DIY Turkey Wreath That Everyone Will Love!
While this year may be different for Thanksgiving and the usual traditions, your door can still look festive and welcoming. Get creative and make this wreath then come in and make some artwork at the studio! (*or join a virtual class)
Cheers!
Supplies:
Foam wreath. You can pick any size you want. We went small.
Outdoor acrylic Paint – Brown, Yellow, Black
Styrofoam ball medium for the turkey head (*measure it next to the wreath you pick to ensure the correct size)
Styrofoam cone small for the turkey beak (*again, measure it next to the styrofoam ball for proper size)
Two Small styrofoam balls for the eyes (*measure against other items to ensure proper proportion)
1 red craft foam sheet
Brown Yarn
25 yards Red Tulle (& the same length of orange, brown, and yellow tulle)
Toothpicks
Hot Glue gunand Hot Glue
3 Foam Paint Brushes
Fabric Scissors
Length of Cardboard
Step 1: Paint
The first thing to do is to get the styrofoam pieces painted.
Paint the large round ball brown; This will be the Turkey’s head.
*Since it is styrofoam you can’t really brush like a normal painting. Its texture is too rough. Simply dab it around and work to make the painting even.
Since it is circular, add toothpicks into the base to create a stand where the ball can dry without resting on a surface.
Paint the cone yellow. Again create a base with toothpicks so it can stand and dry.
Lastly, paint a small circle in the centers of the smallest white styrofoam balls; This will be the pupils of the eyes.
((Allow a minimum of 1 hour to dry. Check to ensure each item is completely dry and not tacky to the touch before moving on.))
Step 2: Cutting the Tulle
This can be a tedious process, but there is a trick to cutting up the tulle. Decide how fluffy you want your “feathers” to be. You'll need tulle long enough to tie around the wreath, but short enough to fluff out after being tied.
You can usually do well with tulle between 16-20″ in length. Try different pieces and decide which length you like best once it is tied on.
When you know the length of the tulle, cut a strip of cardboard from a spare shipping box.
Wrap the tulle around the length of the cardboard, over and over again. You will count until you have about 30 strips (not complete circles) wound around the cardboard.
Use the scissors and trim off the spool, then cut at the opposite ends of the cardboard. You will cut 30 strips of tulle in less than 5 minutes! Yay!
We used 30 strips of yellow, orange, and brown tulle. (*Because we wanted to start and end with Red, we ended up using 35 strips of red tulle.)
Step 3: Wrap The Yarn
Wrapping yarn around a wreath is pretty time-consuming as well, but worth it!
Lay the wreath flat. Estimate how much you want to show as the “chest” or underside of your turkey, and mark it with a pen.
(*We aimed for slightly less than 1/3 of the circle)
Secure the end of the yard on one end with hot glue.
Wrap the yarn around the wreath, and keep the yarn taut as you go to ensure a smooth wrapping.
When you reach your 2nd mark, trim the yard and secure the end with more hot glue.
Step 4: Tie the Tulle
Decide which pattern of colors you want your tulle to have on your Thanksgiving Turkey Wreath. We decided to go in a Red, Yellow, Orange, Brown pattern.
Layout the tulle strips in the color pattern of your choice.
Begin tying the tulle onto the wreath. Start at one end of the yarn and work your way around the wreath to cover the area where the styrofoam is still visible.
Tie on five strips of each color, then 5 strips of the next color, and repeat this process until you are out of tulle or you are all the way around to the other end of the yarn.
Once you have all the tulle strips attached, adjust the “tightness” of the colors around the wreath. If one batch of red appears a little squished, adjust the other tulle around it to give it a little more room.
Lastly, fluff all the tulle ends to give the look of fluffy feathers.
Step 5: Attach the Head
Insert 1-2 toothpicks into the base of the round ball you painted brown.
Add a little hot glue on the base of the styrofoam ball near the toothpicks.
Insert the toothpicks into the wreath in the center of the yarn section.
Push until the toothpicks are fully submerged into the wreath and the turkey head is solid against the yarn. The glue should help secure the head to the wreath.
Using the turkey beak cone as a size gauge, cut a strip of red foam that is the same width as the cone, but double the length. This will be the ’snood’ (or wattle) of your turkey.
Cut a ‘snood' shape out of the red foam sheet (*We free-handed the cutting.)
Place hot glue on the tip of the back of the Snood and then attach it to the center of the turkey head. You can place it at an angle if you so desire.
Insert a toothpick into the center of the back of the turkey beak and add hot glue to the base around the toothpick.
Insert the toothpick through the top of the snood and into the turkey head.
Push until the turkey beak is securely attached to the head. It will overlap the snood.
Now add 2 toothpicks to the head where you want the eyes placed.
Attach the eyes to the toothpicks to ensure they look right. If not adjust the toothpicks or the eyes on the toothpicks.
Once you get the eyes right, then add hot glue to the bottom of the eyes and reattach to the toothpicks to glue them into place.
Step 6: Hang
Create a “hanger” from more tulle. Decide which patch of tulle is directly center above the turkey head and cut a length of tulle.
Work attaching the tulle in the middle of the patch of tulle that matches the color.
Create a hook with the tulle. Secure both ends and work it to the back of the tulle.
All Done! :)