How To Make Pineapple Turkey Centerpiece For Thanksgiving

It is turkey centerpiece time! The Pineapple Turkey Centerpiece is an easy no sew Thanksgiving fruit centerpiece guaranteed to bring a smile to all guests.

Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful, but no need to stress about the turkey decoration or centerpiece! All this make ahead Thanksgiving craft needs is a pineapple and fresh fruit to make an edible Thanksgiving centerpiece.

The Pineapple centerpiece is old school and edible. Every year a friend of our family brings out the “turkey” made with love by her mom decades ago and it is a family Thanksgiving tradition we all look forward to seeing… every year!

I’ve included a free printable to make this easy no sew Thanksgiving craft with two different turkeys.

How To Make Thanksgiving Pineapple Turkey Centerpiece

Materials

Two pieces of red fleece, each piece 8″ by 8″

Two small round buttons

Glue gun

Turkey Template

Turkey stuffing: anything fluffy. I like cotton or cotton balls or scrap pieces of fleece.

Whole Pineapple

Assorted fruit

Directions

Promise! This is an easy Thanksgiving craft. The turkey can be made in under an hour and that includes drying time.

The steps are easy and most of the craft is gluing and dry time :).

Print the turkey template, I’ve included a Turkey Pineapple turkey printable pdf.
Choose which turkey to use. The yellow turkey template is for the turkey with the gobble.
Trace the turkey on both pieces of fleece.
Cut out the turkey from the two pieces of fleece.
Lay each piece on top of the other matching the edges.
The glue should be applied 1/4 inch in from the edge of the fleece.
All edges of the turkey will be glued together EXCEPT the bottom.
In sections, line the edge with a line of hot glue.
Press the sections together with your fingers. Careful not to press to firmly due to the hot glue.
Let the glue dry. To form a solid seam, dry for 1/2 hour minimum.
Turn the turkey inside out.
Stuff the turkey head from the beak to an inch before the bottom.
Use a pen, pencil any long and thin utensil to push the stuffing in the beak, then the head.
The turkey head will begin to form (no need to be alarmed if the turkey is not looking quite so turkey like yet!)
Adjust the stuffing in the beak, head and neck to form the turkey. NOTE: This step makes the turkey!
When the turkey is first stuffed you may giving it the side eye! This is a turkey? It is, adjusting the stuffing to be solid in the beak and head then loosen the stuffing through the neck area to achieve a slight arch.
Now add an eye to each side by gluing an eye above the beak and slightly below the top of the head. I use buttons from the button stash.
Now adjust the turkey to your liking. This is where I adjust the head and neck to form the turkey “arch”.
Let the turkey rest so the glue will completely dry.
Attaching the turkey to the pineapple is easy, but it depends upon the pineapple!
Every pineapple has the same, yet different configuration on its’ base.
Depending upon the size of the pineapple base, some turkeys can be set on top and will be stable. If needed a skewer can be used to stick into the pineapple base.
The other end of the skewer will be inserted inside the turkey head.
Place the pineapple turkey on a platter and decorate around the pineapple turkey with fresh fruit. A wood serving tray works well too!

Pineapple Turkey Centerpiece With Gobble

The different color gobble is your choice. Freehand cut out the gobble from another color of fleece. The yellow turkey on the pdf Pineapple turkey is the turkey pattern with a gobble.
Use the beak from the turkey template to size fleece for the beak.
Cut out two beaks.
Glue the beaks together.
Turn inside out.
Glue the gobble under the beak.
Then cover the beak like a sandwich with the gobble inside the beak “sandwich”.
Glue the gobble to the red beak.
Let dry.

The Thanksgiving Fruit Centerpiece (Sew Version)

This Thanksgiving centerpiece can also be sewn together. Follow the above steps through step 5. The sew version of the centerpiece tends to look a little more streamlined than the no sew version. But each are homemade with love!

Sew a border in the same color thread as the turkey fleece or a complimentary color if preferred.

Straight stitch around the bird 1/4″ in from the edge.

Do Not Sew the bottom of the turkey.

The edges can be neatly trimmed or pinking shears can be used for a decorative edge.

The bottom of the turkey can be draped around the pineapple base.

Platter Ideas For the Pineapple Turkey Centerpiece

Oval platters work well for the pineapple!

Wood platters work well, but really any long platter or oval platter will work. For the rustic and natural look which is so Thanksgiving dinner I love this wood slab platter on a lazy susan. So fun and practical!