These 20 Paper Plate Crafts for Kids are Fun and Cheap

No need for something expensive to get creative with craft activities. Paper plate craft which is simple and cheap can be formed into hundreds of fancy crafts for kids.

Twenty fun ideas are given below to inspire you to begin creating DIY paper plate craft for kids. Your lovable craft projects can be both displayed and hung. Some are so functional too. Check these out!

1. Butterfly Life Cycle

Paper Plate Craft Butterfly
buggyandbuddy.com

Butterfly life cycle paper plate craft can be used to explain your kids’ curiosity about caterpillars and butterflies. The life cycle will be shown in the plate. Therefore, you need to print out a life cycle template, cut the circle and glue it in the center. The circle is divided into egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly section.

For the egg section, cut a green construction paper to shape a small leaf. Glue some white pom pom as the eggs. Next is caterpillar section. Use two colours of pipe cleaners, cut  into 6 inches long, and twist them together. Wrap the twisted one around a pencil to form a caterpillar.

For the chrysalis section, make a shape of chrysalis from a tissue paper. Then, glue it next to a small twig. The last section is butterfly. Combine a pipe cleaner with tissue paper to create the butterfly. Place all the section parts on the plate. Here we go! You can explain the butterfly life cycle.

2. Paper Plate Flying Saucer

Paper Plate Craft UFO
pustunchik.ua

You may also enjoy reading this 20 Awesome and Amazing Ideas for Craft Foam or Styrofoam

Have you ever celebrated a UFO day? It comes on July 2nd, so you can create paper plate flying saucer to celebrate it. Start doing silver paint on a foam coffee cup and two paper plates. Put some twisted newspapers inside the plates and glue them together.

Glue the cup and the plates to gather the UFO completely. For a glowing look, add some jewels around the UFO. Knot a string on the top of the cup if you want to hang it on the ceiling.

3. Summer Fruits Paper Plates

Paper Plate Craft Fruits
yourdiyfamily.com

Applying delicious summer fruits into paper plate crafts offer a good sight of bright colours. Paint a plate with olive green colour for kiwi, lighten up the center by mixing olive green with white paint. Fold in half a round green paper before cutting an oval at the center. Draw some seeds with black marker and attach to kiwi plate.

Paint another green plate for watermelon. Cut a round shape from a pink paper and draw some seeds. Glue the pink paper on the plate and cut it in half.

Paint a red colour to a plate for an apple. Draw seeds using black marker on a round shape of white paper. Attach the white paper to the apple plate and cuit it in half.

Make an orange plate with orange paint and a lemon plate with yellow one. Cut an orange paper into a wagon wheel shape, draw some black seeds, and attach to the orange plate. Do the same way for lemon with yellow round paper.

4. Paper Plate Nature Island

Paper Plate Craft Island
thepinterestedparent.com

Place a replica of nature island on a paper plate by using play dough. Make a flat round play dough and put it onto the center of the plate. Start sticking some plants, flowers and rocks into the dough. Decorate your own island freely. Paint a blue colour around the rims of plate for a sea. Now, your paper plate nature island is done.

5. Streamer Rainbows

Paper Plate Craft Rainbow
strollersavvy.com

Want to have a long lasting rainbow in your room? Try this rainbow paper plate to brighten up your day. You need to cut a paper plate in half and glue rainbow coloured tissue papers. Make some cotton balls as clouds and glue them on the half plate. Hang it on the wall. Your kids can learn about the rainbow colour order correctly from this craft.

6. Paper Plate Cars

Paper Plate Craft Car
nanyfadhly.com

Boys will absolutely love cars. They will be interested in making these paper plate cars. Prepare the supplies that consist of paper plates, coloured tissue papers, black and white cardstock, glue, scissors, and stapler.

Cut in half a paper plate for the car’s body. Make round shapes from a black cardstock as the wheels. A white cardstock is cut into rectangular shapes as the windows. Cover the body with coloured tissue paper and simply staple all car details. The paper plate cars are ready to race.

7. Bear Mask Craft

Paper Plate Craft Bear
iheartcraftythings.com

Do your kids are the fans of Karma Wilson’s Bear? Just ask them to wear the bear masks and pretend to be polar bears. Firstly, make the bear nose from plastic fruit cup. Colour the cup with brown paint. After it dry, put a large brown pom pom at the top.

Next is preparing the bear’s face. Cut two holes on a paper plate as the bear’s eyes. Cover the paper plate with brown tissue papers. Cut brown cardstock to make the ears. Glue the bear’s nose. The last, punch a hole on each side to tie a piece of string. Put the bear mask on the head.

8. Paper Plate Ring Toss

Paper Plate Craft Ring
kiwico.com

This paper plate ring toss craft can be used as a fun game. Make some colourful rings from paper plates by cutting the circle out of the middle.

Prepare the other three paper plates and three cardboard tubes in different heights. Place each of the tubes exactly in the middle of a plate. Glue one end of the tube on the plate. Using a plate at each bottom of the tube will give a good balance. The ring toss is done! Set up the games and ask your kids to toss the rings.

9. Fish Aquarium

Paper Plate Craft Aquarium
makingmamamagic.blogspot.com

Obsessing to have an ocean in your house is possibly done by creating a replica of a fish aquarium with a paper plate. Turn the colour of a plate into a light blue paint, or you just simply use a leftover ocean blue paper plate. decorate your plate with fish paper, seaweed from a green pipe cleaner, and some white beans. Now, you get the fish aquarium.

10. Swan Paper Plate

Paper Plate Craft Swan
cityofcraft.com

A pretty swan can be made from a paper plate, too. Start making the swan’s head and neck by cutting from the edge of the center plate. Keep cutting by following the lines until you get the half center plate cut off. Glue a triangle shape as beak and a googly eye on the swan’s head. Don’t forget to cut slits in the extra piece for the swan’s wing.

11. Owl Paper Plate

Paper Plate Craft Owl
playtimewithmommy.blogspot.com

Since paper plates can be easily formed into animal creatures, your kids can make a feature of an owl. You only need two plates which are brown painted. Cut into half one plate for the owl’s wings. Use another one to draw the owl’s face.

Add details by using colour paper cut into small, medium, large round shapes (eyes) and triangle shape (beak). If necessary, tape a piece of yarn to hang the owl on the wall.

12. Fourth of July Purse

Paper Plate Craft Fourth of July
handmadecharlotte.com

Applying fourth-July-themed to your paper plate purse is such a great way to celebrate the day. Cut the plate in half and draw patriotic designs by using red, blue, and white paint. Allow to dry and staple both halves of plate together.

Leave an opening on the top. Make two holes on both sides of the purse to tie a piece of string. You’re done!

13. Paper Plate Crowns

Paper Plate Craft Hat
someonesmum.co.uk

Paper plate crowns are so functional especially for kids’ party. These crafts can be worn as party hats which are so adorable. The steps are very simple. Fold the paper plate into half. Draw and cut your own pattern on the folded plate. To make it easier, use hat template and cut by following the pattern.

After the cutting process is done, open the folded plate and draw the hats with colourful crayons. Add some cute stickers if you want to. Paper plate crowns are done.

14. Vintage Swimmer Mask

Paper Plate Craft Vintage Mask
pinkstripeysocks.com

Summer comes and inspire us to do fun craft activity using paper plates. The idea of wearing swimming caps is great to be applied on DIY paper plate mask. The colours and flowers look so vintage and cool. Use craft paint, construction paper, and jumbo popsicle sticks to decorate the mask.

Start by making two holes for the eyes. Drawing the face with colourful paint. Cut the construction paper into flower shapes. Glue the flowers on the cap. Last but not least, tape a popsicle stick at the back of the plate. Hold on the stick and try to wear your vintage swimmer mask!

15. Paper Plate Tambourines

Paper Plate Craft Tambourine
greenowlart.blogspot.com

Unthinkable idea of creating homemade musical instrument from paper plate comes to reality. Paper plate tambourine is a kind of classic noisemaker that sounds more musical. The sounds are produced from the filler, such as dried beans or rice. Two plates with filler inside should be fully stapled to avoid the beans escaping.

Do some artistic designs on both sides of the plates. Your kids possibly decorate with their finger print, stickers, ribbons, feathers, and patterned tapes.

16. Paper Plate Seahorse

Paper Plate Craft Seahorse
artistway-lifelists.blogspot.com

Paper plate seahorse may be inspired by the ocean. A half of large paper plate is enough to make this craft. You may keep another half for the next project. Use the half part as the body. Cut yellow, white and turquoise cardstock  for the head and other feature details. Use stapler to unite the whole parts of the seahorse.

Next is cutting some colourful tissue papers into small squares. Brush some glue on the body and stick the small colourful squares onto it. Tada! Have a fun play with your paper plate seahorse.

17. Cute Cookies Basket

Paper Plate Craft Basket
itsalwaysautumn.com

If you are looking for a cute package for your baked cookies, make you own cookies basket from paper plates. Draw a pair of dotted lines at the top and bottom rims of a plate. Cut by following the dotted lines.

Draw other dotted lines from edge to edge horizontally at the top and bottom plate. Add two dotted lines vertically in the center of the plate. Follow the dotted lines to fold the plate into a basket.

Tape the two ends of the basket. Fill in some chocochip cookies into the basket. Add a ribbon tie for a cute look.

18. Paper Plate Birds with Moveable Wings

Paper Plate Craft Birds
kidsactivitiesblog.com

Prepare two paper plates if you want to make three birds. Cut the plates into half and use three halves as birds’ body. The rest of a half plate is cut into six equal shapes. Cover them with crapbook paper to make the wings.

Next is painting the three paper plate halves. Put a googly eye and draw an orange beak onto one corner of each half. Also poke a hole in the center of the body and each wing. Use paper fastener to unite the wings into the body. Finally, you can move the wings as if the birds fly.

19. African Necklaces

Paper Plate Craft Necklace
onceuponanartroom.com

This unique African necklaces paper plate craft can be worn instead of being displayed. These artificial jewels are inspired by beaded necklace of the Samburu Tribe. To make the necklaces, use the rims of large paper plates.

Cut the outer rims of large paper plates and draw any dots, lines, squares. Use colourful paint to hueing the necklace to have a tribal look. The tribal design represents the beaded pattern of the original necklace. Stand for a few minutes until dry so that you can wear the African necklaces.

20. Cow Paper Plate Mask

Paper Plate Craft Cow
cutekidsreadingbooks.com

Cow mask is another craft activity using paper plates. Begin to cut a pink construction paper into round shape. Draw the cow’s mouth and nose on that paper. Cut black construction paper and draw the cow’s ears.

Next is painting cow spots with black paint. After that, add ears, and mouth on the paper plate by using glue. Then, tape a stick at the back of the plate to hold on the mask.

From those great ideas above, we know that hundreds fun and cheap crafts are created from a very simple leftover paper plate. Optimizing the use of tools and supplies will help you creating a best paper plate craft for your kids.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.