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Disguise a Turkey as Santa

To disguise a turkey as Santa, cover the head with a red hat, hide the red wattle under a cotton-ball beard, wrap a black belt across a red coat and let a gift sack sit over the tail feathers. It takes about 30 minutes, uses things most homes already have, and is one of the easiest disguises for kindergarten and first grade because the beard hides the hardest part of the turkey.

Time30 minutes
Best forPre-K to 2nd grade
CostFree with craft-drawer supplies
DifficultyEasy
Coloring page of a cartoon turkey disguised as Santa
Download the Santa pack (PDF)Picture only (PNG)

The PDF has three pages: this picture to colour, the cut-out pieces, and a blank turkey to build on.

What you need

  • Printed turkey outline on cardstock
  • Red paper or felt
  • 8-10 cotton balls
  • Black paper strip for the belt
  • Yellow or gold scrap for the buckle
  • Glue stick and white glue
  • Brown paper bag scrap for the sack

No printer ink to spare? Print only page 3 (the blank turkey) and draw the costume by hand using the picture as a guide.

How to disguise a turkey as Santa, step by step

  1. Colour or cover the body in red, leaving the face bare. A red crayon is fine; red paper glued on top looks neater.
  2. Cut a red triangle hat, glue it on the head tilted to one side, and add a cotton-ball brim and a cotton-ball tip.
  3. Pull four or five cotton balls apart a little and glue them under the beak so they cover the wattle and the chest. This is the beard, and it is what makes the disguise work.
  4. Glue the black strip across the middle and a small gold square on top for the buckle.
  5. Cut a sack shape from the paper bag, crumple it once so it looks full, and glue it so it overlaps the tail feathers on one side.
  6. Colour the remaining feathers green and red so they read as wrapped presents peeking out, or cover them with small gift-wrap squares.
  7. Finish the writing line: "My turkey is disguised as Santa because nobody would eat the person who brings the presents."

Printable Santa cut-out pieces

Printable cut-out costume pieces for a santa turkey disguise

Print the cut-out sheet at 100% on plain paper or cardstock, colour the pieces first, then cut them out and glue them onto the turkey. The pieces are not scaled to one particular outline, so hold each one against your turkey first and trim it, or use it as a pattern to trace at the size you need.

Cut-out sheet (PNG)Blank turkey outlines

The cut-out sheet was drawn with an AI image tool and checked by hand. Shapes are simple on purpose so small scissors can follow them.

Tips that save time

  • White glue holds cotton far better than a glue stick. Let it dry flat for 20 minutes before it goes in a backpack.
  • If the teacher wants the turkey to stay visible, keep the beak and feet uncovered.
  • No red paper? Red tissue from a gift bag or a painted coffee filter both work.

Lines for the writing part

Most classes ask for a sentence or a short paragraph in the turkey's voice. Three starters your child can change:

  • “I am not a turkey. I am Santa, and I am very busy this month.”
  • “You cannot eat me. Who would deliver the presents?”
  • “Ho ho ho. Please look for dinner somewhere else.”

There are printable writing pages for three grade bands in the project guide.

More disguise ideas

PrincessAdd a crown, a long gown that covers the body and legs, and make the feathers the puffed s…UnicornAdd a rolled-paper horn and make each tail feather a different pastel colour for the mane …AstronautCover the head with a clear or white helmet circle, wrap the body in foil and add star sti…FirefighterAdd a red helmet with a badge, a yellow-striped coat and a paper hose; colour the feathers…Christmas elfAdd a pointed green hat with a bell, pointed ears, a red collar with zigzag edges and curl…ReindeerAdd brown paper antlers (traced hands work), a red pom-pom nose and a collar of bells.…

See all 81 disguise a turkey ideas, or type your own into the turkey disguise generator.

Last updated 2026-11-14.