Inside: Fun and easy Thanksgiving Paper Bag House Craft with a printable template to make it easy!
The kids and I had so much fun making this easy Thanksgiving house craft and they turned out so cute.
We loved our Halloween paper bag haunted houses so much that I decided to create a Thanksgiving version of the paper bag house craft.
Paper bag crafts are some of my favorite inexpensive crafts to do with kids. You can get a pack of paper lunch bags from the grocery store and make so many fun things.
Paper Bag Thanksgiving House Craft
I always have paper bags on hand so making a Thanksgiving paper bag house with my kids this fall was a must.
When I showed my kids what we were going to make they were so excited. This craft is the perfect way to get creative without having to be able to draw really well (thanks to the printable template).
Thanksgiving Pilgrim House Craft Supplies
- brown paper lunch bag
- printable template (at bottom of post)
- crayons, markers or colored pencils
- scissors
- glue
- tape (optional)
With the Thanksgiving house template kids can color windows, a turkey, door and fun pilgrim and Indian characters without having to draw.
If kids want they can easily draw and add their own touches to the Thanksgiving house.
With how easy this Thanksgiving craft is to make, my preschooler and elementary age kids all loved making it.
Younger kids will most likely need help cutting everything out but they can do the rest of the craft on their own.
Making the Paper Bag Thanksgiving House Craft
The first step of making this fun Thanksgiving house craft is coloring all the house elements.
I gave my kids each a house template page and let them have fun coloring.
Once it was all colored it was time to cut things out. Depending on the ages (and attention spans) of your children you may need to help with this step.
After everything for your paper bag Thanksgiving house is cut out it’s time to put together your bag and add all the fun Thanksgiving items.
But first the roof!
Making the Thanksgiving House Roof
Before I put the Thanksgiving house items on the paper bag we needed to make our thatched roof.
To make the roof we opened the bags. Cut down about an inch on each side of the bag and then folded the top of the bag down.
Then the kids used scissors to cut the folded down flap to make it look like straw or other items used to create a thatched roof.
Pro Tip: If you want to roof to be a different color than the rest of your house you can color the folded down flap before cutting it into strips.
Optional: Draw Logs on the House
The homes of the Pilgrims and other first settlers were made with logs so I thought it was fun to use a brown maker to draw log like lines on the bag.
My kids did not want to do this extra step, it’s totally optional but kind of fun.
Putting Together the Thanksgiving Paper Bag Craft
We used brown paper bags to make our first Thanksgiving houses, but you can use white if you prefer (or have them on hand).
To attach the elements of your house you can simple glue them wherever you want on the bag or you can get more creative.
We found it was really fun to tape the top (or side) of the windows to the bag and put different items behind the windows and doors.
Lift the Flap Hidden Thanksgiving Items
For the hidden items simply glue elements to the bag or drawn behind where you will tape the windows or doors.
After you have the “hidden items” attached to the paper bag tap on the widows. Tape only the top or side of the window to give the lift the flap element to the house.
We also found it is fun to layer the Thanksgiving items. I put the lights on the windows and some of the food items on the house/ barn doors.
There are a variety of different Thanksgiving items on the printable template. You can use as many or as few of these items as you want.
Pro Tip: It’s a good idea to lay things out the way you want them before you start gluing.
Once everything is glued or taped to the bag you can call it good or you can draw more details.
After finishing your Paper Bag Thanksgiving House Craft you can stand it up and display it around the house for a fun decoration or fill it with treats to give a friend.
Paper Bag Thanksgiving House Craft Template
Please keep this printable for personal and class use only.
Don’t want to sign up for the email list you can get the template in the shop.
More Thanksgiving Crafts You Might Enjoy:
Handprint Turkey
Thanksgiving Color By Number (Free Printables)
DIY Thankful Tree
Gratitude from A to Z (Free Printables)
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