How to Make Turkey-Themed Thanksgiving Place Cards

How can you add to the enjoyment of a Thanksgiving table? Elevate the ambiance by creating turkey-themed Thanksgiving place cards. It is a delightful way to add a personal touch to your holiday table.

Thanksgiving dinner is the most special meal every year. We plan, prepare, and think about this meal more than any other. We think about the food, the guests, and setting a pretty table with Thanksgiving-themed decor and color.

Now is the time to start making any DIY items for the table, such as place cards, napkin rings, centerpiece, wreath, things for kids.

I have a thing for place cards. They add an element of sophistication and elegance, even for a casual gathering.

These charming crafts not only help guests find their seats but also serve as festive decor that embodies the spirit of Thanksgiving.

Imagine your guests smiling as they discover their names nestled on your beautiful Thanksgiving tablescape, making your gathering feel even more special.

Today is Creative Craft Blog Hop Day. Nine DIY bloggers are sharing a fall project that you can recreate yourself. Our hostess this month is Donna of Modern on Monticello who is sharing an easy fall door hanger project.

Are you joining me from Allyson of Southern Sunflowers? She is sharing a fun Halloween ghost craft.

Why make these place cards? They are a fun and engaging activity that can involve the whole family, even kids.

Whether you want to envolve the family in making these easy turkey-themed Thanksgiving place cards or make them yourself, crafting fosters creativity and anticipation for the feast ahead.

These place cards can even double as conversation starters! Or give them to your guests to take home as a little party favor.

Join me as we dive into this easy DIY project that will surely impress your guests and enhance your Thanksgiving celebration!

Supplies to Make Turkey Place Cards

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We are hosting Thanksgiving this year and there will be a total of eight of us.

To get started, gather the following materials:

• Printable turkey template: you have two options – see below*
• Construction/cardstock/heavy art paper (white, brown, red, orange)
• Paint in fall colors: I used my favorite metallic paints. Or colored markers or pens, such as Flair pens or Tombow pens. Both of these are my favorites.
• Small sharp craft scissors
• Cricut cutting machine or turkey cookie cutter*
• Small paint brushes
• Colored markers – for writing names; I used my Tombow handwriting pens
• Pencil
• Craft paper or newspaper to cover your work surface

Preparing Your Turkeys Place Cards

The first step to make this easy place card is to make a basic turkey paper cut out.

You will need heavy-weight paper. Heavy cardstock, poster (or tag) board, or heavy art paper are your best options.

You need to find a turkey pattern that you like. It should be at least 3 – 4 inches “square”.

Where to find a template for your turkey? You have a few options:

• picture in a coloring book
• image online that you can print and cut out.
• a turkey cookie cutter to use as a template. I actually bought a turkey cookie cutter to use as a template for an air dry clay project. This would also make a great template for the placecard.

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NOTE: If you are using an image from a template or the cookie cutter choice, you will need a pencil and very sharp craft scissors. The Friskars craft scissors are my favorite. They are great for getting into small spaces, like the feet of the turkey.

• use a Cricut cutting machine to find a turkey design and cut out the turkeys. This is the option I chose. I love using my Cricut machine for this type of project.

With the Cricut, this step was so easy.

I searched for a turkey design that I liked in Cricut Design Space and duplicated the image (I would cut out four designs on the art paper) and prepare it for cutting. Then I would repeat a second time.

Here is the image of the four turkeys on the mat in Cricut Design Space.

The second step is to cut out the number of place cards you need. I needed eight place cards.

I attached the piece of heavy art paper (which is 11 X 14 inches instead of the usual 12 X 12 cardstock) onto the Cricut mat. Then I loaded the mat into my Cricut machine.

I decided to use white paper for a bright pop that would stand out from the fall colors on my table.

With a Cricut, it’s important to set your paper type correctly. After setting my dial at cardstock, I moved the dial to the heaviest paper setting and it cut the turkeys out perfectly.

The turkeys popped out of the paper easily.

I cut off the excess paper and put it in my paper stash for other projects.

Now I was ready to paint the turkeys

Decorating Your Turkeys

To give color to the turkey, I painted the beak, the feathers and the feet. You could use markers or pens instead.

I used my favorite metallic paint.

I picked four fall colors in Rich Espresso, Metallic Copper, Metallic Bronze, and Metallic Orange. These would imitate the color of turkey feathers and be pretty on my Thanksgiving table.

First, I painted the beak and the feet Metallic Orange. I missed one turkey, but colored the beak later.

Next I used all four colors to paint the feathers

I alternated the four colors. I went back and gave the feathers two coats.

Next, I gave the turkeys an eye using my brown Tombow pen. I had already put away the paints so I added the missing beak using an orange Tombow pen.

I am really pleased with the simplicity and the colors of the turkeys.

Adding Names to Turkey Place Cards

Next came adding the names. of our family members to the place cards.

It’s been quite a while since I used my handwriting skills. I didn’t want to accidentally mess up the place cards by writing directly on them.

I practiced my handwriting skills for a bit. Then I wrote everyone’s name on Avery file labels that I had in my office.

I have plenty more label sheets so I may work on the labels and redo the names before Thanksgiving.

I cut off excess white label around the name with my small craft scissors and stuck them to the turkey.

Finishing Touches

The final step was to make a “stand” to support the turkey-themed Thanksgiving place cards.

I cut pieces of leftover white paper to 1 X 4 1/2-inches.

You could use double-stick tape, glue or scotch tape to attach the stand to the back of the turkey place cards. I just used clear scotch tape. It was the easiest solution.

I haven’t set my table for Thanksgiving, but I did make a new fall centerpiece for the dining room table. I used that space for my “photo-shoot”.

I’ll share the rest of our hutch and how I created the centerpiece for fall in another post.

These turkey-themed Thanksgiving place cards turned out so cute. They were so easy to make and will give a nice pop of color to the table.

Even better? I didn’t spend a penny on these Thanksgiving placecards. I had every supply I needed.

TIP: Always check your DIY supply stash before you begin a project.

More Place Card Ideas

Displaying turkey-themed place cards can enhance your Thanksgiving table’s aesthetic and make the dining experience more engaging.

Here are some more ideas to dress up your tablescapes with placecards.

• 5 Easy DIY Halloween PlaceCard Ideas
• Cute and Easy Holiday PlaceCards
• Mamma Mia Beachy PlaceCards

Your turkey-themed place cards will not only serve their purpose but also enhance the overall atmosphere of your Thanksgiving celebration.

Take a look at the other projects shared on this month’s Creative Craft Blog Hop. Begin with Terrie of Decorate with Tip and More.

I hope that you’ll PIN this placecard idea for your own table. Follow me on Pinterest and check out these Pinterest Boards. Thanksgiving Tablescapes, Fall Tablescapes, Thanksgiving DIY Ideas.

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