Thanksgiving Crafts | Handprint Turkey Pumpkin Keepsake

Thanksgiving crafts are something my kids look forward to every year. Spending time crafting together is a fun way to get everyone into the Thanksgiving spirit. This year, we made a handprint turkey pumpkin keepsake. It was easy to do, and now I have a lovely pumpkin decoration to display every year at Thanksgiving time.

I know I’ll love to remember how we painted their hands to make a turkey print. The kids will have fun seeing how much bigger their hand gets year after year. I have four boys, so I got a white craft pumpkin that was just the right size to fit all four of their handprints going all the way around.

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We used a variety of different metallic acrylic craft paints to create a colorful turkey handprint. I like how the metallic colors dry to a shimmery finish on the pumpkin.

For easier clean-up after our messy paint activity: I covered our table’s work surface with a plastic tablecloth and provided wipes so the kids could wipe the paint off their hands. I also used paper plates as a paint palette and to hold any paint-covered foam brushes.

Thanksgiving Crafts: Handprint Turkey Pumpkin Keepsake Tutorial

Tools and Materials Needed:

• Craft Pumpkin
• Acrylic Paints
• Foam Brushes

Directions:

1. Use a foam brush to apply paint to the palm of a hand and fingers (see directions and photo below.) Use a different foam brush for each color.

How to make a turkey handprint: We used acrylic craft paints in a variety of colors to paint each child’s hand. The turkey’s body (hand palm) is brown, and each of the “feathers” (fingers) are painted different colors of red, gold, and copper tones.

2. Carefully press the painted hand to the desired spot on the pumpkin. Lift the hand away from the pumpkin, being careful not to smear the paint. Allow the painted pumpkin to dry completely.

Once you are finished putting handprints on the pumpkin, use wipes to wipe paint off of the hand and fingers. Easy as pumpkin pie!

For more fun ideas to do with your family, check out our deliciously gooey S’mores Cones, Star Wars caramel popcorn, and a fondue party.

What do you think about this Thanksgiving crafts idea? Have you ever made handprint keepsake crafts with your kids?