Kids’ Christmas Crafts Made from Paper Plates
Updated on December 11, 2018
No matter what time of year it is or what shape or theme you’re crafting, paper plate based DIY projects are a kids’ craft classic! It’s just so amusing to realize just how many hundreds of things you can really transform those plates into, and our kids love trying out as many as possible because the concepts are always simple enough that they can do it all on their own and feel proud at the end. Holiday themed projects are no exception!
Just in case your family loves the idea of making Christmassy paper plate crafts just as much as ours does, if not more, here are 15 of the best ideas, designs, and tutorials we’ve bookmarked this year to try with the kids over the holidays!
1. Paper plate cone Christmas trees
No one ever said you have to keep the plate flat if you’re going to craft with it, right? That’s why we loved this cute little Christmas tree idea from Easy Peasy and Fun so much! They show you how to cut a slit, twirl the plate into a cone, and paint it before decorating it with pom poms and yarn.
2. Ribbon laced and layered paper plate tree
Are your kids a little bit older and starting to show interest in things that require a little more dexterity? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how iHeart Crafty Things made this cute layered tree that involves a little bit of lacing technique using Christmas coloured ribbon to look like garland!
3. Paper plate peppermints
We love this adorable winter peppermint paper plate craft because rather than just painting the plate to look the part, Design Dazzle actually shows you how to wrap it in plastic wrap like a real candy and tie it at each end with ribbon! Our kids had a blast with the multi-media aspect of this craft because they loved the crinkling sounds the plastic makes.
4. Shredded paper plate snowman
Is texture actually a really important thing to you when it comes to crafting with your kids because you love the idea of creating sensory play and experience for them in order to help them learn? Then here’s another awesome concept we think you’ll all get along well with! Check out how Housing a Forest attached two paper plates like a snowman and covered them in shredded paper to look like snow.
5. Plate spiral and hanging ornaments craft
Have your kids always enjoyed slightly more abstract crafts the most because they get to use their imagination in terms of how things are shaped and create something a little more unconventional looking than usual? In that case, we’d absolutely suggest taking a look at how Easy Peasy and Fun made a plate into a Christmas spiral!
6. Paper plate gingerbread man
If you’re going to start turning paper plates into classic winter and holiday characters, you can’t leave this little guy out! Check out how Crafts for Preschoolers made this adorable plate gingerbread man by making the plate his belly and then embellishing the rest of his body with foam paper, yarn, and pom poms, as well as two googly eyes.
7. Paper plate Santa with a cotton ball beard
Here’s another fantastic idea for the tactile and sensory plate crafts concept we were talking about earlier on our list! This time, No Time for Flashcards shows you how to make a Santa complete with a red hat and beard, using soft, squishy cotton balls for his facial hair!
8. Paper plate Santa with a curly beard
Were you a pretty big fan of the Santa plate idea, and maybe even the cotton, but you’re also keen to help your kids learn new techniques whenever possible too? In that case, we’d definitely suggest taking a look at how Easy Peasy and Fun made this version of a plate Santa with a beard made of curled paper!
9. Paper plate and tissue paper wreath
One of the things we like best about helping our kids with paper plate crafts is that you don’t have to keep the plate round or even use it in its entirely to make all kinds of different shapes and things happen! For example, we’re huge fans of the way CBC cut out the centre of theirs and decorated the remaining border with small bunches of green tissue paper and a bow to create a cute Christmas wreath.
10. Paper plate Christmas elf
If you’re going to create Santas out of paper plates, why not create your Santas a few helpers too? Surviving a Teacher’s Salary guides you step by step through the process of making paper plate and construction paper Christmas elves complete with pointed hats that feature cotton ball embellishment around the brim.
11. Triangle and half paper plate Santa
Here’s another fantastic example of only needing part of the plate to create something awesome! We adore the way U Create Crafts cut their paper plate in half and combined it with a construction paper triangle to create a sort of deco art Santa that only needs a few other details to be complete!
12. Paper plate Grinch
Do you have the option of using colourful paper plates because you picked up a couple holiday packs in preparation for hosting lots of people for Christmas, but you bought surplus? Well, so long as there are green plates involved, you’ll have just about everything you need to make this hilarious plate Grinch, so long as you’ve got some construction paper around! See how he’s made in more detail on Frogs, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails.
13. Olaf paper plate and popsicle stick puppet
If you’re going to set your kids up making something from scratch would you rather help them create a piece they can continue playing with after the crafting process is done? We like doing this because then whatever they’d made keeps them busy and happy longer! Our kids also adore the movie Frozen, so you can imagine how pleased we were when we came across this paper plate Olaf popsicle stick puppet featured step by step on U Create Crafts.
14. Paper plate reindeer with a bell
Since we’ve already given you tutorials to help you make Santa and his elves, it only makes sense that Rudolph the red nosed reindeer has to join the club too, right? Kix Cereal is here to help you out by showing you how to make this adorable plate reindeer complete with pom pom clad antlers and a little bell on his collar.
15. Paper plate angel with handprint wings
Do you have a feeling the ideas that will appeal most to your kids are the ones that involve some kind of plate folding because they’re always building and changing things? Then this funny little folded angel might be just what you’re looking for! As if that’s not already good enough, Our Potluck Family also shoes you how to give your angels traced handprint wings!
Have you made other kinds of cute paper plate Christmas crafts with your kids before that they really enjoyed but that you don’t see here? Tell us all about what you made and how you did it or link us to photos of your finished work in the comments section!