This darling little crochet turkey has completely stolen my heart. He’s cute. He’s squishy. He’s quick to crochet. So much to love!
I’ve been dreaming of crochet turkey design forever and honestly it was quite a challenge. Mostly it’s the back feathers that boggle the mind. How does one crochet something that conveys multi color feathers and yet translates well with crochet.
If you’ve spent any time looking at crochet turkey amigurumi, you know what I mean. A darling turkey body can get lost in crochet feathers that just don’t work. And don’t even get me started at how these feathers have to function: they must look good from the front and back and stand up in just the right way.
Enter the two things that make this project brilliant: A Super Bulky Weight yarn crocheted with a smaller than normal hook to give the piece just the right amount of stiffness. And the chenille style yarn. I’m a big fan of Premier Parfait Chunky yarn for this project.
Crocheting a turkey is a fun and festive way to decorate for the fall and Thanksgiving seasons With some yarn, a crochet hook, and basic stitches, you can make cute turkey stuffed animals, bunting, dish towels, and more Read on for a comprehensive guide on how to crochet your own turkey designs for autumn.
Supplies Needed
To crochet a turkey you will need
- Crochet hook (sizes G, H, I recommended)
- Worsted weight yarn in fall colors like brown, orange, yellow, red
- Stuffing or yarn scraps for filling
- Buttons, felt, or safety eyes for decor
- Tapestry needle for weaving ends
- Foam wreath form (optional)
Crochet Techniques to Know
Having a grasp of these basic crochet skills will help you make your turkey:
- Chain stitch, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet
- Changing yarn color
- Working in the round
- Increasing and decreasing stitches
- Sewing crochet pieces together
- Making appliques
How to Crochet the Body
The turkey’s plump body is often made by:
- Crocheting an oval shape flat or in rounds
- Increasing stitches at two points to create a rounded breast shape
- Using brown, orange, tan or yellow yarn for the realistic turkey body
- Working in single crochet then switching up yarn colors randomly or in stripes for a patterned effect
How to Crochet the Head
Key tips for making the turkey head:
- Crochet in a circle like an amigurumi ball using tan, brown or orange yarn
- Make the head about 1/3 the size of the body
- Add facial features like eyes and beak after finishing the head
- For extra detail, embroider or surface crochet the eyes, beak, nostrils
How to Crochet the Feathers
For lifelike feathers and tail:
- Make individual pieces for wings and tail then sew to body
- Vary yarn colors, using browns, yellows, oranges, and autumn shades
- Try different stitches like single, half double, or double crochet
- Increase stitches rapidly for a ruffled feather effect
How to Crochet the Wattle
The wattle is often:
- Worked in red or pink yarn
- Attached at the neck below the head
- Shaped like a small oval or teardrop
Creative Ways to Crochet a Turkey
You can crochet a turkey in many different ways:
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Stuffed Amigurumi – Make head, body, and appendages separately. Sew together and stuff.
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Granny Square Turkey – Make granny squares for the body and feathers. Assemble into a turkey shape.
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Turkey Wreath – Adorn a wreath form with overlapping feathers, turkey head, and fall embellishments.
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Bunting or Garland – Crochet turkey heads and alternate with leaves or other shapes. String together.
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Dish Towel – Applique or surface crochet a turkey onto a crocheted dish towel.
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Pillow Cover – Work a tapestry crochet or intarsia turkey motif on a crocheted pillow.
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Table Runner – Crochet a striped base then add surface crochet turkeys and fall details.
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Blanket – Follow a crochet throw pattern, adding an intarsia turkey square.
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Coasters – Crochet circles then embroider or applique on turkey features like head, feet.
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Oven Mitts – Embroider or applique a turkey design onto standard crochet mitts.
Finishing Touches
To complete your crochet turkey:
- Sew or stitch all pieces together and weave in ends
- Insert stuffing into body and head for dimension
- Add any details like eyes, beak, wattle or feet
- Consider buttons, felt, or fabric for whimsical turkey accents
- Add a ribbon loop for hanging as an ornament or decoration
- Block and steam the finished pieces for best presentation
With this guide, you’ll be ready to crochet a flock of fun turkeys for autumn! Show off your creativity and crochet skills with these festive turkey designs for Thanksgiving. From amigurumi stuffed animals to table toppers and more, a handmade crochet turkey makes a perfect seasonal decoration or handmade gift.
How to Crochet a Turkey
In this pattern we’ll first start with the colorful turkey feathers which are represented by a modified African Flower motif with a scalloped edge. Then we’ll move on to the head and body, which are worked in one piece. Then it’s on to all the details: the wings, beak, wattle, feet and top of the head feathers. Finally, we’ll sew the completed turkey body to the back feather piece.
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If you made my crochet bear snuggler, you might even have the teddy bear brown yarn leftover. Otherwise, pop over to Herrschner’s for the best pricing or Amazon. If you can’t locate a color, this Etsy shop seems to stock them all and has pretty fast shipping.
I especially love this squishy turkey head and body which is worked in 1 piece. The tummy has a few extra stitches for that adorable pudgy look.
The details on this little guy make all the difference. Designing with a bulky weight yarn can make it a challenge to get small pieces with a lot of detail. You’ll find the beak, feet, wattle and top feathers I’ve designed have very few stitches, but very intentional placement. It’s so fun and quick to crochet these little elements.
This little crochet turkey is going straight into my Thanksgiving Day decor. It would make a perfect gift for a little one (just make sure to embroider the safety eyes if giving to a very young child). All the adults in my life are loving this crochet turkey too so consider gifting to your adult family and friends too. I can see it being an easy make for a craft show too.
My gauge is 6 sc to 2 inches. However, gauge is not important in this pattern. You may use other weights of yarn. Adjust hook size to fit your needs.
Resources and crochet tutorials you may find helpful in following this pattern: Crochet Abbreviations, US to UK Crochet Conversion Chart. Find links to stitches and basic crochet skills on the “Tutorial” menu: Getting Started will show basic stitches such as the slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet stitch and chain stitch used in many patterns and Crochet Stitch Dictionary shows our growing collection of crochet stitch tutorials.
- ch = chain
- dc = double crochet
- hdc = half double crochet
- sc = single crochet
- sl st = slip stitch
- st = stitch(es)
Long Single Crochet (long sc): A long single crochet is worked exactly like a regular single crochet stitch, but instead of working into the current row, you drop down and work into a lower row beneath. Simply insert the hook into the designated spot and pull up a loop so that the top of the stitch is exactly where the top of the stitch would be in a normal single crochet. Then yarn over and pull through both loops, just like a normal single crochet stitch.
