If you’re looking for cute non-candy Thanksgiving turkey favors from teachers to kids, these little turkey erasers are such a fun alternative to handing out another bag of sweets. They’re colorful, useful, and easy to make with the paper and basic craft supplies you may already have in your classroom.
We’re turning popsicle-shaped erasers into tiny Thanksgiving turkeys using cardstock feathers, googly eyes, and removable adhesive dots. You can make a whole basket for your students, leave one on every desk, or hand them out before Thanksgiving break. And once the decorations come off, each child gets an eraser to use in their pencil case.
There’s no need to spend hours making elaborate favors, either. Prepare the little paper pieces in batches, decorate the erasers, and you’re done.
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Why Give Non-Candy Thanksgiving Favors to Students?
Between Halloween candy, classroom celebrations, and the holidays approaching, children often have plenty of sweets already. A non-candy favor gives them something cheerful to take home without adding another sugary treat.
It can also make classroom gifting simpler when you’re navigating food allergies and school rules about distributing snacks. These erasers are scented, though, so check age recommendations and any fragrance sensitivities before choosing them for your class.
And unlike a treat that disappears in a few bites, these funny little turkeys turn back into practical school supplies once the decorations are removed. I especially like that they feel festive without needing lots of expensive extras.
Supplies for These DIY Turkey Eraser Favors
The star of this craft is the colorful Raymond Geddes Sunday Pops kneadable eraser. Their popsicle shape and colorful tops make a particularly cute starting point for turkey faces. A bulk pack is convenient for a classroom, but any similarly shaped eraser with a smooth case could be worth trying.
- Popsicle-shaped erasers
- Removable or repositionable double-sided adhesive dots
- Orange, yellow, red, brown, and green cardstock or construction paper
- Small googly eyes, ideally self-adhesive
- Orange paper for the beaks and red paper for the wattles
- Scissors, a pencil, and ordinary paper glue
- Optional: markers or glitter pens for the feather details
- A basket and shredded kraft paper for displaying the finished favors
You can skip the glitter and use markers to draw the feather veins instead. Both look lovely, and markers are much less messy if you’re decorating a whole class set.
How to Make Thanksgiving Turkey Eraser Favors
These are simple enough to assemble in an afternoon. Make one sample first, though, so you know your removable adhesive dots come off cleanly and don’t stop the eraser’s lid from opening.
1. Cut Out the Colorful Paper Feathers
Draw a simple leaf shape on scrap paper, then use it as a template to cut six to eight feathers per turkey. Mix yellow, orange, dark red, olive green, and brown for a pretty autumn look. Make some a little longer than others for a fuller fan.
If you want extra detail, draw a line down the middle of each feather and add short branches with a glitter pen or ordinary marker. You don’t need to make them all identical.
2. Arrange the Feathers Into a Fan
Spread the feathers into a semicircle, alternating the colors. Glue their bottom ends onto a small paper backing piece so you have one finished feather fan instead of several loose pieces. Leave it to dry.
3. Prepare the Turkey’s Face
Cut an orange paper triangle for the beak and a tiny red teardrop for the wattle. Add two googly eyes, or draw eyes on white paper if you want to use what you already have.
Preparing all the eyes, beaks, and wattles in separate piles makes putting together 20 or 30 turkeys much quicker.
4. Attach Everything With Removable Adhesive Dots
Use removable adhesive dots to fix the paper feather fan to the back of the eraser’s case. Attach the face details to the front, keeping the lid seam clear so the eraser can still be opened. If you prefer, attach the face details to a small paper panel first and secure that panel to the case.
Avoid permanent glue on the eraser itself. Test one assembled turkey to check that the paper decorations peel away without sticky residue, particularly if the plastic has printing or a delicate surface.
5. Arrange the Finished Turkeys for Your Class
Once you’ve decorated the erasers, arrange them in a shallow basket lined with shredded kraft paper. Let the bright paper feathers peek out over the top. You could also place one on each student’s desk as a little surprise before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Budget-Friendly Ways to Make a Whole Classroom Set
You don’t need to buy a separate sheet of specialty cardstock for every favor. Leftover construction paper scraps are perfect for turkey feathers, and you can use any combination of warm autumn shades.
For the cheapest version, draw the eyes instead of buying googly eyes, skip the glitter, and use a little ordinary paper glue only where the paper feathers overlap. Save the removable dots for the places where decorations touch the eraser case.
If you’re making a large batch, cut all the feathers first, then all the beaks and wattles, and finally assemble the feather fans. A second pair of hands from a colleague or parent volunteer can make this even quicker.
Cute Ways to Give These Turkey Favors to Kids
6. Put a Little Turkey on Each Desk
Set one favor beside each child’s name card. It’s a small welcome surprise and you don’t need to wrap anything.
7. Make a Thanksgiving Turkey Basket
Fill a shallow basket with shredded paper and arrange the colorful turkey erasers in rows. It would look adorable on a teacher’s desk, ready for the children to choose one before going home.
8. Add a Short Thanksgiving Note
A tiny handwritten note such as “So thankful you’re in our class” adds a personal touch. You can cut a batch of little tags from the same leftover cardstock.
Can the Kids Help Make These?
Older students could cut feathers, draw the little leaf details, or assemble the paper fans themselves. For younger children, adults can pre-cut the pieces and let the children pick the colors and arrange them.
Because these erasers look like edible popsicles and may include small parts, check the product’s age guidance and supervise children appropriately. Make sure students know the erasers are not food, and that the decorations should come off before the eraser is used.
A Thanksgiving Favor They Can Actually Use
These little turkey erasers bring all the fun of a Thanksgiving craft without needing candy, elaborate supplies, or complicated instructions. I love how different each turkey can look just by changing the cardstock colors and feather patterns.
Make them as an inexpensive classroom surprise, arrange them in a cheerful Thanksgiving basket, or add a little note from the teacher. Once the party is over, the children still have something useful to take home.
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If you’re putting together a classroom Thanksgiving celebration, there are a few more ideas you might enjoy below.
Also Check Out:
- 5 Thanksgiving Teacher Appreciation Gift Tags (Free Printables You’ll Love!)
- 5 Thanksgiving Blessing Mix Gift Tags: Free Printable Poems & Prayers
- 19 Surprising Thanksgiving Gifts That Encourage Gratitude and Mindfulness
