How To Make Gourd Gobble Gobbles!!

Autumn is here and I know you are asking yourselves, "What am I going to do with all those gourds I have lying around?" Okay, maybe not! But gourds and pumpkins are available in abundance in the fall, easy to find at farmer's markets, grocery stores, and maybe even your very own garden!

These natural ornamental delights make fall decorating simple and flood decorative bowls and centerpieces with rich fall colours! This is great for the interior design conscious mommy but what do your kids get out of it? Hopefully, they don't become projectiles in sibling warfare or substitute footballs. Instead add this fun craft to your Thanksgiving get together. {I know my American friends are wondering why I'm discussing Thanksgiving now but we crazy Canucks celebrate Thanksgiving this coming weekend}.

Materials:

1 roundish gourd or mini-pumpkin

1 Small Sheet of Fun Foam {to cut the feet from}

1 Large Pom Pom

2 Googly Eyes

Pieces of felt in red and orange or yellow

Dry Corn Husks {you could substitute with feathers, raffia, or construction paper}

Double sided sticky foam squares or double sided tape

White/Craft Glue

Scissors

How To:

1. Cut a beak shape from the orange or yellow felt {a triangle with a rounded top}. Also use the red felt to cut out the snood {ha, ha--I just learned that the fleshy dangly thing on a turkey's beak is called a snood!}.

2. Glue the beak, snood, and googly eyes onto the large pom pom to create the turkey's head.

3. Use the double sided sticky foam squares {you could use double sided tape or glue instead} and attach the head to one side of the top of your round gourd or mini-pumpkin.

4. Use your scissors to cut out a feet shape like the ones pictured here.

5. Use another double-sided sticky foam square to attach the feet to the bottom of your gourd.

6. Finally, attach the pieces of dry corn husk with a double-sided sticky foam square to the back side of your gourd to form the turkey's tail {if you cannot find corn husks substitute feathers, construction paper, or perhaps some wide pieces of raffia}.

You and your children have now created an adorable Gourd Gobble, Gobble {or as my youngest daughter calls hers, "The cute chicken"!} This would be a wonderful classroom Thanksgiving craft for all you teachers out there and can add fun to seasonal centerpieces! My kids love them and I hope yours will too!

HAPPY AUTUMN!