Printable paper chain strips for kids’ crafts and easy seasonal decor
Paper chains carry that warm, nostalgia. They remind us of childhood celebrations and kindergarten classrooms — and right now they’re having a moment again, popping up everywhere as a simple, joyful decor trend that feels both timeless and delightfully cozy.
It’s a great craft for kids because it’s easy to jump into and hard to mess up. You cut, stack, glue, and suddenly it looks like something—no special skills, no perfection required. It’s the kind of project kids can feel proud of without getting frustrated.
It also makes decorating easy and affordable. Once it’s finished, you can set it hang it and call it done. No bins to dig through, no complicated setup—just a simple, cheerful piece that adds a little fun without taking over your space.
These cute turkey crafts are proof that the craft aisle is optional when you have cardboard and paper scraps.
Each one comes together with materials you already have, making this the perfect low prep Thanksgiving DIY for kids. It’s colorful, fun, and delightfully imperfect in a way that says, “Yes, we crafted today and yes, we used recycling to do it.” We’ll start off by keeping it simple…
Cereal boxes & construction paper
Cardboard box and cardstock
Medium-weight packaging and colored paper
Thankful turkeys, but make them personal…
This craft turns a handful of paper feathers into a tiny gratitude time capsule your kids can actually handle without emotionally overheating. Just draw or glue together a turkey body, cut feathers from scrap paper (construction paper, old books, junk mail, whatever sparks joy), and let everyone write what they’re thankful for on each feather.
Another fun idea is to turn your thankful turkey into something even more memorable by swapping paper feathers for printed photos. Use pictures of family, pets, favorite places, or the everyday moments you actually want to glue to your heart (and your craft table).
Just put together a turkey body using whatever you have—cardboard, scrap paper, paint, you know the drill—then clip or glue photos into feather shapes and add them one by one. It’s sentimental, adorable, and wildly scroll-stopping because people love crafts that double as mini family albums.
Whatever option you choose, those Thankful Turkey ornaments aren’t about doing it right, they’re about doing it together.
The magic is in the conversation, the creativity, and the tiny hands helping glue feathers slightly crooked. Paper or photos, simple or extra, planned or winged — it all works, and it all matters.
What you make becomes the tradition, the memory, the moment you’ll look back on and smile at later. So choose the version that feels fun today, and know that no matter which one you try, it’s already enough.
whimsicallyangie.com 
