{"title":"How to Make a Paper Turkey","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/paper-crafts/how-to-make-a-paper-turkey","category":{"slug":"paper-crafts","name":"Paper Crafts"},"creator":{"name":"Light Skull","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoGvlCkJwwciqDGHUIuUCFA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCCQ8YT7FDY"},"tldr":"Make a 3D construction paper turkey that stands on its own. Ten photo steps, a free body template, and a fix for a spreading tail.","totalDurationSeconds":675,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["scissors","craft knife","cutting mat","pencil"],"materials":["red construction paper","orange construction paper","yellow construction paper","brown construction paper","glue stick","white school glue"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cut Out the Paper Turkey Body From Folded Brown Construction Paper","text":"Fold the 4 inch brown square in half so it is 2 x 4 inches. Trace the body from the free template with the flat edge on the fold, then cut along the line through both layers. When you open it up, you get a horseshoe shape: two matching halves of the turkey joined at the bottom."},{"number":2,"title":"Cut a Slit in the Turkey Body Notch So It Stands Up","text":"Fold the little notch at the bottom of the body so it sits flat. Slice a short slit into it between the two layers with a craft knife. It opens into a small T, and that T is what lets the turkey stand on the table. Work on a cutting mat so the blade does not mark the table underneath."},{"number":3,"title":"Glue the Two Halves of the Paper Turkey Body Together","text":"Open the body out flat. Rub a glue stick over one half, stopping short of the notch at the bottom so the stand can still open. Close it up and press the two halves together. Now you have one solid turkey shape, a head and body with a split base."},{"number":4,"title":"Fold the Yellow Paper Square Into a Turkey Beak","text":"Fold the 1 inch yellow square corner to corner into a triangle. If your square is not quite square, that is fine. Snip off one corner so the beak can sit closer to the face. That snipped triangle is your beak. Crease the center fold hard with a fingernail, because the beak opens along it in the next step."},{"number":5,"title":"Glue the Paper Beak Onto the Turkey Face and Add the Stand","text":"Open the beak up. It looks a bit like a Superman symbol. Put glue stick on the two inside flaps and press it over the front of the turkey head. Then glue the small brown stand piece to the base, glue on its two sides only. Test it. He should sit up and lean back a little."},{"number":6,"title":"Accordion-Fold the Red, Orange and Yellow Paper Feather Strips Together","text":"Stack the three feather strips. Make a small fold across one end, flip the stack over, and fold back the other way. Keep flipping and folding until you reach the end. Folding them together means every strip has the same pleats, so they nest neatly inside each other. Press each crease flat before the next one."},{"number":7,"title":"Glue the Accordion Feather Strips Together With White Glue","text":"Open the strips out. Run white glue along the edge of one strip and overlap the next one onto it, pleat into pleat. Overlap more than you think, and add a dot of glue at each end. Check that the gap is even from end to end before you press it flat, then let it dry."},{"number":8,"title":"Accordion-Fold the Paper Turkey Legs and Glue Them On","text":"Fold the two thin leg strips into small accordions. They do not need to be neat. Dab a little glue stick onto the top of each leg and press it to the bottom of the body, as close as you can. Angle both legs out a little so the feet make a small V."},{"number":9,"title":"Pinch the Paper Feather Fan and Slide the Turkey Body In","text":"Fold the dry strips back into an accordion, yellow side toward you. Squeeze the bottom and press the middle pleats so the top fans out. Put glue on both flat sides of the body, find the middle pleat of the fan, and pinch the fan closed round the turkey. Hold it for a few seconds while the glue grabs."},{"number":10,"title":"Glue the Base of the Paper Turkey Fan Tail So It Holds Its Shape","text":"If the fan is spreading too much, put a small drop of white glue between each pleat at the bottom and squeeze them together. Do the back as well if you need to. Hold it for a moment and your turkey is done. Stand him on the table or pin him up."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-09-24T15:34:05.517Z","published":"2026-09-24T15:33:57.263Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}