When November rolls around, one of the cutest and most educational Thanksgiving projects you can do is the Pilgrim Boy Paper Bag Craft.

This fun and straightforward activity utilizes a free Pilgrim boy template, transforming an ordinary paper bag craft into a festive character that helps children learn about pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving while enjoying a hands-on holiday craft.

Pilgrim boy paper bag craft with hat, buttons, and fall leaf border

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Paper Bag Pilgrim Boy Craft for Kids

The story of the pilgrims is an integral part of America’s history, especially when discussing early traditions. For children, hands-on activities like crafts are an excellent way to learn and develop their skills.

Instead of just reading about pilgrims, creating their own pilgrim puppet allows them to see, touch, and play with the concept in a meaningful way.

Pilgrim boy paper bag puppet with black outfit and yellow buttons

Crafts are also fun and easy to adapt to any age group. Little ones in preschool and pre-k can cut and paste (with some help from adults). At the same time, older elementary children can take pride in carefully coloring, cutting, and assembling their puppet.

It’s also a great way to transform a simple brown paper bag into something educational and imaginative.

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Materials Needed To Make This Pilgrim Boy Paper Bag Craft:

The best part about this project is that it only requires a few basic materials that most households and learning spaces already have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need for your paper bag pilgrim craft:

Brown paper bag (or any lunch-size paper bag works perfectly)
Construction paper in black, orange, white, yellow, and red
Marker (black works best for outlining and details)
Scissor (safety scissors for young kids)
Glue (white school glue or glue sticks work fine)
Optional: crayons, markers, or paint if your kid wants to add extra color

Craft supplies including glue, scissors, marker, paper, and paper bag

Step-by-Step Instructions

This craft is straightforward to make, even for beginners. Follow these steps to create your own paper bag craft:

Cut and Trace Templates
Use the provided free printable template or draw your own simple shapes for the hat, collar, eyes, hair, and buttons.

Cut paper shapes for pilgrim boy craft including hat, hair, buttons, and collar

Cut them out and trace them onto the correct color of construction paper.

Cut-out paper shapes including circles, rectangles, and a square frame.

Outline for Detail
Using a marker, outline the shapes to give them bold definition.

Black hat, red band, and orange hair cutouts with marker.

This adds contrast and makes your craft look extra cute.

Drawn eyes, rectangles, circles, and buckle cutouts with marker.

Attach the Outfit
Glue the black rectangle of construction paper onto the bag to form the pilgrim’s outfit.

Brown paper bag with black paper glued on.

Add the Collar and Buttons
Glue on the white collar

Paper bag with added white paper collar.

then place the yellow buttons down the center.

Paper bag with collar and three yellow buttons.

Add the Hair and Hat
Glue the orange hair at the top of the paper bag

Assembled black hat with red band and orange hair.

Then attach the black hat with the red band and yellow buckle.

Paper bag puppet with attached hat and hair.

Make the Face
Glue the large circular eyes onto the face section of the paper bag and draw a simple smile with the marker.

Completed pilgrim puppet with eyes, collar, buttons, and belt buckle.

Finishing Touches
Let the glue dry completely. Now your craft is ready for play!

Benefits of This Paper Bag Pilgrim Craft

While this may look like just a fun art project, it’s actually packed with educational resources for kids.

Fine motor skills: Cutting, gluing, and outlining help strengthen small hand muscles.
Creative expression: Kids can experiment with color, design, and even add accessories.
Imaginative play: Once finished, the craft can be used in storytelling, skits, or even pretend play during a Thanksgiving unit.
History lesson: This craft ties into discussions about the pilgrims, the first Thanksgiving, and the reasons we celebrate this holiday.

It’s also an excellent choice for a classroom lesson. Teachers can use the free template and have each kid or small group of elementary students create their own puppet. Later, the puppets can be used in a group storytelling project about the first Thanksgiving.

Pilgrim boy paper bag craft with black hat, orange hair, and yellow buttons surrounded by paper leaves.

Using This Craft in the Classroom

This project works wonderfully as part of your Thanksgiving activities for preschool, kindergarten, or elementary students. Because it’s easy to make and requires only a few supplies, it’s classroom-friendly and doesn’t make a huge mess.

You could even pair it with other pilgrim crafts or have students make both a pilgrim boy puppet and a pilgrim girl puppet to expand the storytelling. Adding in a turkey craft or a scarecrow project makes it a complete, fun fall unit of themed lessons.

And don’t forget—this is also a great way to send kids home with something they can proudly display to their families during Thanksgiving dinner.

Free Printable Pilgrim Template

We’ve made it extra simple by providing a free printable template and a make-it option for your puppet. All you need to do is download the template, print it out, and trace the shapes onto your construction paper.

The templates come in a PDF file, making it easy to print just one page for each student. The free template saves time and ensures all the shapes are the right size for your paper bag puppet.

Pilgrim boy paper bag craft shown upright with colorful leaves around.

Fun Ways to Use Your Pilgrim Puppet

Once your puppet is complete, there are so many ways to use it beyond simply crafting. Here are some great ideas:

Storytelling: Kids can use their puppets to act out the first Thanksgiving story.
Imaginative play: Encourage little ones to use their bag puppet for pretend play.
Classroom skit: Combine multiple paper bag puppets to create a mini-play for your room or family gathering.
Holiday décor: Display them around the house or in the classroom as festive Thanksgiving crafts.

Tips for Parents and Teachers

For young children in pre-k, pre-cut the shapes from the templates so they only need to glue them.
For elementary or kindergarten students, let them do the tracing and cutting for extra practice of fine motor skills.
Encourage kids to experiment with color. Maybe the hair could be brown, blonde, or even rainbow for a creative twist.
If you’d like to add more dimension, let kids use crayons, markers, or even paint to add background designs.

Pilgrim boy paper bag craft with big eyes and three yellow buttons on black outfit.

Why Kids Love This Craft

Kids love anything that lets them create something cute and playful. Since this is both a craft and a puppet, it becomes more than just a decoration—it’s a toy they can use. This keeps them engaged longer and makes it one of those fun fall Thanksgiving activities that they’ll remember.

It’s also the perfect activity for kids at home during the holiday season. While the adults are busy prepping the Thanksgiving dinner, the little ones can be entertained with this easy-to-make project.

More Thanksgiving Crafts to Make:

If you enjoyed the Pilgrim Boy Paper Bag Craft, here are more festive Thanksgiving-themed crafts you’ll love trying.

Mayflower Ship Paper Plate Craft – A creative paper plate craft where kids can build their own Mayflower ship.
Pilgrim Turkey Paper Bag Craft – A playful turkey craft with a pilgrim twist, perfect for Thanksgiving.
Rocking Turkey Fingerprint Craft – A fun rocking turkey decorated with kids’ colorful fingerprints.
Cornucopia Popsicle Stick Craft – A festive cornucopia design made from popsicle sticks to celebrate the season.

Pilgrim boy paper bag craft with text overlay “Pilgrim Boy Paper Bag Craft” on a fall-themed background.

The Pilgrim Boy Paper Bag Craft is a fun and easy project that combines history, creativity, and hands-on play.

It’s ideal for crafts for kids, whether you’re a parent looking for a seasonal activity or a teacher searching for the perfect lesson to tie into your Thanksgiving unit.

With just a brown paper bag, some construction paper, glue, and a pair of scissors, your kids can bring a pilgrim puppet to life.

So grab your supplies, download the free printable template, and let your kids start creating their own pilgrim today.

This paper bag puppet is sure to become one of your family’s favorite Thanksgiving crafts and a memorable tradition.