Easy Paper Plate Crafts for Kids: 10 Fun Ideas to Try Today
Paper plates might be the most underrated craft supply out there. A lion mask, a paper plate fish, a spinning color wheel, a sun, a simple clock face — most take under 30 minutes, use paint or markers you probably already own, and kids from age 2 to 10 will stay genuinely busy. I pulled out a pack last Saturday when my niece and nephew needed something to do, and we finished three projects before lunch.
What You Need to Get Started
No craft store haul required. Here's what covers almost every project on this list:
- Paper plates (standard 9-inch size works best)
- Washable tempera paint in primary colors
- Markers in assorted colors
- Child-safe scissors
- A glue stick and white school glue
- Construction paper scraps in yellow, orange, red, green, and blue
- Googly eyes (a small bag goes a long way)
- Yarn or ribbon scraps
- Brass fasteners (also called brads, for the spinning clock)
- Tape
That's it. Keep a few paper towels nearby and put down a plastic tablecloth or some newspaper if paint is involved.
10 Easy Paper Plate Crafts to Try
1. Paper Plate Lion
Paint the plate yellow or orange. Cut strips of construction paper in orange, yellow, and brown, curl them around a pencil, and glue them around the edge for the mane. Add googly eyes, a small triangle nose cut from black paper, and draw on a smile. Done in 20 minutes.
2. Paper Plate Fish
Cut a triangle "mouth" wedge from one side of the plate. Flip that triangle around and tape it to the opposite side to create the tail fin. Paint the whole thing in bright colors and add a googly eye. Kids can paint stripes or spots before the eye goes on.
3. Spinning Color Wheel
Divide a plate into six sections with a pencil. Paint each section a different color. Poke a brass fastener through the center, attach a cardboard arrow, and you have a spinner kids can use for games or just spin for fun.
4. Paper Plate Sun
Paint the plate yellow. While it dries, cut long and short triangles from yellow and orange construction paper. Glue them around the back edge so the points stick out. Add a face with markers. This one looks great hung in a window.
5. Paper Plate Clock
Write the numbers 1 through 12 around the plate with a marker. Cut two clock hands from cardboard, one short and one long. Push a brass fastener through both hands and then through the center of the plate. Kids can practice telling time by moving the hands around.
6. Paper Plate Turtle
Paint the plate green and let it dry. Cut a head, four legs, and a small tail from green construction paper. Tape them to the back so they peek out around the edges. Add eyes and a smile on the head with a marker.
7. Paper Plate Butterfly
Fold a plate in half. Paint each half wing in bright colors, stripes, or polka dots. Once dry, pinch the center and wrap a pipe cleaner around it, twisting the ends up into antennae. Add googly eyes to the pipe cleaner.
8. Paper Plate Jellyfish
Paint the bottom of the plate pink, purple, or blue. Cut eight to ten strips of tissue paper or crepe paper streamers and tape them to the inside rim so they hang down. Hang the jellyfish from a piece of string tied through a small hole in the top.
9. Paper Plate Pizza
This one is purely for fun. Paint the plate red for sauce, then tear small pieces of yellow tissue paper for cheese and glue them on. Cut tiny circles of red and brown construction paper for pepperoni and mushrooms. Kids can go completely off-script with toppings, which is half the appeal.
10. Paper Plate Owl
Paint the plate brown or gray. Cut two large circles from yellow paper and two smaller circles from black for the eyes. Add a small orange triangle beak. Cut wing shapes from brown paper and glue them to the sides. Glue on a few feather-shaped paper scraps across the bottom half.
Tips for Making These Go Smoothly
Set out all the supplies before kids sit down. Decision fatigue is real, and having everything visible keeps things moving. Let paint dry completely before adding googly eyes or paper details — things slide off wet paint and someone always gets upset about it. A hair dryer on low speeds this up fine.
For toddlers, skip the scissors entirely and pre-cut all the shapes yourself. They can focus on gluing and painting, which is honestly the part they love most anyway. For older kids, give them the plate and the supplies and step back. Some of the best results happen when you stop directing.
Fun Variations to Try
Swap construction paper for foam sheets if you want sturdier results. Use metallic paint for holiday versions of the sun or fish. Add glitter glue as a finishing touch once everything else is dry. For a birthday party, set up a decorating station with markers and stickers and let every kid make their own mask or creature to take home. It keeps them occupied and doubles as a party favor.
Paper plates cost almost nothing and the projects take less than an afternoon. Hard to beat that.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Most paper plate crafts work well for kids ages 2 and up. Toddlers do best with painting and gluing pre-cut shapes, while kids ages 5 and up can handle child-safe scissors and more detailed steps on their own.
Washable tempera paint is the easiest choice. It dries quickly, cleans up with water, and sticks to the plate surface without soaking through. Acrylic paint also works but is harder to wash out of clothes.
Paper plates are much better for crafts. Paint and glue stick to them easily, kids can cut or fold them, and they are lightweight enough to hang or wear as a mask. Plastic plates are too slippery and stiff for most of these projects.
Cut two small holes on the sides of the plate and thread a 12-inch piece of elastic or ribbon through each hole, knotting the ends on the back. Measure it loosely around the child's head before tying it off so it fits comfortably.
