DIY Tootsie Pop Turkey Pumpkin

This Tootsie Pop turkey pumpkin was an easy, fun fall project that you can display from Halloween through Thanksgiving. The best part is that it can be re-used as a decoration each year since it is made out of one of those craft (foam) pumpkins that you can pick up at Michaels. Plus, by not using a real pumpkin — no sticky sticks for the lollipops! And if the lollipops aka feathers don’t last long around a sweet tooth and get plucked, it’s easy to pop in a replacement so you always have a full-feathered turkey on display.

I haven’t seen this done before as a turkey (although it’s quite possible I’m not the first to think of it), but I was inspired by the Tootsie Pop pumpkin featured on Martha Stewart at http://www.marthastewart.com/264575/lollipop-holder?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/outdoor-decorations-for-halloween#slide_2.

Just a Tip!

Difficulty: Very Easy

Budget: Reasonable

Estimated Time: Under 30 minutes

You Will Need...

Craft pumpkin -- mine was 9 inches
Tootsie Pops -- one bag, plus more for replacements
Turkey head (handmade or store-bought)
Double-stick tape, glue or tacks
Any tool that will help you make a small hole to help the Tootsie Pop sticks to be inserted (mini screwdriver, a tool from a pumpkin carving set, a skewer, etc.)
Note: To save money, always check Michaels.com for a coupon. The pumpkins were already 50% off and I downloaded extra coupons that I used on other purchases.

Instructions

# 1

Poke small holes where you want the turkey feathers aka lollipops to go. I spaced mine about 2 inches apart for the top row, but just use your judgement, and for the second row I just poked a space between each one in order to give the feather effect and also so they could be easily visible. Note: Do not poke big holes. The point is to just allow some "give" in order for it to be easier to poke the lollipop sticks in. You'll want the sticks to fit snug.

# 2

Now you can poke the Tootsie Pop sticks in. You'll quickly get a feel for how you need to hold it and how much pressure to use. (Bent sticks can be re-straightened pretty easily if that happens:) Just alternate the colors to your liking. The bags of Tootsie Pops I bought had some new colors such as green, which I liked for the feather look. For the top row, I pushed the sticks all the way down until the wrapper tip met with the pumpkin. For the second row, I left the sticks stick out a bit to give some height, but do what looks best for you.

# 3

Create your turkey head. There are plenty of ways to make this on your own. I've seen turkey heads made out of everything from construction paper to a wooden spoon. I chose to buy a foam kit from Michaels and had my daughter help. It comes in a pack of 5, so I had extras on hand for fun play.

# 4

Attach the turkey head to the pumpkin with double-stick tape, glue, pins or whatever you choose. I attached mine with double-stick tape so that the head rested up against the stem and the body smoothed out over the pumpkin.

# 5

Display and enjoy! (and replace feathers as needed:)

Inspired By:

Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Lollipop Holder

Shared By:

Kendle Arribas

1 Comment

Comments

Marianne Daley

Marianne Daley says: #1
Tootsie Pop Turkey Pumpkin

I started one today but mine keeps falling backwards due to the weight of the tootsie pops. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you solve? Any suggestions? I love this and don’t want to switch to a different type of lollipop if I don’t have to! Thanks!

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