How to Make a Paper Turkey Just In Time For Thanksgiving

September 8, 2025

Time to read 3 min

Paper Turkey

The crisp air, the smell of pumpkin pie, and the excitement of the holidays are just around the corner. What better way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit than with a fun, craft? This paper turkey is not only simple to make, but it creates a beautiful, vibrant decoration perfect for your dinner table or mantel piece.

This is a fantastic activity for girls in your Girl Scout troop of all skill levels, especially those in grades Daisy to Cadettes.

Let’s gather our supplies and get started on this adorable paper craft!

Paper Turkey Supplies

Before we get into the steps, make sure you have all your materials ready to go. The key to a great paper turkey is vibrant color!

Scissors
Glue
Googly eyes (view on Amazon)
Red, orange, brown and yellow construction paper (view on Amazon)
Pencil
Stapler
Ruler

How to make craft

Follow these steps to transform simple paper strips into a festive Thanksgiving friend.

First you will need a few stripes from each of the colored sheets to make your paper turkey. Take your ruler and measure 1/2 on both sides on let’s say yellow sheet of paper. Connect the dots and cut the stripe.

Repeat the same procedure on the other colors, orange and red sheets.

Tip: I used 4 stripes of each color, for a total of 12 strips. If you think you need more for a fuller tail, feel free to cut more!

To create the tail of your paper turkey you will need 3 stripes in different colors for one section of the tail. So start by cutting one of the stripes in half, cut the other to be bigger than the half and use the third stripe as it is. Fold them in a way they reach the ends together and attach the ends using stapler. This is one section of the tail,

You will need to repeat the procedure from step 3 four more times mixing the colors as you want to make a very unique paper turkey.

At the end attach all the pieces together using stapler or glue to create the tail of the paper turkey.

Now draw the body of the turkey on a brown cardboard.

Make sure it is proportionally big enough for the tale you’ve created previously. A good shape is a large, rounded '8' or a bowling pin shape, with a large, round bottom and a smaller head.

When you are happy with the drawn shape, cut it using scissors.

Glue the goggly eyes on the head of the paper turkey. Cut a wattle from the red paper and beak from the yellow paper. Attach them on the bottom of the head overlapping a little. And Glue body to the tail.

Your finished paper turkey makes a wonderful centerpiece for the kid's table or a lovely addition to your Thanksgiving decor!

Want to make your turkey even more festive? Try these simple tweaks:

Make it 3D: Instead of a flat body, cut out a second body shape and glue the two pieces together, leaving the bottom open. You can slip a small piece of folded cardstock inside to make it stand up!
Patterned Paper: Substitute some of the solid construction paper with patterned paper (like stripes or polka dots) for an extra pop of personality.
Add Feathers: Glue small craft feathers between the paper strips of the tail for a textured look.
Personalize It: Have the kids write what they are thankful for on the back of each colored paper strip before you fold them into the tail.