November is almost here, and that means it’s time for turkey talk—literally! Let's make an upcycled turkey call craft. It's fun for all ages and will take your hand-turkey game to the next level.
Along the way, learn some of the wild traits that make turkeys so fascinating—like their wattles and snoods, and their superpower vision that lets them see ultraviolet light!
To start your craft, first gather your supplies.
Supplies
- Plastic cup (a clean, empty yogurt container works great, but any plastic cup will do)
- Strand of yarn, at least twice the height of your cup
- Paper clip (a bead or pop can tab works, too)
- Scissors
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Pen or pencil
- Cup of water
- Googly eyes (optional)
Directions
1. Prepare the cup.
Use scissors to carefully poke a small hole in the bottom of the cup. (Kids should get help from a grown-up for this step.)
2. Add the yarn and paper clip.
Using the pen or pencial, thread the yarn through the hole and pull most of it through.
Tie the paper clip to the short end of the yarn on the outside of the cup. When you hold the cup upside down, the paper clip should stop the yarn from slipping all the way through.
3. Test your turkey call.
Wet your fingers in the cup of water. Lightly pinch the yarn and pull downward while holding the cup in your other hand. With a little practice, you should hear a fun “honking” sound!
While it’s not quite a gobble, this noise mimics how turkeys “talk” to each other. Hens (female turkeys) often use similar sounds to communicate with toms (mature males). Young males are called jakes.
4. Make the body.
Cut a strip of brown construction paper to wrap around your cup.
Glue it in place. Don’t worry if the edges don’t meet perfectly—you’ll cover them up with your turkey’s tail.
5. Create the tail feathers.
Trace your hand on several colors of construction paper—red, orange, and yellow are fall favorites, but feel free to get creative! Turkeys can see ultraviolet light, so their feathers shine with colors and patterns we can only imagine. Get your whole family involved by tracing everyone’s hands to make a family turkey tail! Cut out the handprints and glue them together, slightly overlapping, to create a full, fanned tail.
Glue the tail to the back of the cup to cover the seam.
6. Make the head.
Draw and cut a large, oblong teardrop shape from brown paper for the head.
Cut a small triangle from the corner of yellow paper for the beak.
Cut a long, blobby shape from red or pink paper for the wattle, which hangs under a turkey’s beak. The wattle helps turkeys attract mates and regulate body temperature.
Add the snood—the floppy piece that drapes over the beak—by cutting a “bubble letter seven” shape from red or pink paper. Snoods, like wattles, help turkeys stay cool and look impressive during mating season. Both males and females have snoods, but they’re brighter and longer on toms.
7. Assemble your turkey!
Glue all the head pieces together.
Add googly eyes (or draw your own).
Attach the finished head to the front of your turkey body. Let everything dry.
You now have your very own turkey call! Next time you’re walking the trails at Dodge, keep an eye out for our wild turkey flocks. See if you can spot the hens, jakes, and toms—and their wattles and snoods in action.
Author: Naturalist Mary Dybvig
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