumpkin more depth.

🛍 Shop here:
Washable Kids Paint Set

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17. Paper Cup Pilgrim Hats

Turn black paper cups upside down and decorate them with black paper circles and yellow paper buckles to make adorable pilgrim hats.

👉 Craft Tip: Use them as fun Thanksgiving table decorations or place cards.

🛍 Shop here:
Black Paper Cups

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18. Thankful Paper Quilt

Decorate small squares of paper with drawings or messages about things your family is thankful for, then arrange them into a colorful paper quilt.

👉 Craft Tip: Hang the finished quilt on a wall as a meaningful Thanksgiving decoration.

🛍 Shop here:
Colored Cardstock Paper

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19. Yarn-Wrapped Fall Leaves

Cut large leaf shapes from cardboard and wrap colorful yarn around them to create textured Thanksgiving decorations.

👉 Craft Tip: Use leftover yarn scraps to create beautiful multicolored patterns.

🛍 Shop here:
Assorted Yarn Bundle

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20. Turkey Clothespins

Paint wooden clothespins brown and attach colorful paper feathers to create miniature standing turkeys.

👉 Craft Tip: Clip them onto napkins or place cards for a festive Thanksgiving table.

🛍 Shop here:
Wooden Clothespins

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21. Paper Bag Scarecrow

Use a brown paper lunch bag as the scarecrow’s body and decorate it with raffia hair, paper clothes, and a smiling face.

👉 Craft Tip: Stuff the bag with crumpled newspaper to make the scarecrow stand upright.

🛍 Shop here:
Raffia Craft Ribbon

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22. Paper Plate Sunflower

Paint a paper plate yellow and glue sunflower seeds in the center to create a cheerful fall flower that’s perfect for Thanksgiving.

👉 Craft Tip: Display several sunflowers together for a bright autumn wall display.

🛍 Shop here:
Sunflower Craft Supplies

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23. Gratitude Mason Jar

Decorate an empty jar with ribbon, stickers, or paint. Throughout November, family members can add notes sharing what they’re thankful for.

👉 Craft Tip: Read every gratitude note together during Thanksgiving dinner.

🛍 Shop here:
Mason Jar Set

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24. Apple Stamp Art

Cut an apple in half, dip it into paint, and stamp colorful apple prints onto paper to create festive fall artwork.

👉 Craft Tip: Combine red, yellow, and green paint to make a vibrant harvest picture.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Washable Paint

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25. Torn Paper Turkey Mosaic

Instead of using scissors, let kids tear colorful construction paper into small pieces and glue them onto a turkey outline to create a beautiful mosaic effect.

👉 Craft Tip: Mixing different shades of red, orange, yellow, and brown gives the feathers extra texture.

🛍 Shop here:
Colorful Construction Paper Pack

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26. Fork-Painted Turkey

Dip the back of a plastic fork into paint and stamp it onto paper to create fluffy turkey feathers. Finish by drawing or gluing on the turkey’s face.

👉 Craft Tip: Washable paint makes cleanup quick and stress-free.

🛍 Shop here:
Washable Tempera Paint Set

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27. Turkey Bookmark

Cut turkey shapes from cardstock and turn them into adorable bookmarks that encourage kids to keep reading over the holiday break.

👉 Craft Tip: Laminate the finished bookmarks with clear packing tape so they’ll last longer.

🛍 Shop here:
Colored Cardstock Pack

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28. Pumpkin Seed Art

Save pumpkin seeds from carving pumpkins, wash and dry them, then paint them in bright fall colors to create fun mosaics or nature-inspired pictures.

👉 Craft Tip: Glue painted seeds onto cardboard to make textured Thanksgiving artwork.

🛍 Shop here:
Kids Craft Glue

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29. Fall Nature Collage

Head outside to collect leaves, twigs, acorns, grass, and small flowers. Glue everything onto paper to create a one-of-a-kind autumn masterpiece.

👉 Craft Tip: Press collected leaves inside a heavy book overnight so they lie flat before crafting.

🛍 Shop here:
Large Craft Paper Pad

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30. Turkey Pencil Topper

Create tiny paper turkeys that slide onto the top of pencils, making homework and drawing time a little more festive.

👉 Craft Tip: These make fun Thanksgiving classroom favors for friends.

🛍 Shop here:
Craft Foam Sheets

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31. Sponge Leaf Printing

Cut kitchen sponges into simple leaf shapes, dip them into paint, and stamp colorful autumn leaves across paper for an easy art project.

👉 Craft Tip: Layer different colors to create a vibrant fall forest scene.

🛍 Shop here:
Craft Sponge Set

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32. Tissue Paper Corn Craft

Glue crumpled pieces of yellow, orange, and brown tissue paper onto a corn outline to create colorful ears of corn for Thanksgiving decorations.

👉 Craft Tip: Add a green paper husk to make the corn look even more realistic.

🛍 Shop here:
Assorted Tissue Paper Pack

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33. Turkey Windsock

Recycle an empty paper towel roll or oatmeal container into a colorful turkey windsock by adding streamers, feathers, and a smiling turkey face.

👉 Craft Tip: Hang it on the porch or near a window where it can gently sway in the breeze.

🛍 Shop here:
Colorful Crepe Paper Streamers

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34. Gratitude Paper Plate Wreath

Cut the center from a paper plate to create a wreath base. Decorate it with paper leaves, mini pumpkins, and thankful messages written by the kids.

👉 Craft Tip: Hang the finished wreath on your front door or kitchen wall throughout Thanksgiving week.

🛍 Shop here:
Paper Plate Craft Pack

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35. Thanksgiving Family Gratitude Banner

Cut triangles or rectangles from construction paper and let every family member decorate one with drawings or words describing what they’re thankful for. String them together into a festive banner to display during Thanksgiving dinner.

👉 Craft Tip: Save the banner each year and compare how your family’s gratitude grows over time.

🛍 Shop here:
Mini Clothespins and Twine Set

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Conclusion

Thanksgiving crafts don’t have to be complicated or expensive to be meaningful. With everyday household supplies, a little creativity, and plenty of imagination, kids can make adorable decorations, keepsakes, and gifts while creating wonderful family memories. Whether you’re crafting at home, in the classroom, or during a Thanksgiving gathering, these easy projects are a fun way to celebrate the season together.

Save this post to your Pinterest board so you can come back to these easy Thanksgiving crafts whenever you need a fun holiday activity!