Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft for Kids
Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft brings Thanksgiving fun to kids’ hands with a simple, colorful project.
Using a paper plate, feathers and a clothespin, children can create a festive turkey Thanksgiving Craft complete with a fanned tail and googly-eyed face.

This post contains affiliate links.
This craft encourages creativity, fine motor skills and imaginative play, and once finished, it makes an adorable seasonal decoration for classrooms, homes or Thanksgiving tables.
Why You’ll Love This Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft
- Festive and educational: Kids make a colorful turkey perfect for Thanksgiving decorations.
- Hands-on fine motor practice: Gluing feathers and assembling the clothespin turkey strengthens dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
- Creative expression: Children can mix feather colors and arrange them to design their own unique turkey tail.
- Simple and parent-friendly: Easy steps with safe, non-toxic materials make this craft stress-free for adults to guide.
- Interactive assembly: Using a clothespin adds a fun, tactile element to the turkey’s body and head.
- Display-worthy result: The finished turkey makes a charming centerpiece or place-setting decoration.

This paper plate clothespin turkey craft combines creativity, skill-building and festive fun that kids and parents can enjoy together.
Fun Activities to Extend Creativity and Learning
Here are activities that go well with the Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft — a hands-on fall project where kids create colorful turkeys using paper plates, clothespins, feathers and construction paper, perfect for exploring textures, colors and fine motor skills.
Related Turkey & Fall Crafts
- Feathered Handprint Turkeys: Trace and cut out handprints to create a colorful feathered turkey collage.
- Pinecone Turkeys: Use pinecones for the body and add paper or felt feathers for a 3D effect.
- Turkey Paper Chains: Make turkey-shaped paper links to create a fun, festive chain decoration.
Art & Creativity Extensions for Clothespin Turkey Craft
- Patterned Feathers: Decorate feathers with stripes, dots, or glitter to practice pattern recognition.
- Expressive Faces: Experiment with different expressions on the turkey’s face for creative storytelling.
- Color Mixing: Combine paints or markers to create unique feather colors.

Fine Motor & Learning Activities
- Feather Sorting: Sort feathers by color before gluing to build color recognition skills.
- Counting Activity: Count the feathers as they are added to reinforce early math skills.
- Cutting Practice: Have kids cut out additional feather shapes to strengthen scissor skills.
Display & Group Activities
- Classroom Turkey Patch: Combine multiple turkeys on a bulletin board for a collaborative autumn display.
- Thanksgiving Table Decorations: Place finished turkeys around the table for festive décor.
- Storytime Pairing: Pair the craft with a Thanksgiving story for a themed literacy and art activity.
These activities extend the Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft while supporting creativity, fine motor development, color recognition, and collaborative seasonal fun.
Recommended Turkey Books for Kids
When you’re done playing, snuggle up and enjoy these Picture Books about Turkeys for Kids!
How to Catch a Turkey
10 Fat Turkeys
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey!
Turkey Trouble
A Plump and Perky Turkey
Five Silly Turkeys
Turkey Goes to School (Turkey Trouble)
A Turkey for Thanksgiving: A Humorous Story
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Kids Books About Thanksgiving, too!
Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft

Supplies Needed
- Half of a paper plate
- Green, yellow, and orange feathers
- 1 clothespin
- Googly eyes
- Orange construction paper
- Red construction paper
- Glue (non-toxic)
- Scissors
How To Make Paper Plate Clothespin Turkey Craft
Prepare the Paper Plate:
Cut a paper plate in half and use one half for the turkey’s body.

Add the Feathers:
Arrange green, yellow, and orange feathers along the curved edge of the plate. Glue each feather in place, fanning them out to create the turkey’s tail.
Attach the Clothespin:
Clip a clothespin to the flat edge of the paper plate; this will serve as the turkey’s body and head.
Create the Turkey’s Face:
Glue two googly eyes onto the top of the clothespin. Cut a small triangle from orange construction paper for the beak and a waddle shape from red construction paper. Glue the waddle just below the eyes, then attach the beak centered on the waddle.
Final Touches:
Let all glued parts dry completely before handling the turkey.
Easy Printable Thanksgiving Fun!
Get ready for a cornucopia of printable Thanksgiving fun that will make this holiday one to remember!
More Turkey Crafts
More turkey crafts offer fun, hands-on projects that celebrate Thanksgiving with creativity and festive spirit.
- Free Turkey Coloring Page
- Popsicle Stick Turkey Craft
- Handprint Turkey Art Craft
- Scrapbook Paper Thanksgiving Turkey Craft
- Turkey Toilet Paper Roll Craft
- Adorable Turkey Bookmarks
- Paper Plate Turkey Hand Craft for Toddlers
- Thankful Turkey Printable
- Paper Plate Turkey Craft
Don’t miss out our other fun family-friendly kids crafts!













