Here’s a playful Thanksgiving turkey you can crochet quickly. This googly-eyed turkey combines a simple fan-shaped body, colorful ribbon feathers, and tiny crocheted legs.
This little turkey gets its personality from the details: oversized crochet googly eyes, a tiny felt beak, bright ribbon feathers, and yellow toes that peek out beneath the body. The simple crochet shapes make it a fun seasonal decoration without requiring complicated stitchwork.
You’ll crochet the face and body separately, then add the legs directly to the body’s straight lower edge. After that, the ribbon feathers turn the flat turkey into a colorful Thanksgiving character that can stay as décor or become a festive brooch with an optional pin back.
Materials and Tools
- Worsted weight yarn: Brown for the head and body, yellow for the legs
- Googly eyes: 1 pair of shank-back googly eyes; orange works well, but any color can be used
- US H crochet hook: 5.0 mm for the head and legs
- US I crochet hook: 5.5 mm for the body
- Ribbon: 6 pieces in different colors, each 5 inches long
- Felt: A small piece of yellow or orange felt for the beak
- Tapestry needle
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Optional pin back: For turning the finished turkey into a Thanksgiving brooch
Finished Size
The finished turkey measures approximately 4-5 inches across the feather fan, although the exact size will vary with yarn, hook, and crochet tension.
Because the turkey is worked as a flat appliqué-style piece, it is easy to use in several ways. Keep it as a small seasonal decoration, or add a pin back to wear it as a Thanksgiving brooch.
For the feathers, you can replace the solid ribbons with patterned ribbon, lace, or another mix of colors to give the turkey a completely different personality.
Abbreviations
The pattern uses standard US crochet terms.
- MR: Magic Ring / Magic Loop
- ch: Chain
- sl st: Slip stitch
- sc: Single crochet
- hdc: Half double crochet
- st(s): Stitch(es)
- inc: Increase – 2 stitches worked into the same stitch
Crochet the Turkey Head
The head is crocheted around the shank on the back of the googly eyes, which holds the eyes directly inside the center of the face. Use the 5.0 mm (US H) hook and brown yarn.
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 1. Position the magic ring over the plastic shank on the back of the googly eyes. Work 8 hdc around both the magic ring and the plastic eye shanks, then work 4 hdc around the magic ring only, behind the eyes. Pull the magic ring tight and join with a sl st to the first stitch. (12 hdc)
The first round is doing two jobs at once: it creates the face and secures the googly eyes in the center. Keep the stitches around the eye shanks snug, but avoid pulling the yarn so tightly that the eyes become difficult to position.
Round 2: Ch 1. Sc in the same stitch. Work 2 sc in each remaining stitch around. Join with a sl st to the first ch-1 space. Ch 1 and fasten off. (23 sc)
Weave in the ends before adding the beak so the back of the head stays neat.
Add the Tiny Beak
Cut a very small triangle from yellow or orange felt. Position it directly below the googly eyes, then secure it with a small dab of hot glue.
The beak only needs to be large enough to read clearly between the eyes and the lower edge of the face. A tiny triangle usually keeps the proportions more playful.
Shape the Fan-Like Turkey Body
Switch to the 5.5 mm (US I) hook for the body. The body begins as a small circle and then opens into a flat fan shape.
Row 1: With brown yarn, make a magic ring. Ch 1 and work 10 hdc into the ring. Pull the ring tight and join with a sl st to the beginning. (10 hdc)
Row 2: Ch 1; this does not count as a stitch. Work 1 hdc in the same stitch, then 2 hdc in the next stitch. Repeat (1 hdc in the next stitch, 2 hdc in the next stitch) around, leaving the final 2 stitches of the round unworked. This intentional gap creates the straight lower edge needed for the legs. (12 hdc)
Row 3: Ch 1 and turn. Work 1 hdc in the first stitch, 2 hdc in the next stitch. Repeat (1 hdc in the next stitch, 2 hdc in the next stitch) across the fan-shaped piece. Ch 1, fasten off, and weave in the ends. (18 hdc)
Fan Shape Check
Before adding the legs, lay the body flat and look at the lower edge. It should have a noticeably straight section rather than forming a complete circle.
That flat edge is important because both legs will be attached there. If the edge looks rounded, check that you left the specified stitches unworked in Row 2 before continuing.
Crochet the Yellow Legs
The legs are worked directly onto the straight lower edge of the brown body, so there is no separate leg piece to sew on afterward. Use yellow yarn and the 5.0 mm (US H) hook.
First Leg
Step 1: From the outside edge of the flat bottom, skip 1 stitch. Attach yellow yarn with a sc in the next stitch.
Step 2: Ch 6.
Step 3 – First Toe: Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook, then sl st in the next chain.
Step 4 – Second Toe: Ch 3. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next chain. Sl st into the same base chain where the first toe began.
Step 5 – Third Toe: Ch 3. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in the next chain. Sl st back into the center base again.
Step 6 – Leg: Check that the chain has not twisted. Work 1 sc into each of the remaining 3 chains, working back toward the turkey body. Sl st into the same body stitch where the leg started. Ch 1 and fasten off.
The three small chain-and-slip-stitch sections create the turkey’s toes. Keeping the foundation chain untwisted before working back along it helps the leg sit naturally beneath the body.
Second Leg
Skip 2 stitches across the flat bottom edge from the attachment point of the first leg. Attach the yellow yarn with a sc and repeat Steps 2–6 exactly as for the first leg.
Weave in the yellow ends once both legs are finished.
Add the Colorful Ribbon Feathers
Now the crochet pieces are ready to become a turkey. Take your six 5-inch ribbon pieces and arrange the colors in the order you want them to appear behind the body.
1. Turn the Ribbons Into Loops
Fold each 5-inch ribbon in half so the two ends meet. Add a small dab of hot glue to the ends to hold each ribbon in its looped shape.
Repeat with all six pieces.
2. Arrange the Feather Fan
Place the six ribbon loops beside one another in a gently curved, overlapping fan. You can use rainbow order, traditional Thanksgiving colors, or any combination that matches your décor.
Once you like the arrangement, glue the bottom tabs of the ribbon loops together. The goal is to create one connected feather fan rather than six separate pieces.
3. Attach the Feathers to the Body
Apply hot glue along the grouped lower edges of the ribbon fan. Position the fan on the upper back of the brown turkey body and press it into place until the glue sets.
The ribbon should spread outward behind the body so the colors remain visible around the head and sides.
Attach the Head
Turn the body so the front is facing you. Add a generous dab of hot glue to the top center front of the brown body.
Press the finished head into place and hold it briefly while the glue sets.
Position the head so the eyes remain centered above the body and the felt beak faces straight forward.
Turn It Into a Thanksgiving Brooch
If you want to wear your turkey instead of using it only as seasonal décor, add the optional pin back.
Turn the turkey over and place the pin back horizontally across the rear of the piece, over the area where the ribbon bases meet. Run a small line of hot glue across the back of the turkey and press the pin into the glue.
Allow the glue to cool completely before wearing the brooch.
Make the Turkey Your Own
The basic turkey already has plenty of color from the ribbon feathers, but the feather fan gives you an easy place to change the style.
Try warm autumn shades for a traditional Thanksgiving look, bright colors for a playful children’s accessory, or patterned and lace ribbons for something more decorative. You can also change the color of the googly eyes for a different expression while keeping the brown crochet pieces exactly the same.
Because the turkey is small and flat, it works especially well as a seasonal accent on a bag, jacket, gift, or Thanksgiving display.
