These coffee filter turkeys are an easy Thanksgiving craft for kids to make. They take about 20-30 minutes to create using a few simple craft supplies.
I love how easy these turkeys are to create and they make cute Thanksgiving decorations too.
Grab the printable directions at the bottom of this post for use at home or in your classroom.
If you love coffee filter crafts, you may also enjoy these coffee filter wreaths, coffee filter angels, coffee filter holly, coffee filter Santa, coffee filter poinsettia and coffee filter bats.
Check out this cute turkey suncatcher craft and these other turkey crafts for kids for even more Thanksgiving project ideas.
Thanksgiving Coffee Filter Turkeys
Kids of all ages will have fun creating these turkeys made out of coffee filters and clothespins. Easy kids’ crafts are our favorite!
Coffee filter crafts are perfect for preschool and kindergarten children. The kids can help with coloring and cutting.
If you want to speed up the process, you can paint the clothespins ahead of time. Even toddlers can help with coloring and tie dyeing the coffee filter paper.
The tie dye design for the turkey feathers is created using coffee filters and markers. Kids will love watching the process!
Write people’s names on the back of the feathers with a marker and set them on your Thanksgiving dinner table for super adorable place cards.
These turkeys look fantastic when they are finished!
Get 15 easy coffee filter craft tutorials conveniently all in one place for you with our Cute Coffee Filter Crafts digital craft book! Access it on your phone, tablet, or computer any time.
Coffee Filter Turkey Craft Supplies
If you don’t have these materials on hand, you can find them on Amazon, at the Dollar Store, or wherever you prefer to shop for crafting supplies.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.
- Wooden Spring Clothespins
- Round White Coffee Filters
- Assorted Googly Eyes
- Washable Markers – Brown, Red, Orange, and Yellow
- Glue Gun and Glue Sticks or a Liquid Glue with fine tip applicator (I like this tacky craft glue)
- Brown Acrylic Craft Paint
- Red and Yellow Craft Foam
- Paintbrush
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Scrap of Cardboard
Recommended Tools:
- Non-Stick Craft Mat or Large Plastic Zip Top Bag
- Water Spray Bottle
How to Make Coffee Filter Turkey Thanksgiving Craft
Start by flattening out round coffee filters. Draw on them with several colors of washable markers in a variety of patterns.
Using colors next to each other on the color wheel helps them blend harmoniously. For example, brown, red, orange, and yellow.
Lay the colored coffee filter on a craft mat or zipper bag and spray with water. Have fun watching the magic of the colors move and blend! Set aside to dry.
Use a scrap of cardboard to clip the clothespins onto for easier painting. Paint all sides of the clothespin with brown craft paint and a paintbrush. Set aside to dry.
Glue on the wiggly googly eyes. You can use a low temp hot glue gun or a tacky craft glue.
Now it’s time to decorate the turkey’s face! Cut out a triangle beak from yellow craft foam and a squiggly waddle from the red craft foam with scissors.
Glue the beak and gobbler (otherwise known as a wattle) under the eyes.
Fold the dry coffee filters in half and crinkle slightly to fluff them. Insert coffee filter into top clip of clothespin to be the turkey’s feathers.
You can insert the dyed coffee filter as is or cut a scalloped edge to give the feathers more definition.
I hope you enjoy making a flock of coffee filter turkeys!
More Fall Crafts and Activities:
- Easy Turkey Crafts for Kids
- Turkey Treat Box Craft
- Pumpkin Size Sorting Activity
- Printable Fall Counting Mats
- 30 Fall Picture Books
- Thanksgiving Printables
- DIY Pumpkin Decorations
Printable Coffee Filter Turkey Thanksgiving Craft Directions
Coffee Filter Turkey Craft
Make these coffee filter turkeys for a cute and easy Thanksgiving craft project for kids. They make adorable fall decorations!
Instructions
- Start by flattening out round coffee filters. Draw on them with red, yellow, and orange washable markers in a variety of patterns.
- Place colored coffee filter on a craft mat or zipper bag and spray with water. Have fun watching the magic of the colors move and blend! Set aside to dry.
- Use a scrap of cardboard to clip the clothespins onto for easier painting. Paint all sides of the clothespin with brown craft paint and a paintbrush. Set aside to dry.
- Glue on the wiggly googly eyes. You can use a low temp hot glue gun or a tacky craft glue.
- Now it’s time to decorate the turkey’s face! Cut out a triangle beak from yellow craft foam and a squiggly waddle from the red craft foam with scissors.
- Glue the beak and wattle (aka gobbler) below the eyes.
- Fold the dry coffee filters in half and crinkle slightly to fluff them.
- Insert coffee filter into top clip of clothespin to be the turkey’s feathers.
- You can insert the dyed coffee filter as is or cut a scalloped edge to give the feathers more definition.
Notes
Easily make just one or several turkeys at a time. Drying times may vary and impact total time from start to finish of this project.
Sherry Rowe
Friday 5th of November 2021
We made these in our preschool clas the kids had a great time making them.
Darcy Zalewski
Wednesday 10th of November 2021
I'm so glad the kids had fun making these turkeys!
Thomas
Thursday 19th of November 2020
What was the scrap of cardboard for?
Darcy Zalewski
Thursday 19th of November 2020
Hi Thomas, the cardboard isn't required, but it can help when painting the clothespins by clipping them to it. That way it is easier to turn them without touching the wet paint.
Sharon R Fasnacht
Sunday 15th of November 2020
How did you get the clothespin to stand up? Mine keep falling over.
Darcy Zalewski
Monday 16th of November 2020
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear your clothespins are falling over, Sharon. Some of mine do fall over easily, but most of them stand up on the open end on their own. It might depend on the clothespins themselves? Some may stand better depending on how the end is shaped.
Tiffany Oswald
Monday 2nd of November 2020
what's the hashtag we use to give you credit when we post on our own facebook pages?
Darcy Zalewski
Monday 2nd of November 2020
Hi Tiffany! If you can tag my FB page @lifewithdarcyandbrian or link to this post for the directions that would be great! If I see my page tagged I try to reshare it too. :)
Virginia Schumaker
Monday 25th of November 2019
You could also take a hair dryer to them for faster drying!
Darcy Zalewski
Tuesday 26th of November 2019
Great tip, Virginia!