Tom the Turkey Pumpkin

Here's a crowd pleasing Thanksgiving centerpiece, made with craft foam and acrylic paint. This turkey made with foam pumpkins is a fun craft to do with kids. This turkey Thanksgiving centerpiece will surely evoke laughter and smiles from each of your guests. Create this pumpkin Thanksgiving centerpiece before the gourds go away for the season. A handmade Thanksgiving centerpiece like this is a great way to make use of pumpkins in a comical way.

Check out this project and more ideas in 17 Pumpkin Patterns: Free Projects for Halloween!

Materials:

DecoArt Americana Acrylics:
- DA114 - Light Cinnamon
- DA143 - True Ochre
Americana Brushes:
- DBF2575-B - Flat 3/4"
- DBF3008-B - Shader #8
Americana Matte Spray Sealer
Foam craft gourd, 10" long, 5 1/2" at widest part
3" felt top hat
Two 15-mm wiggle eyes
Foam plate
Lo-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Pencil
Scissors
Ruler
2/3 yard of 1 1/2" wide black grosgrain ribbon
Craft foam sheets: red, brown, green, orange, white, and purple
Foam filled pumpkin, 8" high x 10" wide
Pattern

If you're having the family over this year or just looking for more simple homemade Thanksgiving crafts to decorate your home and dining table with, these 12 Homemade Thanksgiving Crafts will help you create the perfect setting.

Instructions:

Preparation: Remove all stickers or tags from pumpkin before painting.
Remove stem from pumpkin. For turkey body, refer to photo for position and glue bottom of gourd to top of pumpkin. Fill in any remaining gaps between surfaces with glue.
Use flat brush and Light Cinnamon to paint gourd and pumpkin shape and let dry.
Use shader brush and True Ochre to paint stem for beak of turkey; let dry.
Spray turkey shape with Americana Matte Sealer and let dry.
Cut two 11" x 2 3/4" strips from red, orange, green, brown, and purple foam. Refer to photo and, on one end of each strip, cut rounded point for feather tips. (Use first one for pattern on others.)
Trace waddle pattern onto red foam; cut out shape.
Trace feet pattern onto orange foam; cut out shape.
Trace collar pattern onto white foam; cut out shape.
Slip round opening of waddle shape over beak and glue waddle that surrounds beak to head.
Wrap collar ends around neck, overlap ends, and glue between layers and between collar and neck. Trim excess ends at back if not aligned neatly.
Glue wiggle eyes to head, overlapping top of waddle.
Glue felt hat on top of head.
Refer to photo and glue back third of feet underneath turkey shape, with toes extending in front.
Tie ribbon into bow and trim ends evenly; seal ends of ribbon to prevent fraying. Glue knot of bow over center front of neck at top of collar.
To assemble tail feathers, overlap 1/2 ends of brown foam strips evenly with pointed ends outwards; glue together. Arrange remaining strips into fan shape, alternating colors and overlapping straight ends of strips at left corners, beginning at left side. Glue straight ends to brown base and glue between layers. Trim excess where tips extend off edge of brown strip.
Glue center of brown strip to back of turkey at upper center area of pumpkin around sides at back to fit shape. Glue center top of feather fan to back of neck over collar where it overlaps to hold feathers upright.