Last year I found a Turkey Centerpiece craft idea in Parents magazine. It is my goal to teach my children the true meaning of holidays. I don’t want them to just focus on the food but to truly be thankful. Our Thankful Turkey will be making a repeat appearance this year!
Here are the basics:
- Purchase a 9″ and 4″ polystyrene ball from a craft store. These can be pricey. I bought mine with a 40% off coupon from Michael’s.
- Cut the bottom off of the 9″ ball to make a flat surface.
- Wrap the polystyrene balls with yarn.
- Connect the small ball to the body with a craft stick. Or use Popsicle sticks.
- Make the face out of felt. It doesn’t take much to find scraps around the house. Leftover fabric will do too!
- Cut feathers out of construction paper. I used whatever paper we had on hand.
- Glue a craft stick to the back of each feather.
- Have each person write what they are thankful for on a feather.
We read each person’s feather out loud before dinner. It was really neat to hear what the kids were thankful for!
Crafts don’t have to be expensive. Make sure to look around the house at items you may have on hand. Improvise and make what you have work. The only thing I had to purchase for the Thankful Turkey was the polystyrene. No, mine doesn’t look as perfect as the original version, but the kids loved it!
One of the things that has always been a party of our mission is encouraging our community to get involved and share with others, even when they are on a tight budget themselves. It is often surprisingly easy to help others just by being aware of what is available to you. Thankful Thursday is our chance to share the opportunities, organizations and services we have found!

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