How to Paint Pottery & Ceramics:  Turkey Hand Prints

Who doesn't love making turkey hand prints! Making turkeys with your child's hand prints on a platter is a great and unique idea, and you don't have to wait until Thanksgiving! Imagine serving a turkey dinner on a platter like this for years to come! 

Supplies

• Oval Rim Platter Bisque
• Paint Colors: Yellow (4); Orange (10); Maroon (22); and Brown (71)
• Fun Writer Colors: Yellow (4); Maroon (22); Dark Brown (72); White; and Black
• Stickers
• Small, Medium and Large Flat Brushes
• Sponge with Handle x 4

Steps

1. Make hand prints on unpainted bisque – using a sponge with handle, dab paint onto the hand. Use multiple colors to differentiate between the turkey’s body and feathers.  Place the hand directly onto the plate and push down on the fingers, palm and heel.  Pick the hand straight up.  

2. Apply stickers.

• TIP -- It’s easy to center and line up the words on the top and bottom of the plate. Simply count the characters, including the spaces, of each word or phrase to determine the middle character.

3. With small, medium, and large flat brushes, paint stripes around the rim of the platter. Use just one coat of paint for a faded, fall looking effect. 

• TIP – To help you evenly space out the stripes, think of the platter like it is a clock. Start with stripes and 12 and 6 o’clock, and then simply paint in between your previous stripes until you are happy with the spacing. 

4. Turkey details:

• With a White fun writer, make dots for eyes
• With an Orange fun writer, draw a triangle for the beak
• With a Maroon fun writer, draw a squiggly line for the turkey’s gobbler
• With a Brown fun writer, draw stick legs
• With a Black fun writer, make dots for the pupils in the eyes

5. Remove stickers

Learn how to paint your own pottery and ceramics at Polka Dot Pots! We are located in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, and Poconos, Pennsylvania. We'll teach you techniques that are so easy, anyone can create a masterpiece!