craft | DIY

How to Make Your Own Turkey Shirt for Thanksgiving

Raise your hand if you were perpetually put at the “kids table” during family holiday meals.

step2-blog-thanksgiving-turkey-shirt-raising-hand

We were too! This year you can make your child be the talk of the “kids table” with this easy to make turkey shirt inspired by Artsy-Fartsy Mama.

What you need:

  • Brown t-shirt (this is not easy to find in the kids section – we took a white shirt and dyed it brown with fabric dye)
  • Scissors
  • Felt (white, black, orange and red)
  • Iron
  • Surface to use iron
  • Heat’n Bond
  • Ribbon (optional)
  • Safety pin (optional)

step2-blog-thanksgiving-turkey-shirt-supplies

1. Iron the wrinkles out of your t-shirt and leave laying flat.

2. Use your white piece of felt to fold and measure how big you want the turkey’s eyes to be. Note: With different sized shirts for different sized kids, the eye size will also vary.

3. Cut out one of the eyes from the felt and use it as a guide for the second eye.

4. Place the eyes on the shirt and use the black felt to determine how big you want the turkey’s iris to be. Cut out the iris and use it as a guide for the second iris.

5. For the beak, we used the corner edge so we only had to cut one straight line. Judge the size of the beak the same way you did with the eyes.

6. Next you will need to cut the red felt for the turkey’s wattle. We folded our felt in half so the sides were symmetrical.

step2-blog-thanksgiving-turkey-shirt-2

7. Bond the felt to the t-shirt. You could also sew them onto the t-shirt, but we went the route of using a Heat’n Bond product.

8. Open the sheet of heat n bond and lay out your felt pieces. Cut the heat n bond to be the same size, or slightly smaller than your felt piece. Iron the heat n bond onto the left by ironing the paper. Peel away the paper and lay the felt pieces onto your t-shirt. When all the felt pieces are laid out, press them down with the iron for about 8 seconds.

9. Add a bow! This step is optional. We used a 15 inch piece of ribbon and tied it like you would tie your shoe lace. Attach a pin through the back of the ribbon and onto your shirt and you’ll be ready to do a turkey trot!

How to Make Your Own Turkey Shirt for Thanksgiving

Pin it this for later

DIY Turkey Shirt for Kids - Fun Thanksgiving idea! Crafts and more on the Step2 Blog.

What is your best memory from the “kids table?”

Most recent
The Best Outdoor Furniture for Young Families
Top 5 Safety Features Every Parent Should Look for in Kids' Kitchen Stools
Creating a Child-Friendly Kitchen Space: Tips and Tricks