"Season's Eatings!" Turkey Card

Here is something you can do with all those outdated spices in your pantry. I found this idea for a spice-covered hand print turkey, and decided to expand it into a Thanksgiving greeting card. Please note that this is not an edible craft, although your kitchen will smell quite lovely when you are done.

{Spice Hand Print Turkey by Mia, Age 4}

{Another Spice Turkey by Mia, Age 4}

Materials:

• white construction paper
• pencil
• newspaper (optional)
• white glue
• paint brush
• tray/plate to hold glue
• spices
• orange or yellow crayon
• black marker
• egg carton* (optional)

Directions:

1. Fold a piece of paper in half.
2. Trace your child's hand onto one side of the paper.
3. Draw a beak and wattle onto the thumb for the turkey's head.
4. If desired, cover work surface with newspaper to make clean-up easier. Pour a small amount of white glue onto a tray or plate and have your child "paint" it onto the entire turkey using a small paintbrush.
5. Let your child decorate the turkey with various spices. We used black peppercorns for eyes. Other spices included cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, apple pie spice, parsley, oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, and mustard. (I know that last one isn't really related to Thanksgiving, but I thought it would provide another color.) *Tip: I found that putting small amounts of each spice into a different section of an egg carton minimized the mess.
6. Gently shake off excess spices, and allow glue to dry.
7. Have your child add legs and feet to the turkey using an orange or yellow crayon. (Colored pencil or marker would work as well.)
8. Personalize your card and send "Season's Eatings!" to a loved one.