Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family, eating delicious food, and expressing gratitude. One fun Thanksgiving tradition is decorating with wood turkey cutouts. These customizable wood cutouts allow crafters to let their creativity shine. In this article, we’ll explore wood turkey cutout options, craft ideas, and decor tips to make your Thanksgiving table pop.
A wood turkey cutout is a shaped wooden board cut in the silhouette of a turkey. They are sold unfinished, meaning they come bare and ready for you to paint, stain, or decorate as desired
Wood turkey cutouts range in size from just a couple inches to over a foot tall. Small cutouts work nicely as place cards, gift tags, or tree ornaments. Large turkey cutouts make a dramatic statement when prominently displayed.
These unfinished wood cutouts are commonly made from birch, poplar or MDF. MDF (medium density fiberboard) tends to be the most budget-friendly material. Birch offers a slightly rustic vibe with more texture and knots. Poplar is smooth and takes paint beautifully.
Where to Buy Wood Turkey Cutouts
Wood turkey cutouts can be purchased from many craft stores, big box stores, Etsy shops and online retailers like Amazon and Walmart. Prices range from a couple dollars for miniature cutouts up to $20-30 for special large or shaped designs.
Etsy offers handmade, unique turkey cutouts often carved from higher grade wood. Big box stores provide affordability and convenience. Weigh your options to get the right cutouts at the right price to suit your Thanksgiving decor goals and budget.
Design and Size Options
Wood turkey cutouts come in a diverse range of styles and sizes. Some considerations when selecting your cutouts include:
- Realistic vs. cartoonish: Do you prefer a lifelike turkey silhouette or a simplified, whimsical style? Both can be fun!
- Single turkey vs. scene: Do you want a solo turkey cutout or one that incorporates other elements like leaves, pumpkins, etc.
- Plump or slender: Plump turkeys with a rounded body have a cute, friendly look. Narrow turkeys appear more elegant and graceful.
- Small, medium or large: Choose size based on your decor placement – small for place cards, large for dramatic displays.
- Unique shapes: Look for creative offerings like a turkey flower vase, turkey wine bottle holder, or decorative Thanksgiving blessings sign.
Painting Techniques and Craft Ideas
Unfinished wood cutouts are the perfect creative blank canvas. You can paint or finish them in infinite ways. Here are some top turkey cutout craft ideas:
- Traditional fall tones: Paint your turkey and background warm autumn colors like orange, yellow, red, brown. Accent with black outlines.
- Metallic sheen: Coat your cutout in silver, gold, or copper metallic spray paint or rub n’ buff for a glam vibe.
- Wood burning: Use a wood burning tool to draw feathers and other details for a rustic etched look.
- Glitter and shimmer: Brush plastic-friendly glue onto your cutout and cover in glitter for sparkle.
- Ombre feathers: Paint feathers in a beautiful ombre fade from one color to the next.
- Folk art style: Get creative with funky patterns, textures and free-hand designs. Paints, markers, crayons are all options.
The ideas are endless! Turkey cutouts also make wonderful canvases for young kids to decorate.
Display and Decorating Ideas
Wood turkey cutouts come to life when you display them thoughtfully. Here are some top ways to decorate with your turkey cutouts:
- Sit a cutout at each place setting or write guests’ names on small cutouts for personalized place cards.
- Line your entryway, mantel or table with a row or flock of turkey cutouts.
- Prop cutouts on bookshelves, kitchen counters, cabinet tops to tie spaces together.
- Hang cutouts from ribbons on walls or windows for dimensional interest.
- Place large cutouts on the floor leaning against chair legs or walls as attention-grabbing accent pieces.
- Group cutouts with other seasonal botanicals like ornamental gourds, dried leaves, acorns, etc.
However you choose to display your wood turkey cutouts, they add a fun handcrafted touch to your Thanksgiving decor. Let your creative spirit soar this Thanksgiving with custom wood turkey cutouts made just how you like them. Your family and friends will gobble them up!
Turkey crafts are so fun for Thanksgiving. This unique turkey is made with mini wood slices and has glittery feathers made of washi tape.
Now that Halloween is out of the way, it’s time to focus on Thanksgiving! Today I’ve got a super cute Thanksgiving craft I want to share with you. I’ll show you how to make these adorable wood slice turkeys!
It’s an easy enough craft to make that kids could handle it. It would be so cute on your Thanksgiving table. And you can make them any size you want. AND… the most important factor: it has glitter, but not the messy kind that gets everywhere! Can I get three cheers for that?!
To make your own cute Thanksgiving turkeys, you will need:
- Mini Wood Slices
- Glitter Washi Tape in Red, White, Gold and Orange
- Googly Eyes
- Florist Wire
- Orange Cardstock
- Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks
STEP 1: Cut a strip of glitter washi tape 4-5 inches long. Cut a 3-4 inch piece of florist wire and place it in the center of the tape halfway up.
STEP 2: Fold the tape down on itself so that the wire is sandwiched inside. Cut the washi tape into the shape of a feather and make little slits along all of the edges.
STEP 3: Attach two googly eyes to the wood slice using hot glue. Cut a small triangle from orange paper and glue that to the wood slice also.
STEP 4: Attach the feathers to the back side of the wood slice using hot glue.
STEP 5: Hot glue a smaller wood slice onto the back side of the turkey. This covers up the spot where you glued the feathers on and helps the turkey to stand upright.
And that’s all it takes to make this cute Thanksgiving craft! Isn’t this little guy adorable?
He’d make a really cute place card holder at the Thanksgiving table. I just printed the names on cardstock, cut them out and glued them to a toothpick.
Or glue a napkin ring to the back and tada! The cutest Thanksgiving napkin you ever did see!
