Create Stunning DIY Thanksgiving Decoupage Decorations for a Cozy Festive Touch
As Thanksgiving approaches, it's the perfect moment to start crafting those special touches for your festive table. Add a bit of handmade charm to your Thanksgiving decor with this delightful project! Donna from Mason Creations etc. is here to show us exactly how it's done! With just a bit of decoupage magic, air dry clay, and some fabulous fall supplies, you'll have a unique piece that is perfect for the season. Ready to give it a try? Watch the video below and follow along with our step-by-step guide!
How to Create a Fall Wild Turkey Plaque with Donna
Donna walks us through creating a stunning wild turkey-themed plaque that’s ideal for fall. This project involves using decoupage techniques, air dry clay molds, and antiquing to create a piece full of seasonal charm. Let’s jump in!
Step 1: Prepping the Wood Board
Donna starts with a square wood board, removing its twine hanger to make it easier to work with. She uses Pentart light brown paint to sponge around the edges of the board. This adds an aged, distressed look that sets the stage perfectly for the vintage turkey design. The board is left mostly unpainted in the middle, ensuring the original color shines through—great for blending with the rice paper.
Step 2: Applying the Rice Paper Image
Next, Donna uses a beautiful fall-themed rice paper with a wild turkey design, available from DecoupageNapkins.com. To make the rice paper more manageable, she sprays it with water, making it softer and easier to apply. She tears the edges using a water brush rather than cutting them—this helps the edges blend smoothly with the board. The rice paper is adhered with Polyvine heavy duty wood varnish, which also acts as a protective layer, ensuring there are no wrinkles or bubbles.
Step 3: Adding Molded Elements
Donna uses the "Falling for Fall" mold by Redesign Decor to create adorable pumpkins and vines, which she makes with Das air dry clay. After filling the mold, she freezes it for about 20 minutes—this trick helps the clay pop out easily, without breaking delicate details. The pumpkins and vines are then glued to the board while the clay is still wet, giving a seamless look as they dry in place.
Step 4: Fixing Imperfections
Sometimes clay doesn’t behave perfectly, and that’s okay! Donna demonstrates how to use premixed grout to fix any cracks or missing bits in the molded pieces. With a small clay sculpting tool and a damp paintbrush, she smooths the grout into any imperfections, ensuring everything is picture-perfect before moving on.
Step 5: Painting the Details
Donna uses Pentart paints to bring her molded elements to life. She paints the pumpkins a rich yellow/red clay color, which complements the turkey image beautifully. For the stems, she mixes vintage green and light brown to get the perfect earthy shade. By blending her paints, Donna shows us that we’re not limited to the colors in the bottle—mix and match to find just what your project needs!
Step 6: Antiquing and Sealing
To give the piece a vintage feel, Donna applies Folkart antiquing medium over the painted elements, wiping it off immediately to leave just enough in the cracks to add depth. Before doing this, she coats everything in Polyvine heavy duty wood varnish (satin finish) so the antiquing doesn’t stick too aggressively—this is an important tip for keeping the antique look subtle!
Step 7: Adding Highlights
One of Donna’s favorite parts is adding a bit of shimmer! She uses aged brass rub on the pumpkins, firebird rub on the flowers, and white pearl rub on the vines and leaves. These touches add a gorgeous shine, making the piece really pop. She shares a great tip: rub the shimmery paste between your fingers before applying to prevent big blobs—just a soft shine is what we’re aiming for!
Step 8: Finishing Touches
Donna creates a lovely bow using her Bodabra bow maker, layering three different ribbons—twine, burlap, and a light cream burlap with gold trim. This adds a beautiful finishing touch to the plaque, topped with two small wooden leaves rubbed with firebird for extra sparkle. Finally, she adds a new twine hanger to the top of the board, making it ready to display!
Thank You, Donna!
We want to thank Donna from Mason Creations etc. for sharing her incredible skills with us. If you loved this tutorial, be sure to watch the video above for even more tips and tricks!
Ready to create your own fall masterpiece? All the products Donna used are available right here at DecoupageNapkins.com! And don't forget—subscribe to our newsletter to get 10% off your next order. Let’s get crafting!