How Do You Make a Thanksgiving Thaumatrope?

A thaumatrope is a small spinning picture toy. It has one image on each side, and the two can seem to combine when the disc turns quickly. For Thanksgiving, make a simple pumpkin in two parts: its orange body on one face and its stem and leaves on the other.

This version uses two paper circles attached back-to-back around a drinking straw. Museum Wales’ activity describes this straightforward straw construction. You can draw your own images without printing a template.

Choose a simple two-part picture

Start with a pumpkin rather than a detailed scene. On a practice circle, draw the complete picture: a rounded orange body in the lower middle, with a short stem and two small leaves above it. Leave a margin around the outside.

Now decide which marks belong on each face. Circle A will carry only the body and its curved rib lines. Circle B will carry only the stem and leaves, in the positions they occupied in the complete drawing. Neither face needs to look complete on its own.

ACMI’s make-your-own thaumatrope instructions recommend planning pictures with two parts and checking their alignment before assembly. The purpose is to place complementary images in the same visual space, not to draw two unrelated pumpkins.

Gather the materials

You will need white paper or lightweight cardstock, a circular object to trace, a pencil, coloring supplies, scissors, tape, a glue stick, and one firm paper drinking straw. Circles about three inches across are a convenient starting size for this design.

Make both circles the same size. Keep the straw straight so it can turn between your hands, and let an adult handle cutting for anyone who needs help. A plain white background makes the two colored components easier to distinguish while you work.

Draw and check both faces

Trace two matching circles and mark a small pencil tick at the top of each. Copy the pumpkin body from your practice drawing onto the first, then copy only the stem and leaves onto the second. Use the circle edges and top ticks to keep everything in position.

If your paper is thin enough, you can trace your own practice drawing through it. Otherwise, mark the center of each circle lightly and compare the distances from the edges. Keep the stem centered above the body’s intended top, with a leaf on either side.

For this upright straw version, both pictures should be upright when viewed separately with their top ticks at the top. Check this before adding glue. A stem drawn in the center of its disc will appear in the middle of the pumpkin rather than above it.

Sandwich the straw between the circles

1. Cut out both circles, keeping the top marks visible until you finish aligning them.
2. Turn the body circle face down. Place the straw vertically along its centerline, extending into the disc while leaving enough below it to hold.
3. Tape the straw to the blank back of that circle.
4. Place the other circle over it, with its picture facing outward. Match the circle edges and the two top marks.
5. Glue the circles together around the straw. Keep the drawings on the outside and press the edges together gently.
6. Allow the adhesive to dry, then erase any visible construction marks.

The centered axis and outward-facing pictures follow the assembly approach in Ingenium’s thaumatrope activity. The straw belongs between the backs, not across either drawing.

Try the turning picture

Hold the straw upright between your palms, away from your face, and move your hands back and forth to rotate it. The body and stem may appear together as the faces alternate. Try a steady rhythm instead of trying to turn it as forcefully as possible.

This is an optical effect, not a third printed picture hidden inside the toy. Stop the disc and you still have the two separate drawings. ACMI describes the effect as an apparent combined still image, which is the aim of this simple design.

If the image looks misplaced, check the orientation and drawing positions first. If the disc wobbles, check whether the straw is centered and firmly attached. If everything blurs into a busy patch, simplify the drawings on a fresh pair of circles rather than adding more details.

Once the pumpkin works to your liking, try another original pair, such as a bare branch and a few autumn leaves. Keep the parts sparse, plan the combined picture first, and treat each new toy as a small drawing experiment.