Goofy Gobbling Turkey

crayola supplies

Model Magic® Fusion™

household supplies

aluminum foil
modeling tools

Why

Gobble! Gobble! This whimsical Tom makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving table or any autumn holiday decoration!

Steps

1. Use these directions, and your own imagination, to sculpt a Thanksgiving turkey that can be a permanent centerpiece for your family’s fall holidays.
2. Scrunch aluminum foil into a round turkey body, long skinny neck, and a little head. Cover your turkey with a thin layer of Earthtone Crayola Model Magic® Fusion™ modeling compound.
3. Give the turkey a tuft of feathers around the base of his neck with a thin band of white Fusion compound. Use modeling tools such as plastic dinnerware to carve feather texture.
4. For legs, roll two small Earthtone Fusion ovals. Stick them to the bottom front of the turkey. Roll out two small yellow Fusion balls and stick them on the legs for feet. Use modeling tools to press in lines of texture. Roll out two sets of three small teardrops for toes. Join each set by the tip of the teardrops and press together. Press the toes on the ends of the feet.
5. Make two feathered wings out of large Earthtone Fusion ovals. Flatten them slightly. Make slits on one end and the sides. Separate the pieces between each slit and pinch the tips into pointy feather tips. Attach a wing to each side of the body with the feathers pointing frontward.
6. For a fanned tail, roll out a large Earthtone ball and flatten it. Cut off one edge. Roll out two long, skinny pieces of bisque Fusion. Wrap one piece around the top and sides of the curved part of the tail. Wrap the second piece inside the curve, about halfway down.
7. To make the feathers look realistic, start at the middle of the bottom of the circle to make lines halfway through the modeling compound up toward the top of the circle. Repeat all the way around the circle. Use your modeling tools to cut ridges into the end where the cuts end. Attach the front of your tail feathers to the back of the turkey so that the feathers face forward.
8. Pinch together two small triangles for a beak. Place on the turkey’s face. Add eyes. Roll out a long red Fusion teardrop. Hang it from the beak to make the turkey’s wattle.
9. Give your turkey a silly hat! Roll out a small, wide Black Stars Fusion cylinder. Flatten a small Black Stars ball for the brim. Place the hat on the brim. Add a buckle if you like, although black hats and shoes with buckles were not worn by Pilgrims. Then place the hat on your turkey’s head.
10. You could finish your turkey with a Fusion sign that has a goofy message. Attach the sign to your turkey with a thin Fusion rope or a short ribbon. Fusion air-dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.

When & Where

"Our grandkids enjoyed making a first Thanksgiving scene complete with turkeys, Native Americans, and Pilgrims. We found out that hat and shoe buckles were not worn until the 17th century, so we didn’t include them. "
- Lydia K., grandmother, children ages 7, 8, 10, and 12.

"We are always looking for fun holiday crafts for the girls to make as take-home decorations. This was perfect! "
- Melanie F., Girl Scout troop leader, ages 9 and 10.

Interesting Info

Centuries before the Europeans arrived in North America, Native Americans hunted wild turkey. In addition to eating the meat, they made turkey "callers" out of their wing bones. The feathers were used to decorate ceremonial clothing. The spurs on the legs of wild Tom turkeys were used on arrowheads and the feathers were used to stabilize the arrows.

Safety Guidelines

Crayola Modeling Materials including Crayola Model Magic®, and Model Magic Fusion™, Crayola Air-Dry Clay, and Crayola Dough—

Keep away from open flames. Do not use to make candleholders, hot plates, trivets, or other similar objects that will be used or placed near fire and other heat sources.
Do not put in an oven, microwave, or kiln.
Do not make into vessels/containers that will hold unpackaged food.
The use of modeling material to make items that look like food is discouraged for children younger than age 5 to avoid their confusion with real food.
Unless sealed with a water-resistant glaze, do not make projects exposed to or immersed in water, such as boats or outdoor bird feeders. They would disintegrate when exposed to moisture.
Crayola Dough—contains gluten (wheat flour) as an ingredient.
Crayola Air-Dry Clay, Crayola Model Magic and Model Magic Fusion are gluten-free. However, they are produced on the same machinery as Crayola Dough which does contain gluten. Although the machines are cleaned prior to the start of each production run, there is a slight possibility that trace amounts of gluten from Crayola Dough may be present in the other modeling compound products. For information regarding specific ingredients or allergic concerns, please call our Consumer Affairs department at 1-800-272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Modeling Tools—Use the least dangerous point or edge sufficient to do the job. For example, craft sticks, plastic knives and forks, and cookie cutters can cut or carve modeling materials.