Paper Plate and Paper Cup Crafts for Kids

"The Cow Jumped Over the Moon" Paper Plate Craft

What you will need: Two dinner-sized paper plates, card stock (Heavy Paper), crayons or markers, and glue.

What to do:

1. Draw a cow's head, legs and tail onto card stock or white construction paper. (A pattern for this craft is available to members of Danielle's Place.)

2. Cut out the patterns and color them.

3.Fold a paper plate in half to make the cows body. Glue the legs, head and tail onto the paper plate as shown.
3. Fold the other paper plate in half and cut the halves apart on the folded line. Place the two halves together top to top and glue them together around the rim of the plate. Cut out a face shape and glue the plates together just around the edge of the face.

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Paper Plate Donkey Craft for Psalm Sunday

What you will need: Dinner-sized paper plates, paint or crayons, material, brown yarn, and glue.

What to do:

1. Before class fold the paper plates to make the donkeys. To make the head fold a paper plate almost in half as shown in the picture above.

3. Measure 3 3/4" in from the sides of the folded edge of the paper plate. Fold the sides back 3 3/4" to form the head shape as shown at the left. Glue or staple the sides together on the back.

4. To make the body fold another paper plate in half. Fold back and then forward 1 1/2" from the right-hand side of the folded edge. Then unfold and push the edge down into the folded paper plate to form the rear of the donkey. (See diagram at the right.)

5. Glue the head to the body as shown.

6. Cut out leg, tail, and ear shapes from brown construction paper and glue them to the body and head. Patterns for the legs, tail, and ears are available to members only.

7. Cut coat shapes from pieces of material, and cut brown yarn into short length for the donkey's mane.

8. In class have your children paint or color the paper plates, and glue on the ears, legs, tail, coat, and yarn.

*Note- Other animals using this techinque can also be made. To get directions for the reindeer card holder go to the Christmas Craft Page.

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Paper Plate Fluttering Butterfly for Kids

This butterfly is attached to a stand which allows it to flutter in the wind.

What you will need: Dinner-sized paper plates, scissors, crayons, paint or markers.

What to do:

1. Print out the butterfly pattern and cut it out. Place the pattern on the paper plate so that the top and bottom wings touch the edge of the plate. Trace the pattern then turn it over and place it on the other half of the paper plate and trace it. It should look like a butterfly.

2. Cut on the solid lines. Do not cut the line between the antenna.

3. When it is cut out color it and then fold the butterfly in half so that the top of the paper plate is up. Fold the other piece between the top wings and antenae down or the opposite way. Then fold the line between the antenna down. This will be the stand. You may have to cut the stand a little flatter on the bottom edge.

4. Place a small piece of tape on the back side of the butterfly between the antenna and the butterfly at the fold.

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Walrus Paper Plate Craft for Kids

What you will need: Two-10 1/4" paper plates, four-6 inch paper plates, two plastic spoons or straws, yarn, paint, scissors, hot melt glue and gun, black permanent marker.

What to do:

1. Glue two big plates together, top-to-top, for the body and two small plates together, top-to-top, for the head. Glue the head to the body.

2. To make the muzzle fold a small paper plate in half and then fold back the sides as shown in the diagram to the right. Glue the folded sides to the back of the plate. Push up the top, bottom part of the paper plate and glue it in place as shown in the diagram. Cut the scoop ends off two spoons and glue the spoons inside the muzzle for the tusks.

3. Glue the muzzle to the head.

4. Cut a small paper plate in half and glue the halves to the body to make fins as shown in the picture.

5. Paint the paper plates and let them dry. Add eyes and yarn to make the whiskers. Use a black marker to draw the nose.

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Sea Otter Paper Plate Craft for Kids

What you will need: Two heavy duty dinner-sized paper plates, three-6 inch paper plates, paint, scissors, hot melt glue and gun, black permanent marker, and card stock.

What to do:

1. Glue two big plates together, top-to-top, for the body and two small plates together, top-to-top, for the head. Glue the head to the body. (You can make the sea otter a plate to hold seashells by cutting out the center of the top paper plate before gluing it to the bottom paper plate.)

2. To make the sea otter's muzzle fold a small paper plate in half and then fold back the sides as shown in the diagram to the right. Glue the folded sides to the back of the plate. Cut the bottom part of the paper plate into a mouth shape.

3. Glue the muzzle to the head.

4. Cut out arms, legs, a tail and ears, and glue them to the body as shown in the picture.

5. Paint the paper plates and let them dry. Add eyes and a nose. Cut a sea star shape from card stock and glue it to a hand of the sea otter.

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Flat Cat Paper Plate Craft for Kids

You can use this cute little cat to play a word game that teaches your children words that rhyme with "cat".  Children will love making their own flat cats to take home and help them learn to read.

What you will need: Two or three Styrofoam dinner plates or heavy duty paper plate for each cat, one small paper plate, acrylic paint, glue or staples, large paper clip, and sticky note paper or plain paper.

What to do:

1. Cut out legs, ears, and a tail from one paper plate or a Styrofoam tray. I cut the feet from around the rim of the paper plate so that they naturally bend down. Try not to have the feet and tail stick out too far.  This makes it harder to spin because the tail and legs keep bumping on things.

2. Glue or staple the legs and tail to the top of one plate. 

3. Cover that paper plate with another paper plate to form the cats body. The plates should be glued or stapled top to top.

4. Fold the small plate in half to form the cats head.  Glue ears to the head at the fold.  Glue the head to the body. 

5 .Paint the cat.

©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

He Makes Me Lie Down in Green Pastures Paper Plate Sheep Craft for Sunday School

What you will need: Two dinner sized paper plates (heavy duty is best, but the cheap ones will work), 1 snack size paper plate, white card stock or poster board, four 5 ounce Dixie cups, red and white paint, hot melt glue gun or stapler, school glue, black markers, and cotton balls.

1. Make the four legs first. Cut the side seams (the part of the cup that has been glue together) out of the cup and then squeeze the sides together rolling the sides over each other and glue them together with a hot melt glue gun. If you don't have a glue gun, staple them together. You want to make the top part of the cup much smaller. Do this for all four legs. Make a crease on both sides of the legs at the top of the cups so that the seams are on the bottom. Cut about one inch down on each side and slide them onto a dinner sized paper plate that is set upright so that the seams of the legs are facing down. Glue or staple them to the plate.

2. Turn another dinner sized paper plate upside down and glue or staple it on top of the plate with the feet.

3. Paint the feet black and let them dry while you work on the head.

4. To make the head paint the top side of a snack sized paper plate pink for the mouth and let dry. Fold it in half when it is dry so that the pink is inside.

5. Cut out two ears from poster board and glue them to the back of the head.

6. Glue the head onto the body as shown in the picture.

7. Glue cotton balls all over the sheep's body.

8. Draw eyes on a piece of card stock, cut them out and glue them to the head. Draw in the nose and mouth.

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Polar Bear Crafts for Kids

Polar Bear Craft for Kids
© 2005, Carolyn Warvel

What you will need: 2 Styrofoam dinner plates, Styrofoam bowl, 4 - 5 oz. Dixie Cups, 1 - 9 oz. Styrofoam cup, white acrylic paint, low temp. hot melt glue and a black marker.

What to do:

1. Make the four legs first. Cut the top edge off the cups. Cut a line all the way down the side seam to the bottom of the cups. Roll the cups up so that they are smaller on the tops of the cups as shown in the picture. Cut off the parts of the cups that hang over. Glue the sides together with a low temp hot melt glue gun. Squeeze the top of the cup together and glue closed. If you don't have a glue gun, staple them together. Glue or staple the legs to the top of a paper plate. (Glue the front legs on as shown in the picture. Glue the back legs on the opposite way.) Paint the legs white. Use a black marker to draw on the footprints. Cut out a small tail and glue it to the plate.

2. Turn another dinner-sized paper plate upside down and glue or staple it on top of the plate with the feet and tail.

3. To make the head, cut two one-inch slits in the rim of the cup about 2 inches apart so that it fits onto the rim of the polar bear's body. Cut ears from another Styrofoam cup and glue them to the head.

4. To finish, cut a circle in the top plate a little smaller than the rim of your bowl. Place the bowl inside the plates. You can glue it down or leave it so it can be removed.

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Tired Elephant Paper Plate Craft

What you will need: two dinner sized paper plates (heavy duty is best, but the cheap ones will work), three snack size plates, four 5 ounce Dixie cups, one toilet paper roll, gray and red paint, hot melt glue gun or stapler, and white card stock.

What to do:

1. Make the four legs first. Cut the side seams (the part of the cup that has been glue together) out of the cup and then squeeze the sides together rolling the sides over each other. Glue or staple the sides together. You want to make the top part of the cup much smaller. Do this for all four legs. Make a crease on both sides of the legs at the top so that the seams are on the bottom. Cut about one inch down on each side at the creases and slide them onto a dinner sized paper plate that is set upright so that the seams of the legs are facing down. Glue or staple them to the plate.

2. Make a tail for the elephant out of paper and glue it onto the same paper plate.

3. Turn another dinner sized paper plate upside down and glue it on top of the plate with the feet.

4. For the head, paint the top side of a snack sized paper plate pink for the mouth and let dry. Fold it in half when it is dry so that the pink is inside.

5. Flatten one side of the TP roll and cut 1/2" slits on both sides at the flatten end. Slide the TP roll onto one side of the folded snack sized paper plate at the slits to form the trunk. (See picture.) Glue them together.

6. Trace the ear pattern onto the top side of snack sized paper plates. Place the outside of the ear pattern at the edge of the plate. Turn the pattern over and do the same thing. You should have two ears that are opposite each other. Glue them onto the back of the head as shown in the picture.

7. Glue the head onto the body and paint the whole body. Let dry.

8. Draw eyes on a piece of card stock, cut them out, and glue them to the head. Draw in the nose and mouth.

©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Resting Pig

What you will need: two dinner sized paper plates (heavy duty is best, but the cheap ones will work), 1 paper bowl, four 5 ounce Dixie cups, construction paper or card stock, pink and black paint, hot melt glue gun or stapler and a pink pipe cleaner.

What to do:

1. Make the four legs first. Cut the side seams (the part of the cup that has been glue together) out of the cup and then squeeze the sides together rolling the sides over each other. Glue or staple the sides together. You want to make the top part of the cup much smaller. Do this for all four legs. Make a crease on both sides of the legs at the top so that the seams are on the bottom. Cut about one inch down on each side at the creases and slide them onto a dinner sized paper plate that is set upright so that the seams of the legs are facing down. Glue or staple them to the plate.

2. Make a tail for the pig out of the pipe cleaner and staple it onto the same paper plate.

3. Turn another dinner sized paper plate upside down and glue it on top of the plate with the feet.

4. For the head, cut two slits down the side of a paper bowl. Bring the sides of slits together and glue or staple them making two darts at about where the sides of the mouth will end.

5. Cut out two ears from construction paper or card stock and glue them to the back of the bowl.

6. Glue the bowl to the top of the paper plate as shown.

7. Paint the pig pink and the bottoms of the feet black.

8. Draw eyes on a piece of card stock, cut them out, and glue them to the head. Draw in the nose and mouth.

©2005, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

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Paper Lighthouse Craft

This lighthouse is made from poster board, paper and plastic cups, a paper plate, and a screw band from a Mason Jar (canning jar). It was painted with acrylic paint and small rocks were glued to the paper plate base.

What you will need: White poster board, 1 - 9 oz paper cup, 1- 5 oz. juice/dessert plastic cup (It should be much wider at the top than at the bottom, 1- 6 oz. juice/dessert plastic cup (It should be pretty straight.), a heavy-duty paper plate, a regular size screw band from a Mason Jar (canning jar), acrylic paint, hot melt glue, and some rocks.

What to do:

1. Cut the poster board to form the base of the lighthouse. On a piece of white poster board draw a quadrangle. To make the quadrangle draw a rectangle that is 13" wide and 12" high. Measure 3" in from the top on each side of the rectangle (as shown in the illustration). Draw lines from the 3" marks down to the bottom corners as shown in the picture. The top of your quadrangle should be 7" wide and the bottom should be 13" wide. Cut the quadrangle out. Glue the sides together to make a cone shape. Cut the bottom so that it sets on the table flat. (If you are going to add stripes, you may want to paint them on before you glue the sides together.) Glue the bottom of the base to the middle of a heavy duty paper plate.

2. To make the railing, cut 1" off the top of the 9 oz. paper cup. Discard the rest. Place the screw band and inside the paper cup top so that the rim of the screw band and the rim of the paper cup are both facing up. They should fit snugly together. Glue them together. Slide them down over the top of the lighthouse poster board base. Glue them in place.

3. To make the windows where the light comes through place the 6 oz. plastic cup upside down inside and on top of the screw band and lid and glue down.

4. To make the roof of the lighthouse, glue the 5 oz. plastic up upside down over the 6 oz. plastic cup.

5. To finish paint the lighthouse and base with acrylic paint. Glue on rocks to the base.

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Alien and Space Ship

You can also find a "Spinning Space Ship toy" on the Trash to Treasure page.

What you will need: Two large Styrofoam plates, paper bowl, paint, sequins, glue, card stock.

What to do:

1. Print out the alien pattern, color it and cut it out.

2. Cut a hole in the center of one plate just large enough for the bowl to fit through up to the rim.

3. Glue the rim of the bowl to the paper plate. Glue the other paper plate onto the rim of the other plate.

4. Paint the space ship with acrylic paints and decorate with sequins.

©2003, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Fish in Water Paper Plate Craft for Sunday School

This makes a great Sunday school craft.  Use it for any lesson with fish in it such as the creation story, Fishers of men, Jesus feeds the 5,000 etc.

What you will need: Heavy duty paper plates, fish pictures or fishy crackers, blue and green cellophane or Handi-wrap, blue and green tissue paper or  crepe paper, leaves, sea shells, etc., yarn, hole punch.

What to do: Have the children rip up pieces of crepe paper or tissue paper and glue to  the paper plate.  Show them how to crinkle up sheets of cellophane or Handi-wrap and place on the paper plate. Have them glue on foliage that might look like it came from the sea and small sea shells and coral.  Have them glue on pictures of fish or use fishy crackers.   When they are finished, cover the entire plate with cellophane or Handi-wrap  Punch a hole at the top of the plate and tie on a piece of yarn for hanging.

©2003, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Sun, Moon, and Stars Mobile Craft for Sunday School

What you will need: Small heavy duty paper plates, salt dough,  star, moon, and sun cookie cutters, hole punch, yarn, paint or markers

What to do:

1.  Prepare a batch of salt dough. (This link will take you to another web site.  I used the first recipe on the page).  Cut two stars, one sun, and one moon shape for each  mobile using cookie cutters. (If you don't have a moon shape, just use a round cookie cutter and then take out a chunk of the circle using the round cookie cutter again. Bake until they are hard at the suggested temperature.

2.   Cut a paper plate in half. 

3. Print out the Cloud and Sun Patterns (Large file or small file) and cut them out.

4. Glue the patterns onto the front and  back of the paper plate.  Punch four holes on the straight side of the plate evenly spaced.

5.  Tie the shapes onto the plate with yarn.  The sun should be on a short string because  it is much heavier than the moon.  Make the moon the longest string because it is light.  This will balance out the mobile so that is hangs even. Punch a hole in the top and add another piece of yarn to hang.

6. Have the children paint or use markers to decorate the mobile.  If you would like, use spray glue and have the children sprinkle glitter on the shapes to finish. 

©2002, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

 Paper Plate Noah's Ark Craft

What you will need: Two heavy duty 6" paper plates, glue, crayons or markers,  scissors, and poster board.

What to do:

Cut one paper plate in half. Cut a slight curve in the cut  edge. Glue the two halves together to make the bottom of the ark.

Use the pattern to cut the top part of the ark from poster board. Fold where the  pattern indicates and glue together. Glue the top part of the ark to the bottom part of the ark.

Cut a little off the bottom edge of the ark so it isn't so rounded and will stand up better. Cut a slit using an exact knife in the middle of the second plate so that the ark fits into it. Cut two 1/2 inch slits running perpendicular and at each end of the first slit. This will hold up the ark. Color or paint.

©2001, Digital by Design, Inc. - See Copyright Information

Noah's Ark with Rainbow Paper Plate Craft for Sunday School

Just about all children have at least one beanie baby to put in this ark and hang  in their room. Thanks to Peggy Lewis for sending us this idea.

What you will need: 1 1/2  paper plates per ark, scissors, glue, paint of crayons

  What to do:

1. Before class cut one paper plate in half and use one half  to form the front of the ark. Save the other half to use as the front of another ark.

2. Cut a half a circle out of the top center half of the second paper plate leaving the rainbow shape at the top. 

3. Glue half paper plate onto the paper plate with the rainbow cut out so that a pocket is formed below the rainbow to form the ark.

Have the children paint the rainbow and ark

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Paper Plate Starfish Craft for Kids

What you will need: 9 inch paper plates (2  per fish) glue, paint, beads

Directions:

1. Print out starfish patterns Pattern 1 (Large file of small file) and Pattern 2 (Large file or small file). Cut out the starfish pattern and trace the pattern onto the bottom side of a paper plate and cut it out. (You don't have to use a paper plate; you could just use card stock.)

2. Fold the solid lines on the pattern up and the dotted lines down as shown in the diagram.

3. Glue the folded starfish to a piece of card stock and let dry. Don't press the folded starfish flat against the card stock. When your glue is dry cut out around the legs to finish.

4. Glue on a string or magnet to hang up the fish.

5. Decorate with beads. We used plastic necklace beads and glued  them on so the holes where face up.

Comments:

We loved the starfish activity in my 1st grade class. To save money I substituted cheerios for the beads. One box was enough for the whole class! A. Braswell, K/1 Looping Teacher

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