Team Turkey Traditions: Game Day & Thanksgiving Decor
There's a sweet spot in the calendar — right around late November — where football season and Thanksgiving overlap, and suddenly your home decor has two jobs to do at once. That's where Team Turkeys come in: a handmade twist on the classic Thanksgiving centerpiece that lets you display your favorite high school, college, or pro team colors while still keeping the table looking like a holiday.
Here's how to build a few traditions of your own around them.
Start a Tailgate Centerpiece Tradition
If your family (or your watch party) has strong feelings about kickoff time, a Team Turkey centerpiece is an easy way to make that loyalty part of the table. Set it front and center, surrounded by a simple runner in your team's colors, and let it do double duty as a conversation starter before the game even begins. Unlike printed or plastic decor, each one is handcrafted from wood, so it holds up as a display piece year after year instead of getting tossed after one season.
Make It a Rivalry Piece
Hosting family from two different fan bases? Pick up two Team Turkeys — one for each side of the table — and let the rivalry play out in centerpiece form instead of an argument over the remote. It's a lighthearted way to acknowledge the "friendly competition" every mixed-fandom household knows well, and it gives everyone something to point at (and laugh about) before the food comes out.
Pass Down a Team Piece Through the Generations
A lot of holiday decor gets swapped out every few years, but a handmade Team Turkey is the kind of piece that's built to become a keepsake. Start the tradition with your kids or grandkids: let them pick the team, set it out together every year, and watch it turn into one of those "we've always had this" pieces that shows up in the same spot on the table decade after decade — the same spirit behind everything made at Crafts By Papa, where each piece is built by hand, not mass-produced, and as sturdy as an oak tree.
Use It as a Hostess, Housewarming, or "White Elephant" Gift
Headed to someone else's Thanksgiving table or football watch party this year? A Team Turkey in the host's team colors is a gift that's genuinely useful — it's decor they'll actually want to display, not something that ends up in a drawer. It works just as well for a football-loving neighbor's housewarming or a Friendsgiving gift exchange.
It also makes a standout addition to a "White Elephant" Christmas exchange — watch how fast it gets traded once the biggest fan in the room spots their team's colors.
Build a Mini Collection
Because Team Turkeys are made for high school, college, and pro teams alike, they're easy to collect — one for your alma mater, one for the local high school team you grew up watching, one for your NFL team on Sundays. Displayed together on a shelf or entryway table, they tell a little story about the teams that matter to your family, all season long.
Bring the Tradition to Your Table This Year
Whether you're starting a brand-new tradition or looking for a way to blend Thanksgiving and football into one centerpiece, a handmade Team Turkey brings a little more personality (and a lot more heart) to the table than store-bought decor ever could. Explore the Team Turkeys collection and find the one that matches your team colors.
Don't see your team's colors yet? Choose "Custom Colors" on the Team Turkey – Choose Your Colors page, type in your team's colors, and Papa will hand-paint one to match.
