Thanksgiving M&M Turkeys

On to the gobblers!

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!