Thanksgiving Hat Crafts for Kids

Turn a Thanksgiving feast into a paper hat.

Instead of pilgrim hats or native head wear, create hats that represent other aspects of a traditional Thanksgiving. Keep the kids entertained during the festivities with these crafts. Make it a family event and have a Thanksgiving hat-judging contest after all the hats are completed.

Turkey Hat

Use brown construction paper to make a band that fits around a child's head. Staple or tape the ends together to make a circle. Cut a turkey head shape ( a large teardrop shape works for the head.) and a red paper wattle for the front of the hat. Make tall autumn-colored feathers, using real feathers, for the back of the headpiece and attach them so they stand up. For a sturdier alternative hat, make the headband, face and wattle out of craft felt and sew or glue the pieces together. To make the paper or felt turkey glitter, glue sequins around the outside of the headband.

Food Hat

Celebrate the feast with a hat that represents various traditional Thanksgiving foods.

Make a corn hat by coloring and cutting out paper ears of corn. Glue or tape them together to form a tall corn stovepipe-shaped hat or make a headband out of corn. Instead of drawing the corn kernels, add pieces of dried popcorn kernels glued in place. Use a stiff piece of cardboard and add a photo or drawing of a pumpkin pie to the top. Punch a hole on either side to tie ribbon, string or cord through to hold the hat on.

Make a cornucopia hat by rolling a piece of brown construction paper into a cone shape. Add clean autumn leaves on the outside of the hat or use paint or markers to draw a basket-weave look on the outside of the cornucopia. Fill the cornucopia with cut-out paper drawings, paintings or magazine photos of pumpkins, squashes, apples, corn and other Thanksgiving foods, glued or taped in place. Poke two holes in the bottom and thread yarn through them to hold the hat on.

Prayer Hat

Trace handprints on construction paper and cut them out. Write something on each hand that the children are thankful for or have them write it themselves. Give each child a pile of round, square or oval pieces of drawing paper and colored pencils or crayons about 3 inches to 4 inches in size. For each shaped piece of paper, tell them to draw a small picture of things they are giving thanks for on Thanksgiving. Ideas include: drawings of each family member (human and animal), a house, food, toys, books, a car or anything else they consider special. Instead of drawn pictures, provide photos, magazine cutouts or print pictures from the Internet they can glue to the shapes. Attach them to a paper headband with glue or staples.