Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. Are you hosting the Turkey Day celebration this year?
Preparing a massive meal for your extended clan is no picnic. Add to that the task of decorating your home for the holiday and you may be wondering if you bit off more than you can chew.
With time ticking down to the big day, now is the time to recruit the troops. Get your kids involved in the making simple decorations to embellish your Turkey Day buffet.
The following Thanksgiving-themed projects are so easy you can have a houseful made in no time:
PAPER BAG TURKEY
Materials:
Newspaper, tissue paper or magazines
Large brown paper bags
Colored construction paper
Glue
Googly eyes
Scissors
Red balloon
Rubber band
Directions:
Ball-up the newspaper, tissue paper or magazine pages.
Stuff the paper into the bottom of the brown bag.
Form a neck by twisting the top of the bag.
Glue the eyes onto the bag, and then tape the red balloon on the bottom of the face to form a wattle.
To create the turkey’s body, get another brown paper bag and cut a hole through the front of it, about an inch from the bottom. Place the turkey’s neck (the first bag you were working with) into it the hole.
Stuff the body two-thirds full with paper.
Secure the top of the bag with a rubber band.
Cut tail feathers from the colored construction paper and glue them in layers to the back of the turkey’s body.
Wait for the glue to dry before displaying.
APPLE TURKEY
Materials:
One large or medium size apple (can be red, yellow or green or get a few of all three colors)
20 gumdrops or multi-colored mini-marshmallows
Toothpicks
Glue
Brown construction paper
Black marker
Directions:
Have your child trace his thumb onto the brown construction paper.
Cut out the finger shape, and then use the marker to draw on the turkey’s eyes and mouth.
Glue the cut-out shape to the front of the apple.
Take a few of the gumdrops or marshmallows and stack them on the toothpick leaving enough space on the bottom of toothpick exposed to poke into the apple. These are your turkey feathers.
Make a total of five feathers, and then insert them into the back of the apple in a half circle shape. This will form the tail of the turkey.
When you are done making all of the turkeys, group them to use as a centerpiece or use them as individual place card holders by writing the name of each guest a piece of construction paper and gluing it just below the turkey’s face.
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