Make this adorable Paper Plate Turkey Craft with your kids using our free printable template and tissue paper! Perfect for Thanksgiving classroom, homeschool, or family fun.

Get ready for some Thanksgiving fun with this adorable paper plate turkey craft for kids! It’s easy to make, great for classrooms or home, and includes a free printable turkey template to guide little artists step-by-step.

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My kids always get excited when we bring out the tissue paper! It’s colorful, soft, and adds so much texture to our crafts. Whether they’re scrunching, gluing, or layering the pieces, tissue paper gives this turkey a beautiful, feathery look that’s full of fall colors.

This Thanksgiving turkey craft is perfect for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and early elementary kids. It encourages creativity, fine motor skills, and hands-on fun while celebrating the season.

Plus, the printable turkey craft template makes setup simple—just print, cut, and let your kids get crafting!

So grab your paper plates, paint, and tissue paper, and let’s make a turkey that’s sure to brighten your Thanksgiving table or classroom display.

Display Their Thanksgiving Masterpieces

After the turkeys are assembled and the glue is dry, display them proudly on your wall or bulletin board. They make adorable Thanksgiving decorations.

How to Make a Paper Plate Turkey

Finished paper plate turkeys displayed on classroom bulletin board as Thanksgiving decorations.

Supplies:

Colored paper, brown, yellow, red, white
Black marker
Scissors
Glue
2 Paper plates per craft
Brown paint and paintbrush
Colored tissue paper
Turkey Craft Template (Available to download at the end of this post)

Directions:

Step 1: Print the Template:
Print the classroom version on colored paper or use the single-page template to trace onto paper

Color Suggestions:

Brown – Turkey head
Yellow – Beak
Red – Waddle
White – Eyes and Neck Feathers

Step 2: Cut Out the Pieces:
Carefully cut out each piece of the turkey template. Younger children may need some help with this step.

painting paper plate brown to make the turkey’s body and wings

Step 3: Prepare the Body and Wings:

Take paper plate number 1 and have children cut out a turkey body and wings. Then have them paint them brown, and set it aside to dry.

gluing colorful tissue paper onto a paper plate to create turkey feathers.

Step 4: Tissue Paper Feathers:
Next, tear or cut tissue paper into small pieces. Glue tissue paper pieces onto paper plate number 2. You can encourage kids to use a pattern or come up with their own creative mix of fall colors.

gluing the turkey body, head, and wings onto the paper plate with tissue paper feathers.

Step 5: Assemble the Turkey:

Now glue the turkey body and wings from step 3 onto the turkey feathers.
Glue the brown turkey head to the body. Have children use a black marker to draw eyes on the white circles, then glue the beak, waddle, and eyes onto the head. Now your turkey is ready for Thanksgiving!

Learning Benefits:

Fine motor skill development
Color matching and pattern recognition
Following directions
Creative expression

Download the Turkey Template Here

Print the Directions Here

Paper Plate Turkey Craft with Tissue Paper and Printable Template

Make a fun Thanksgiving turkey craft using paper plates, paint, and tissue paper! Includes a free printable turkey template for kids to cut, paint, and glue.

Materials

Colored paper, brown, yellow, red, white
Black marker
Scissors
Glue
2 Paper plates per craft
Brown paint and paintbrush
Colored tissue paper
Turkey Craft Template (Available to download at the end of this post)

Instructions

Step 1: Print the Template: Print the classroom version on colored paper or use the single-page template to trace onto paper
Color Suggestions:
Brown – Turkey head
Yellow – Beak
Red – Waddle
White – Eyes and Neck Feathers
Step 2: Cut Out the Pieces: Carefully cut out each piece of the turkey template. Younger children may need some help with this step.
Step 3: Prepare the Body and Wings:
Take paper plate number 1 and have children cut out a turkey body and wings. Then have them paint them brown, and set it aside to dry.
Step 4: Tissue Paper Feathers: Tear or cut tissue paper into small pieces. Glue tissue paper pieces onto paper plate number 2. You can encourage kids to use a pattern or come up with their own creative mix of fall colors.
Step 5: Assemble the Turkey:
Glue the turkey body and wings from step 3 onto the turkey feathers.Glue the brown turkey head to the body. Have children use a black marker to draw eyes on the white circles, then glue the beak, waddle, and eyes onto the head. Now your turkey is ready for Thanksgiving!

Paper Plate Turkey Craft for Kids – with Printable Template and Tissue Paper Feathers