Use printable patterns to make a greeting card for Thanksgiving with a turkey pop-up inside. The project includes black-and-white and colored patterns for three Thanksgiving card designs. There is also a printable pattern for separate turkey pop-ups that can be added to your handmade or commercial cards.
This simple pop-up is easy enough for children to make, and offers enough flexibility for the creativity of teen and adult crafters. One of the cards includes a larger pop-up that requires more cutting skill.
Related crafts: For more pop-up cards and easy-to-make greeting cards, see the projects listed in Greeting Cards Kids Can Make.
Happy Thanksgiving's Day to you!
Choose the card design you want to make, and download the pattern. Each pattern has two pieces: the top piece is the outside of the card, and the bottom piece is the inside of the card. Print the pattern on white paper or cardstock. The card will be sturdier if it is made with cardstock.
Tip: You can also add a turkey pop-up to any handmade or commercial card using the Separate Pop-Ups pattern below. This pattern includes turkey pop-ups in four sizes; the largest size fits the cards made in Aunt Annie's greeting card tutorials, including the Leaf Silhouette Cards. To use these pop-ups, pick one that fits inside your card and follow the directions below for making the pop-up and gluing it inside a card.
Patterns are Adobe PDF files. The Adobe Reader is available for free.
All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5"x11" or A4). When printing from Adobe Reader, you may need to select Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.
Pick any colors you like to color the card. Most turkeys are brown, white, or a variety of earth tones. You might color the body brown, the gobbler red, the beak yellow, and the feathers in reds, oranges, and yellows.
Tip: You may want to write a message on the inside of the card now.
Cut out each pattern piece on the solid black outline. Try to make your cuts very straight. The card will look better and fit together more easily with straight edges.
Tip: It is easier to make straight cuts with a craft knife and ruler. Protect the table with thick cardboard or a cutting mat. Place the ruler along the line being cut, then carefully draw the craft knife along the ruler's edge. Be sure to keep your fingertips away from the knife. Kids, be sure to get adult help when using a craft knife!
Fold both card pieces in half on the center line. Fold them so that the marks are on the outside. If you are using cardstock, score the fold lines first.
Tip: Make a sharp crease by running your thumbnail firmly along the fold.
Take the card's inside piece—the one with the turkey folded in half. Cut away the gray areas only. That is, with the paper folded, cut around the turkey's head and under the gobbler and down the breast. Do not cut the fold from under the beak to the end of the gobbler.
Fold the pop-up back and forth along the dotted line.
Larger pop-up: This step is slightly different for the card with the larger pop-up—cut away the gray areas and cut on the darker lines between the two rows of feathers in the tail. Fold the pop-up back and forth along the dotted line in the tail.
Unfold the card's inside piece, and refold it the opposite way. Open the card and pull the pop-up toward you, changing the pop-up from a valley fold to a mountain fold. Fold the card in half and press to sharpen the creases.
Put glue on one half of the inside piece. Slide the two card parts together. That is, put the pop-up piece inside of the card's outside piece. Press. Turn the card over, and put glue on the other half of the inside piece. Press again.
Tip: Be careful not to get any glue on the turkey pop-up.
Your card is now complete! Open it to see the pop-up.
Tip: Cards can be made with regular paper, glossy photo paper, or cardstock.
Tip: The card with the larger pop-up includes the turkey's tail in the pop-up. You can further enhance the pop-up by snipping down about ½" between the feathers and curling them over a round pencil. You can also glue the turkey's beak and wattle together and then cut away the white area below the beak.
Tip: The cards can be made without the turkey pop-ups. Print the patterns directly on cardstock or glue the card front to another layer of paper.
Tip: Add the separate turkey pop-ups to Leaf Silhouette Cards or other handmade card from the Card Class Tutorials.
Tip: For more creativity, use colored pencils or markers to color the black-and-white card patterns.
