These paper plate crafts for kids are cheap, easy to set up and use supplies you probably already have. You’ll find 20 ideas for preschool through early elementary, grouped by type, each with approximate cost, time and difficulty.
A paper plate is already a sturdy circle, so kids can paint, cut, weave or turn one into an animal in one sitting. An adult should handle scissors, staplers and eye holes. Always supervise, use washable non-toxic supplies, and skip small pieces such as beads, beans, brads and googly eyes for children under three.
Jump to
- Supplies for Paper Plate Crafts
- Safety and Setup Tips
- Paper Plate Animal Crafts
- Masks and Pretend-Play Crafts
- Art and Learning Crafts
- Seasonal Paper Plate Crafts
- Crafts Kids Can Keep and Use
- FAQ
Supplies for Paper Plate Crafts
One pack of plates covers almost every idea below. Grocery and dollar stores both work.
- Plain paper plates, some everyday and some sturdier (avoid Styrofoam)
- Washable non-toxic paint, brushes, chunky crayons and washable markers
- Glue sticks, white school glue and a stapler for an adult to use
- Construction paper, tissue paper, cupcake liners, and yarn or ribbon scraps
- Child-safe scissors, plus a pair of adult scissors
- Brass fasteners (brads), large craft sticks, a hole punch and thin elastic
- A plastic tray or baking sheet, an old shirt or smock, and wipes
Plain, uncoated paper plates take paint and glue better than heavily waxed or plastic-coated ones. Keep heavier plates for masks and tambourines.
Safety and Setup Tips
- Stay nearby the whole time, especially when paint, scissors or small parts are in use.
- An adult should cut eye holes, use the stapler and handle sharp scissors.
- Choking hazard: dry beans, beads, buttons, googly eyes, brads and loose pasta are not safe for children under three. Use large stickers or paper shapes instead, and skip sealed shakers.
- Use supplies labeled non-toxic and washable, and keep paint off faces and out of mouths.
- Cover the table, put a tray under the plate, and let paint dry fully before kids wear or hang the plate.
For one- and two-year-olds, see our easy crafts for toddlers, including a simple paper plate face.
Paper Plate Animal Crafts
These paper plate animal crafts are the ones kids ask to make again.
1. Paper Plate Lion
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes + drying
Paint the center yellow or gold and let it dry. Cut a fringe around the rim, or glue on torn yellow and orange paper strips for a mane, then add paper ears and a drawn face.
2. Paper Plate Fish
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes + drying
Have an adult cut a triangle from one side for the mouth, then glue that same piece on the opposite side as a tail. Kids paint the body and add scales with fingerprints, marker arcs or paper circles.
3. Folded Paper Plate Owl
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes
Fold the top third of a plate down toward the center; that flap becomes the owl’s brow. Kids paint the body, then glue on two large paper or cupcake-liner eyes, a beak and paper wings.
4. Paper Plate Jellyfish
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes + drying
Paint the back of the plate in watery blues, purples or pinks and let it dry. An adult staples ribbons, yarn or tissue-paper streamers along the bottom for tentacles. Draw a simple face and hang it so the streamers can move.
5. Paper Plate Ladybug
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes + drying
Paint the plate red and let it dry, then add a black stripe down the middle and large black spots. Glue on a black paper head and two paper or pipe-cleaner antennae.
6. Paper Plate Frog
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes + drying
Paint the plate green and let it dry. Glue two cupcake liners or paper circles near the top for eyes, then add a wide smile and a pink paper tongue. Folded paper legs let it sit on a shelf.
Masks and Pretend-Play Crafts
These paper plate crafts turn into something kids can wear or play with. Let everything dry first.
7. Paper Plate Animal Mask
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $3 · Time: 25 minutes + drying
Kids paint a plate to look like a cat, bear, bunny or monster and add paper ears. When it is dry, an adult cuts eye holes large enough to see through, then staples on a craft-stick handle or punches side holes for thin elastic. Do not let a child run or play near stairs in a mask.
8. Paper Plate Crown
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes
An adult cuts out the center of a sturdy plate, then cuts triangle points around the inner rim to make a crown. Kids decorate the ring with markers, stickers or scraps. If it is loose, tape or staple a paper strip to size it.
9. Paper Plate Tambourine
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 15 minutes
Let kids decorate the bottoms of two plates, then an adult puts a small handful of dry beans, rice or jingle bells in one, sets the second plate on top, and staples around the rims. Cover sharp staples with tape. Do not use loose beans or bells with children under three; they can decorate a single plate and drum on it instead.
10. Paper Plate Steering Wheel
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $1 · Time: 15 minutes
An adult cuts a large circle from the center of a sturdy plate, leaving a wide rim, then adds two or three paper or tape “spokes” across the opening. Kids color the wheel. It makes a simple prop for couch road trips or a cardboard-box car.
Art and Learning Crafts
These ideas use the plate as a frame, a loom or a game.
11. Paper Plate Weaving
Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $3 · Time: 30 minutes
An adult cuts an odd number of slits, about an inch deep, around the rim and wraps yarn across the plate to make a simple loom. Kids weave a second color over and under the spokes, then tape the end on the back. Thick yarn is easier than thin thread.
12. Paper Plate Rainbow
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes
An adult cuts a plate in half. Kids paint or glue tissue-paper arcs in rainbow order on the half-circle, then add cotton-ball or torn-paper clouds at each end. Hang it in a window when it is dry.
13. Paper Plate Clock
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes
Kids write or sticker the numbers 1 through 12 around the plate, with 12, 3, 6 and 9 placed first so the rest stay even. An adult attaches two paper hands at the center with a brad so they can turn. Keep brads away from children who still mouth objects.
14. Paper Plate Suncatcher
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $3 · Time: 20 minutes
An adult cuts out the center of a plate, leaving a ring, then tapes clear contact paper across the opening, sticky side up. Kids press on tissue-paper pieces, cellophane scraps or pressed leaves. Seal with a second sheet, trim the edges and hang it in a window.
Seasonal Paper Plate Crafts
A few seasonal versions are worth having on hand, without turning this into a holiday roundup. For turkeys and Christmas characters, use the lists linked below.
15. Paper Plate Sun or Flower
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 25 minutes + drying
Paint the center yellow and let it dry. Kids glue paper rays around the rim for a sun, or larger petals for a flower, and can add a green stem for wall art. It is a bright spring or summer project.
16. Paper Plate Pumpkin
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes + drying
Kids paint the plate orange and let it dry, then add a green or brown paper stem and a curly vine. Vertical marker lines give it a pumpkin shape without cutting. For turkeys and other age-grouped ideas, see our Thanksgiving crafts for kids.
17. Paper Plate Snowflake
Difficulty: Medium · Cost: about $1 · Time: 20 minutes
Kids fold a white or light-blue plate into sixths or eighths, the same way you would fold a paper snowflake, and cut small shapes along the folds. Unfold, flatten it under a book if it curls, and hang it with thread. Keep this as a winter decoration rather than a full Christmas craft.
18. Paper Plate Wreath
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $3 · Time: 30 minutes
An adult cuts out the center of a plate to leave a ring. Kids glue on scrunched tissue-paper balls, torn paper or large stickers, then add a paper bow. Green and red reads as holiday; tissue-paper flowers make a spring wreath instead. For Santa, reindeer and other age-grouped ideas, see our Christmas crafts for kids.
Crafts Kids Can Keep and Use
These last two have a job after they dry: feeding birds or holding a photo.
19. Paper Plate Bird Feeder
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $3 · Time: 15 minutes + setting
Use a sturdy plate. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter or sunflower-seed butter on top (choose sunflower butter if anyone has a peanut allergy), then let kids press on birdseed. An adult punches holes, ties on yarn and hangs it from a branch away from windows. Wash hands after, and skip plastic-coated plates that might flake.
20. Paper Plate Photo Frame
Difficulty: Easy · Cost: about $2 · Time: 20 minutes
An adult cuts a window from the center, a little smaller than the photo. Kids decorate the remaining rim with drawings, stickers or paint. Tape the photo to the back so it shows through, add a yarn hanger, and write the name and date on the back.
Paper Plate Crafts for Kids FAQ
What age are paper plate crafts for?
Most of these ideas work for ages 3 to 8, with an adult nearby. Toddlers can paint and add large stickers, but an adult should do the cutting, stapling and assembly. School-age kids can often handle child-safe scissors and weaving, with help for brads.
What kind of paper plates work best?
Inexpensive plain paper plates are the most useful, because paint and glue soak in just enough to stick. Flimsy plates are fine for flat art; use a sturdier plate for masks, crowns, tambourines and the bird feeder. Skip Styrofoam; heavily waxed or plastic-coated plates can resist paint.
How do I keep paper plate crafts from getting soggy?
Use a thin layer of washable paint, not a puddle, and let each side dry on a tray before you assemble the project. Glue sticks are less wet than liquid glue. If a plate curls, press it under a book once it is dry, or tape it to cardstock.
Can a toddler do paper plate crafts?
Yes, with close supervision and a simpler plan. Let the toddler paint the plate or add large stickers, and save cutting, small parts and staplers for an adult. For more no-mess ideas for ages 1 to 3, see our easy crafts for toddlers.
How should I display or store the finished crafts?
Punch a hole and hang lighter pieces with yarn, tape flat art to the fridge, or clip a row of animals to a string. Write the child’s name and the date on the back of any keepsake, and let everything dry fully before stacking.
For more seasonal ideas, see the kids posts linked above, plus our Kids Crafts category.
Prices are approximate and were checked at the time of writing.
