Footprint Turkey Craft: A Handprint Keepsake for Thanksgiving

There is something about tiny hands and feet that gets us every single time. They do not stay little for long, and this footprint turkey craft is our favorite way to freeze them in time. One little footprint becomes the turkey, a few painted handprints become the feathers, and you end up with a Thanksgiving keepsake you will want to pull out every single November.

It is easy, it uses supplies you probably already have in the craft bin, and it works for babies, toddlers, and big kids alike. We made ours on the kitchen floor and at the table in one morning, mess and giggles included.

What You’ll Need

Nothing fancy here. We already had everything on hand, which is exactly how we like a craft to go.

• White cardstock. It holds up to paint much better than printer paper.
• Crayola washable paint in brown, red, orange, and yellow.
• A paintbrush or foam brush for painting little hands and feet.
• Paper plates for your paint.
• Scissors (a grown up job).
• Glue stick.
• Googly eyes.
• Orange and red construction paper for the beak and wattle.
• Optional: colored cardstock for mounting and a marker for the name and year.

How to Make a Footprint Turkey Craft

Step 1: Make the Footprint

1. Brush a thin, even layer of brown paint over the bottom of your child’s foot. It tickles, so expect some wiggles!
2. Press the foot straight down onto white cardstock, gently press each toe, then lift straight up. We like to do both feet so we can pick our favorite print.
3. Wipe that little foot clean before it runs across your floor.

Step 2: Make the Handprint Feathers

4. Paint your child’s palm and fingers red. Have them spread their fingers wide and press down onto a fresh sheet of cardstock. Rest your hand on top of theirs and press each finger so the whole print shows up.
5. Wash up, then repeat with orange and yellow. We made two prints of each color for a big, full tail. One of each works great for smaller turkeys.
6. Let everything dry completely. This is a perfect time for a snack break.

Step 3: Cut and Assemble

7. Cut around the footprint and each handprint, leaving a thin white border. The border makes every print pop once they are layered.
8. Turn the footprint so the heel is at the top. The heel is the turkey’s head and the toes are the bottom of its body.
9. Fan the handprints out behind the footprint with the fingers pointing away from the body. We layered yellow and orange in the back and red in the front, then glued each one down.
10. Glue a googly eye onto the heel. Cut a small orange triangle for the beak and a little red squiggle for the wattle, then glue those on too.
11. Mount your turkey on colored cardstock if you like, and write your child’s name and the year. Future you will be so glad you did.

Why We Love This Craft

This footprint turkey is the kind of craft that ends up in the keepsake box instead of the recycling bin. Every year the feet and hands get a little bigger, and lining the turkeys up side by side is the sweetest way to see how much our kids have grown. It costs next to nothing, siblings can each make their own, and it doubles as Thanksgiving decor or a gift that will make grandparents tear up.

Tips for the Best Footprint Turkey

• Use a thin layer of paint. Too much paint smears and hides all those sweet little lines.
• Make extra prints. Some will smudge, and it is nice to have options.
• Let the prints dry completely before cutting so nothing smears.
• Write the name and year on the front or back right away. You think you will remember, and you will not.
• Frame it or laminate it so it lasts for years.

We hope this footprint turkey craft becomes a tradition at your house like it has at ours. Do you save your kids’ handprint crafts from year to year? Tell us in the comments, we would love to hear how you display them!

Looking for more easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids? Try our Bubble Turkey Craft or our Paint Smash Turkey Craft next.