60 of the Best Paper Plate Crafts

I put together a list of paper plate crafts for kids that are sure to entertain in classrooms or at home and bonus– reinforce the alphabet and fine motor skills! There is at least one paper plate craft for each letter of the alphabet! It’s a crafty win- win.

60 Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

I am convinced that you can turn a paper plate into anything! This list includes animals (beaver, crab, dinosaur), food (tacos and pizza), and holidays (Chrsitmas tree, menorah, shamrock). Paper plates are the perfect craft for toddlers to older kids. Better yet, have the school aged kids help preschoolers with paper plate crafts this summer! If you’re looking for more alphabet crafts made with everyday things, check out these A-Z toilet paper tube crafts.

Letter A-B paper plate crafts

Grab paper plates, glue sticks, and googly eyes and get ready to make cute, easy crafts for kids of all ages!

1. Apple

Tear small pieces of red construction paper and cover the paper plate. Don’t forget a stem and leaf! See the full paper plate apple tutorial at Ramblings of Crazy Lady.

2. Aquarium

Turn a blue paper plate into an under water ocean paradise with sand, shells, glitter, tissue paper, and felt! All of the details at The Imagination Tree. These paper plate fishbowls are so cute!

3. Banjo

Turn a paper plate and a craft stick into an awesome banjo! Details at Glued to My Crafts.

4. Baskets

Turn a simple white paper plate and a peice of washi tape into an a basket! Get the full tutorial at Sarah Hearts.

5. Bats

Turn two paper plates and brads into bats with movable wings. See the full tutorial at Crafty Journal.

6. Beaver

This paper plate beaver can double has a ground hog! Use toothpicks or straws as whiskers. Find more at I heart crafty things.

7. Bumble Bee

I love the idea to use wax paper as the bees wings! See more at Preschool crafts.

8. Bird

Fold a paper plate in half and cut a small slit in the top of the folded paper plate. Use this small slit to create a wings for your bird.

Letter C- D paper plate crafts

9. Campfire

Use empty tp tubes and tissue paper to make paper plate campfires. More at 1+1+1=1.

10. Cat

Turn two paper plates into a black cat perfect for Halloween. Find more at Easy Peasy and Fun.

11. Clock

Here’s a simple way to make a moveable clock and help kids understand an analog clock. Find out more from the Spruce Crafts.

12. Clown

Crafts by Amanda turned a paper plate into a silly clown puppet with pom poms and construction paper.

13. Christmas Tree

Turn 2 paper plates and am empty paper towel roll into a standing Christmas tree. Idea via A Little Learning.

14. Dinosaur paper plate

Turn a single paper plate into a dinosaur with this easy pattern.

15. Dream catcher made from a paper plate

All you need to make this dream catcher is a paper plate, hole punch, yarn, and Duck Tape for the feathers!

The Letter E- F paper plate crafts

16. Earth

Use paint and tissue paper to make a paper plate Earth. Via Preschool crafts for kids.

17. Elephant

My kids love Piggie and Elephant and Gerald looks adoarble as a paper plate elephant.

18. Fish paper plate

Make fish scales out of whatever you have on hand or even try cutting the paper plate like a snowflake to make a variety of scale shapes.

19. Frog

Turn a paper plate into a tree frog complete with a catch on his tongue!

Letter G- L paper plate crafts

20. Giraffe

21. Goose paper plate

Turn a paper plate into a goose with scissors and feathers. If you don’t have feathers on hand, have the kids make feathers out of white paper.

22. Hats

Turn a paper plate into a hat for nay holiday with these tutorials from Alpha Mom.

23. Igloo

Make a winter scene with potato print penguins and a paper plate igloo from Artsy Craftsy Mom.

24. Kangaroo

The kangaroo paper plate craft is a full on costume complete with a few fun facts about marsupials. Did you know that all marsupial babies are called joeys? There is also a tutorial for a koala paper plate on Mother Natured.

25. Ladybug

Use tissue paper or paint to make a lady bug paper plate craft. Via Glued to my crafts.

26. Lion

Turn a paper plate into a lion with a hole punch, paint and yarn!

Letter M & N paper plate crafts

27. Mardi Gras Mask

Make simple Mardi Gras masks out of paper plates, feathers, and paint. Via Mom to Posh Little Divas.

28. Monkey

Use construction paper to collage a monkey plate plate craft with your preschool class. Via Rainy Day Mom.

29. Monster

Cut the center out of a paper plate to use as the base for a monster paper plate craft. Add teeth, horns, eyes, and hair. Via There’s Just one Mommy.

30. Mouse

Via Off the Shelf.

31. Mummy

Use toilet paper and a paper plate to make a mummy paper plate craft for Halloween.

32. Nest

Kids will love making a birds nest out of treasures from a nature walk and a paper plate. Via Tots Crafts.

The Letter O paper plate crafts

33. Octopus

Artsy Craftsy Mom used bubble wrap as the tentacles for this octopus paper plate craft. Use different colors of paint to make this octopus into a rainbow craft!

34. Owl

Turn a single paper plate into an adorable owl by folding the plate. Add feathers with cereal boxes, construction paper, paint or markers!

35. Oyster

Crafty Crafted folded a paper plate in half and add a cotton ball oyster! Cute!

The Letter P paper plate crafts

 36. Pigeon

We love the Mo Willems book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drives the Bus, so making a paper plate pigeon costume was a must.

37. Pizza

If you have a pizza lover on your hands, don’t miss out on this paper plate pizza purse!

38. Polar bear paper plate

We made shaving cream paint to make these polar bear paper plate crafts.

39. Peacock

Artsy Mama made adorable paper plate peacocks with half a paper plate and a tp tube. 

40. Pig

No Time for Flashcards used an egg carton to create ears and snout for her paper plate pig.

41. Pirate

I Heart Crafty Things used 2 paper plates to create a pirate complete with an eye patch and binder ring earring.

Letter Q & R paper plate crafts

 42. Queen’s crown

4 Crafy Kings whipped up these cute paper plate crowns perfect for little Kings and Queens.

43. Rhino

You won’t be disappointed with Crafty Morning’s paper plate rhinoceros.

44. Ring Toss Game

Cut the center out of a few paper plates to create a ring toss game!

The Letter S paper plate crafts

45. Santa

Arty Crafty Kids crafted up Santa Claus out of a paper plate, cotton balls, and paint.

46. Shark

Almost Uncshoolers made the coolest paper plate shark complete with a large mouth to catch

47. Sheep

Housing a Forest crafted a paper plate sheep using shredded paper.

48. Skeleton

Pick up Some Creativity created a paper plate skeleton with twine, paper plates, and a hole punch. What a great way to learn about bones.

49. Spider Web

Juggling with Kids turned a paper plate into a spider web by cutting out the center of the plate and using a hole punch to string the web.

50. Starfish

First Palette created this cute paper plate starfish craft with paint and scissors.

Letter T paper plate crafts

51. Paper plate tacos

If your kids love the book Dragons Love Tacos, whip up some paper plate tacos with no spicy salsa for the next party!

52. Tiger

No Time for Flashcards used paint and construction paper for cute a fun take on a tiger craft.

53. Tribal Mask

Make a paper plate mask with scissors, markers, and construction paper. It’s also fun to note, you can turn almost any animal paper plate into a mask by cutting out eye holes!

54. Turtle

Make a turtle noise maker with 2 paper plates and a few beans!

Letter U- Z paper plate crafts

Watermelon is not on this list but would be a cute and easy paper plate craft too!

55. UFO

Woo Jr crafted up a UFO paper plate craft complete with an alien inside a plastic cup!

56. Umbrella

Ramblings of a Crazy Women made a paper plate umbrella and rain mobile.

57. Venus fly trap

Almost Unschoolers made a paper plate venus flytrap complete with pom pom flies!

58. Wreath

The Resourceful Mama made holiday wreaths with child handprints and tissue paper.

59. Walrus

I Heart Crafty Things created the cutest walrus kid craft I’ve ever seen!