• One loose fitting white cotton t-shirt  

• Cardboard or newspaper

  Old jar filled with water to rinse out sponge brush or paint brush

• Acrylic paint (fabric paint is nice, but not necessary)

• Brown for the turkey bodies

• Yellow or orange for the legs and beaks

• White and black for the eyes

• 8 different colors for the feather

• Glitter paint (optional)

• Sponge brush or several if available

• Small paintbrush

• Old toothbrush

• Clean hands that don't mind getting dirty

Working on a covered surface protected with plastic or paper, put a large rectangle of cardboard or several layers of newspaper between the front and back panels of the t shirt so the paint on the front won't soak through to the back.

Decide on the placement of the turkeys you will create.  These directions are for the shirt shown in the photo so you will need to adapt them if you want to include several kids.

On a piece of aluminum foil or foam plate, squeeze out four different colored dollops of paint. 

With the sponge brush, quickly paint the inside length of each of the four fingers on your left hand, being sure to cover the surface well.  Press your hand onto the shirt.  Once it's touching the shirt, don't move your hand or the feathers will smear.  Take your clean hand and press down each of your fingers to make sure you have good contact.  Lift your hand straight up and you will have the feathers of one turkey.  Wash your hands to remove the paint.

Repeat the process using four different colors of paint on the four fingers of your right hand.

Let the paint dry.  You can help it along with a hairdryer if desired, but it should be dry enough to continue within 10 minutes or so.

Next, paint the palm and thumb of your left hand with brown paint. 

Carefully place your clean fingers over the feathers, align your palm and then press down for the head and body.  Make sure your thumb is pointed toward the center of the shirt so the birds will be looking at each other. 

Repeat the process of making the body with your right hand.

Paint a triangular beak and legs and feet on each turkey with the yellow or orange paint.

Paint a red turkey wattle vertically hanging down below the beak, beginning at the top edge of the beak where it meets the brown head.  Refer to the photo for placement.

Strike a few white feathers in the center of each brown body for wings.  Refer to the photo for placement.

Paint a few brown lines horizontally across the legs to make them look more realistic. 

Hat

With a small paintbrush, put a black line (brim) across the top of the turkeys' head and then a small black rectangle (a bit wider at the bottom than the top). 

Paint a yellow or orange line just over the brim for the hatband.

Eyes

Dip the handle end of the brush in white paint and dab it to the shirt for the eye.  Make a smaller black dot in each eye for the pupil.  Position the pupils so the birds are looking at each other.

Decorating the shirt

Paint free form multi-color grass and flowers, if desired, around the birds to make them look as if they are in a field.

Dip an old toothbrush into gold glitter paint and run your finger over the bristles while they are pointed toward the shirt to spatter on gold paint and make your shirt sparkle - be careful not to have too much paint on your brush or you'll end up with big globs of paint everywhere.  Practice first if you are unsure how to do this.

Embellish your shirt with ribbons across the turkey neck or necks or use buttons for eyes if you chose.  Have fun!

Once completely dry, heat set the paint with an iron set on high, stroking the iron over the picture while it is covered with a protective cloth (like an old pillow case) for three or four minutes.   Do not scorch and  DO NOT USE STEAM.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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