Monday, November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving M&M Turkeys

I have many memories of making these cute turkeys for Thanksgiving. They look so bright and cheerful on the table as place settings. Just put the names on the feet so everyone knows where they are sitting.

Using one big handful of M&Ms for each, I was able to make 22 turkeys. You can make the turkeys much bigger if you like. I think everyone likes fat turkeys!!!!


Here is what you need:

3 medium bags of M&Ms- I do a mix of peanut and regular
orange card stock or construction paper
orange netting found at fabric stores (1 yard)
pipe cleaners
googly eyes
thread
scissors
hot glue gun

Directions:

1. Combine M&Ms into a bowl. Try not to eat. :)
2. Cut netting into 8 inch by 8 inch squares. Make them bigger if you want the turkeys fatter with more M&Ms.
3. Put a big handful of M&Ms in the center of the toile square.
4. Gather the corners and hold tightly close to the M&Ms. The tighter the better.
5. Have a partner double some thread and tie a tight knot at the base of the gather. Make sure that it is nice and tight so that there isn't much give around the candy. Now the body is done.

6. Take a pipe cleaner and at about an inch down, bend it and twist. Open the hole that you just made. This is the neck and head.
7. Take red pipe cleaner and cut an inch off. Twist that red pipe cleaner around the bottom of the hole that you made with the other pipe cleaner. This is the red hangy thing.
8. Apply googly eyes above the red red pipe cleaner. Yeah! The neck and head are done!

9. Now, just cut the long pipe cleaner so the turkeys neck is about 4 inches long and put the end close to tied part of the body and push in in through the netting.

10. Get your orange paper and make a foot pattern similar to the one I have shown. Place your turkey on top to see if it is proportional. Is so, cut it out with scissors and use it as a pattern for as many feet as you need to draw and cut out.
11. Cut the feet out and apply to the bottom on the turkeys with a dot of hot glue.

You're done! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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21 comments:

  1. they are cute and what a great easy idea!thanks

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  2. So cute! I was just trying to think of one last thing to put on Thanksgiving treat plates for friends. I'll make these with my kids. Thanks.

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  3. These look perfect for our household! Love them.

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  4. What a great idea! I love these :)

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  5. How adorable! I love the idea of place settings!

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  6. How cute! I love place settings and these are so fun...It would be hard keeping my kiddos out of those M&M's before dinner :)
    Happy Thanksgiving!

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  7. I have to do a Thanksgiving activity with my Cub Scouts tomorrow. I was planning on doing something else but this looks a lot easier for 8 year old boys to attempt. Thanks for the great idea!

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  8. Those are super cute! I bet kids would have a blast making them.
    ~ingrid

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  9. These are the cutest little turkeys ever! What a great idea :D

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  10. OMG...how darn cute are these. I would love to have them for place settings on the table for each guest. What a fun and fabulous idea!!!

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  11. We did end up making these with my Cub Scouts. It was so easy and the boys really liked them. Thanks for posting this!

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  12. Oh, how I wish I saw your post before Thanksgiving. This would be a perfect holiday treat for kids. I am going to have to remember this for next year.

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  13. if only I had checked your blog a week ago....seriously, how cute! My kids would have loved them. There's always next year right?

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  14. I never did tell you we made these. The boys loved "helping with the M&M's" most of all! They were really cute and fun. Thanks.

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  15. I remembered this from a few yrs ago when I came over to Amy' to see u. I wanted to do it this yr, but we were invited for dinner, so i took a break this yr from the big dinner, but I did have to make stuffing for 50 people. ;)

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