Thanksgiving Craft: Turkey Placeholder

A few years ago, our church liaison for our local Mothers of Preschoolers group shared with us one of their Thanksgiving family traditions. Each year before the Thanksgiving dinner, everyone in their family makes a "turkey" using an apple, toothpicks, spice drops and construction paper. Later at the meal, these turkeys serve as placeholders.

I thought that it was a cute idea at the time but Ella was still rather young to do it. Then, two years ago, Ella was nearly three so I thought that we'd give it a try. I was heavily pregnant with Lucie so we decided to stay closer to home and celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. It was a more subdued holiday -- Mom was away supporting her sister through breast cancer treatment, Dad had decided to start some kitchen remodeling just days before Thanksgiving, and my sister Jessica was still living halfway across the country with her brood. So, it was just out little family along with my Dad, my two brothers and my sister Jamie. Despite the fact that Ella was the ONLY child at Thanksgiving, I still insisted that everyone make a turkey. At first I wasn't sure how my brothers or father would take to the idea, but actually everyone participated and we had a good time. Granted, my brothers were excited about the prospect of seeing how far their turkeys could fly across the wash behind my parents house, but they still made them! It made for a sweet memory. I'm hoping to try these again this year with my husband's family. I'm not sure that I could convince all 17 of them to make turkeys, but I think I'll try to get the kids to make them.

Turkey Placeholders

Supplies Needed:

Red Delicious Apples

Toothpicks

Spice Drop (or Gum Drop) Candies

Brown Construction Paper or Cardstock

Markers

1. Make a turkey neck/head out of brown paper or cardstock. Draw an eye on both sides and a red wattle. (You can also use red paper for the wattle if you wish.)
2. Lay the apple on its side and cut a slit on the stem end of the apple. Stick in the paper head.
3. At the other end of the apple, use two toothpicks for legs to stablize the turkey on the bottom.
4. On the top, make as many "feathers" as you like by skewering the spice drops on toothpicks and sticking them into the apple.
5. Use your finished turkeys as place holders at your Thankgsiving meal!