Thankful Turkey

 When me and my siblings were growing up my parents had a Thankful Turkey - it was very cleverly made out of an old butter tub that my mom flipper over and cut a slit in the bottom. My mom had made a turkey out of fabric that she put over the top. We would write things that we were thankful for on little papers and stick them in the slot. During breakfast on Thanksgiving day my dad would take the turkey cover off and open the container and read all the things that we had written all month and filled the container with.

We loved doing this as children and would writing just about everything that we could think of to see how full we could get our turkey. So, when I got married and had kids I thought that I needed one of these Thankful Turkey's to help my kids appreciate their blessings. I am not as good of a seamstress as my mom, so I changed the way I made my turkey.

 I went to the local craft store and picked up 4 different colors of fall felt, and a basket that would serve as the body. I then cut out the feathers and hot glued them to the back of the basket. There was a handle on one side of my basket so it made it easier to glue the feathers on. Then I cut the center piece - not exactly sure what you want to call it - and glued it onto the base of the feathers. I then figured out how I wanted my turkey's neck to look - I drew one on paper and asked Conan (my husband). He took my paper and altered my drawing significantly for the better and I then cut 2 in the shape of the neck. (He is the artistic one in the family.) I sewed them together and then turned them right side out and then filled it with batting. I tried to make it as full as I could get it because growing up our poor turkeys neck was always bent over. Also to combat this problem I stuck a craft stick in the neck. Then I hot glued it to the basket. For the little red thing that hangs down I used a red pipe cleaner all bunched up, and of course hot glued on.

Now all you have to do it cut strips of paper for you and you family to write what you are thankful for and you can start filling the basket of your Thankful Turkey.