Gobble! Turkey Centerpiece for your Thanksgiving Table

Create DIY turkeys for your Thanksgiving table from inexpensive materials. Collect some pine cones, acorns and turkey feathers from the yard. If you don’t have turkeys running around purchase feathers and colorful leaves from your local craft store. You’ll also need a scissors, hot glue gun, glue sticks and small beads for eyes.

It was good to work on a plastic folding table as the spilled hot glue was easy to clean up. Otherwise protect your table with a paper covering.

After gathering all your supplies, put 3 large leaves in the back of each pine cone. Check to see how the pine cone naturally sits on it’s side, and glue the three leaves down into the spaces between the pine cone leaves on the top. Use a bit of glue to hold the leaves against one another and let the glue set by standing them on their bottoms.

The next layer is to put in the larger feathers right in front of the 3 leaves. Take an eye measurement and cut the feathers to the correct length before you glue, in order to nestle them into the base of the leaves. You can do some adjustments while the glue is warm.

Now in front of the turkey feathers, place the polka dot guinea hen feathers (or whatever you find at the craft store). Just dab a small bit of glue onto the pine cone leaves and simply set the feathers in place. Add as many as you like and let them float in front.

With the body completed, the acorn head needs to be secured and perched in a space somewhere at the top and front of the cone. Once the glue hardens, place a couple of beady little eyes on either side of the acorn.

If your kids or grand-kids are helping just make sure those little fingers keep away from the hot glue, by having them hold the tops of the leaves and feathers while you guide the bottoms into place.

Now for the centerpiece arrangement. I usually have decorative candles from previous years, but you may want to purchase some in a special fall color like these copper colored pillars. Try something you wouldn’t normally do and stretch your creative wings.