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Thanksgiving is right around the corner — do you have a door hanger to celebrate yet? If not, hang with me for a sec, because I’m dropping my all-time favorite Thanksgiving door hanger tutorial below.
You can watch the video or scroll down to read the notes and see the supply list.
This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to make an adorable turkey door hanger that will look perfect on your front door.
Let’s get started!
Supply List for Your Thanksgiving Door Hanger
Before you get started, you’ll need to gather a few supplies. You can find most of these in my shop, on my Amazon storefront, or at your local craft store!
- Acrylic paints (you can customize this project with whatever colors you want, but these are my go-to!)
- Flat-tip paintbrush
- Round tip paintbrush
- Painter’s tape
- Baby wipes
- Paint pens (white, black, yellow, gold)
- Hair dryer (optional)
- Craft paper or a plastic tablecloth to protect your workspace
Note: While this door hanger template and wood blank are no longer available in the shop, make sure you check out some of our other turkey designs here! This tutorial can easily be applied and transferred to one of those designs.
Once you’ve got all these supplies, you’re ready to get started!
If you decide to cut your own wood blank, you can get a basic rundown of how to do so in my free mini-course here. If you don’t want to cut your own blank, be sure to purchase one from the shop — it’ll ship right to your front door, ready to go!
Step #1: Paint the Base Coat
Start by painting a base coat on your door hanger. If you purchased a wood blank from our shop, it will come with laser-etched lettering and lines to help guide you as you go.
Don’t worry about painting over them — the lines will still be visible.
Take a flat-tip brush and paint the entire surface of the wood blank, except for the turkey. Don’t worry about getting the lines around the turkey perfect — we’ll touch it up later. For now, just focus on painting a smooth coat of paint.
Then, let it dry before moving on to step two. If you need to speed up the process, you can use a blow dryer on the low heat setting!
Step #2: Paint the Buffalo Plaid
Next, we’ll work on the buffalo plaid. Lay down your painter’s tape in horizontal, evenly-spaced stripes.
Then, select the color you want for your buffalo plaid and gently dab a baby wipe into the paint. You’ll use this baby wipe to paint the stripes.
This helps the coat go on evenly and smoothly, plus, it helps you erase any mistakes if you go outside the lines (baby wipes are my secret weapon for cleaning up acrylic paint without leaving a stain!).
Once you’re done, carefully peel off the tape and let it dry.
Step #3: Repeat With Vertical Stripes
After the horizontal stripes are dry, lay the same pieces of tape vertically to create the plaid pattern. We’re going to do the same thing all over again!
If the tape doesn’t stick down well, use fresh strips so you don’t get any accidental paint spills. If you want a darker coat, you can paint another layer after the first is dry.
Step #4: Paint the Turkey Details
It’s time to get to the details! We’re going to paint the turkey, so make sure you have selected the colors you want before moving on to this step. I recommend using traditional colors, like brown, orange, and red, but you can choose whatever colors you’d like!
Use your flat-tip paintbrush to paint inside the lines etched into the wood blank. You’ll probably need two coats of paint for this section, so make sure the first is dry before continuing. Remember, you can use a hair dryer to speed up the process!
Step #5: Add the Lettering
If your door hanger has laser-etched lettering, doing the hand lettering part is really easy — all you have to do is paint inside the lines!
I personally love a door hanger with etched lines because it keeps me from having to freehand everything, and all I need is a round-tip paintbrush to make it happen!
Paint inside the lettering lines, then flatten the brush slightly when working on the thicker downstrokes. Go back and touch up any areas as needed to make the lettering clean and crisp.
Step #6: Add Details With a Paint Pen
Using a paint pen to add extra details isn’t required, but I 100% recommend it! These details will help your design pop and give it an overall crisp, polished look.
A white paint pen can be used to add highlights, while a black paint pen can outline the major elements, cover up any shaky lines, and even help you add a drop shadow on your letters so they stand out more.
For a little extra flair, use a yellow or gold paint pen around the edges to give the design a fun, whimsical touch.
Step #7: Touch Up Any Last-Minute Details
Once all your painting is done, use a hair dryer to make sure everything is completely dry. Then, go in and touch up any areas that need polishing, like the letters or the buffalo plaid.
Then, when dry, spray your door hanger with sealant spray to help it stay protected while outside.
And that’s it — you’re all done! Hooray!
Ready for More?
Did you enjoy this door hanger tutorial? Then make sure you grab your virtual ticket to SA Live!
You’ll be able to get in on more door-hanger tutorials like this, plus some extra craft projects not available to the public. It’s all being live-streamed in our private Facebook group, so you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home!
If you sign up by November 8th, you can also purchase an add-on kit and get all the project supplies shipped directly to you!
Sound fun? Make sure you join us before we go live on the 15th.
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