Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath Craft

Looking to add an extra touch of festive flair to your Thanksgiving decorations this year? Look no further than the Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath! This charming and whimsical wreath is a perfect way to welcome guests into your home with a touch of seasonal cheer. The wreath features vibrant autumn colors and a cute turkey centerpiece that will surely bring a smile to everyone's face. Whether you hang it on your front door or use it as a centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table, this Turkey Wreath is sure to be a delightful addition to your holiday decor. So, why not add a fun and friendly flair to your Thanksgiving celebration this year with this adorable and unique Turkey Wreath?

Supplies:

• Foam wreath. You can pick any size you want. I went small.
• FolkArt outdoor acrylic Paint – Maple Syrup, Lemon Custard yellow, Licorice black
• Styrofoam ball medium for the turkey head – measure it next to the wreath you pick to ensure the correct size
• Styrofoam cone small for the turkey beak – again measure it next to the styrofoam ball for proper size
• Two Small styrofoam balls for the eyes – measure against other items to ensure proper proportion
• 1 red craft foam sheet
• Brown Yarn
• 25 yards Red Tulle
• 25 yards Orange Tulle
• 25 yards Brown Tulle
• 25 yards Yellow Tulle
• Toothpicks
• Hot Glue gun and Hot Glue
• 3 Foam Paint Brushes
• Fabric Scissors
• Length of Cardboard

Step 1: Paint

The first thing to do is to get the styrofoam pieces painted. The larger round ball, cone, and small round balls.

Use the maple syrup acrylic paint to paint the large round ball. This will be the Turkey’s head.

Since it is styrofoam you can’t really brush like a normal painting. Its texture is too rough. Simply dab it around and work to make the painting even.

Since it is circular, add toothpicks into the base to create a stand where the ball can dry without resting on a surface.

Paint the Cone with the Lemon Custard acrylic paint. Again create a base with toothpicks so it can stand and dry.

Finally, using the black acrylic paint, you will paint just a small area in the front of each of the smaller circles. These will be the pupils of the eyeballs.

I had an extra cone around, so I inserted one toothpick into the back of each eye and inserted it into the spare cone to give the eyes a spot to dry.

Allow a minimum of 1 hour to dry. Check to ensure each item is completely dry and not tacky to the touch before moving on.

Step 2: Cutting the Tulle

This can be a very tedious process. But there is a trick to cutting up the tulle. Decide how fluffy you want your “feathers” to be. You need tulle long enough to tie around the wreath, but short enough to fluff out after being tied.

You can usually do well with tulle between 16-20″ in length. Try different pieces and decide which length you like best once it is tied on.

When you know the length of the tulle you want, cut out a strip of cardboard with a box cutter from a spare shipping box.

Wrap the tulle around the length of the cardboard, over and over again. You will count until you have about 30 strips (not complete circles) wound around the cardboard.

Use the scissors and trim off the spool. Then cut at the opposite ends of the cardboard. You just cut 30 strips of tulle in less than 5 minutes!

I used 30 strips of yellow, orange and brown tulle. But because I wanted to start and end with Red, I used 35 strips of red tulle.

Step 3: Wrap The Yarn

I used to say tying all the tulle in place took the longest when doing a tulle wreath. But I take it back! Wrapping yarn around a wreath is much more time-consuming! So, get comfortable for this next step.

Lay the wreath flat. Estimate how much of the Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath craft you want to show as the “chest” or underside of your turkey. Mark it with a pen.

I aimed for slightly less than 1/3 of the circle.

Then secure the end of the yard on one end with hot glue.

Wrap the yarn around the wreath. Keep the yarn taut as you go to ensure a smooth wrapping.

When you reach your 2nd mark, trim the yard and secure the end with more hot glue.

Step 4: Tie the Tulle

Decide which pattern of colors you want your tulle to have on your Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath. I decided to go in a Red, Yellow, Orange, Brown pattern.

Layout the tulle strips in the color pattern of your choice.

Begin tying the tulle onto the wreath. Start at one end of the yarn and work your way around the wreath to cover the area where the styrofoam is still visible.

Tie on five strips of each color. Then tie on 5 strips of the next color. And repeat this process until you are out of tulle or you are all the way around to the other end of the yarn.

Once you have all the tulle strips attached, adjust the “tightness” of the colors around the wreath. If one batch of red appears a little squished, adjust the other tulle around it to give it a little more room.

Then fluff all the tulle ends to give the look of fluffy feathers.

Step 5: Attach the Head

Insert 1-2 toothpicks into the base of the round ball you painted brown.

Add a little hot glue on the base of the styrofoam ball near the toothpicks.

Insert the toothpicks into the wreath in the center of the yarn section.

Push until the toothpicks are fully submerged into the wreath and the turkey head is solid against the yarn. The glue should help secure the head to the wreath.

Using the turkey beak cone as a size gauge, cut a strip of red foam that is the same width as the cone, but double the length. This will be the Snood of the Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath.

Cut a Snood shape out of the red foam sheet. I free-handed the cutting.

Place hot glue on the tip of the back of the Snood and then attach it to the center of the turkey head. You can place it at an angle if you so desire.

Insert a toothpick into the center of the back of the Turkey Beak. Add Hot Glue to the base around the toothpick.

Insert the toothpick through the top of the snood and into the turkey head.

Push until the turkey beak is securely attached to the head. It will overlap the snood.

Now add 2 toothpicks to the head where you want the eyes placed.

Attach the eyes to the toothpicks to ensure they look right. If not adjust the toothpicks or the eyes on the toothpicks.

Once you get the eyes right, then add hot glue to the bottom of the eyes and reattach to the toothpicks to glue them into place.

Step 6: Hang

Create a “hanger” from more tulle. Decide which patch of tulle is directly center above the turkey head and cut a length of tulle.

Work attaching the tulle in the middle of the patch of tulle that matches the color.

Create a hook with the tulle. Secure both ends and work it to the back of the tulle.