When it's time to think about the Thanksgiving menu at my house, it's also time to figure out how to keep the kids busy over the long weekend.
There are so many classic Thanksgiving crafts - hand turkeys are always a hit, for example - but there's only one that lets you show some love to our planet and leaves you with an adorable Thanksgiving buddy of your very own: DIY upcycled egg carton turkeys! My kids always have a wonderful time crafting their own turkeys, and I can count on this craft every year to keep them happy and engaged during their time off from school around the holidays.
DIY upcycled egg carton turkeys
To make these egg carton turkeys, you'll need some paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, craft feathers, and a few other supplies that you can find at your local craft store. Most importantly, you'll need to grab an empty Nellie's Free Range egg carton from your recycling bin! Once you have all the materials ready, assembling these egg carton turkeys is a breeze. My kids always start by cutting out the individual egg cups before adorning them with eyes, beaks, feet, and feathers.
Supplies:
- Nellie's Free Range Egg cartons
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brushes
- Mini cups, bowls, or mugs
- Pipe cleaners
- Tiny orange triangles cut from orange scrapbook paper or felt (for the beak)
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
- Glue
- Craft feathers
- Toothpicks, optional (if using as cupcake toppers)
Directions:
- Cut out individual egg carton cups. Paint them in the colors of your choice. Let dry completely.
- Cut pipe cleaners to make the tiny turkey legs. Glue legs on the inside part of the egg carton cup.
- Attach googly eyes and a beak to the front of the cup, and feathers to the back of the cup using glue.
- If using as a cupcake topper, glue a small toothpick to the inside of the cup as well.
These turkeys are a cute addition to your Thanksgiving tablescape, but they also make for some great cupcake toppers! You can even string them together to make a garland or add them to the kids' table settings.
Did you create your own egg carton turkeys? Tag your photos with #nelliesfreerange so we can see! Or click here to see our other themed parties in the series. And don't forget to check out Twinkle Twinkle Little Party for more inspiration.
