I put together a list of paper plate crafts for kids that are sure to entertain and bonus– reinforce the alphabet! 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 elementary school 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
1. Apple
Tear small pieces of red construction paper and cover the paper plate. Don’t forget a stem and leaf! See the full tutorial at Ramblings of Crazy Lady.
2. Aquarium
Turn a blue paper plate into an under water paradise with sand, shells, 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! 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. Duck
Make a duck or make an entire pond of paper plate crafts with this easy tutorial from Jennwa.
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. Via No Time for Flash Cards.
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
For the full lion paper plate tutorial check out Happy Hooligans.
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.
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
Turn paper plates into a game with a ring toss from A Little Learning for Two.
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
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!
60. Zebra
East Coast Mommy made a paper plate zebra mask complete with a button nose.
The link for the Nest takes you to the link for the mummy
Ahh! Thanks for letting me know… I fixed the link!
A is for Angel…cut a pp in half; cut one half in half again, cut other half in thirds. Use one of the half’s of a half as the body…Cut one third of a half in a half, fold pointed edge behind the body and glue for sleeves…attach a third of the other half to each side, in back, over where you glued the sleeves, for wings. This leaves the last half of a half to cut your halo and face out of. Attach yarn hair and glitter on halo and edges of wings, bottom hem of body, and end part of sleeves. Ta-Da!!! Make an entire choir…so fun! Blessings from Port Huron, Michigan, USA
Lovely paper crafts to keep kids busy through the summer!!
this summer i will do all these activity with with my kidz project its lookz fun
I LOVE paper plate crafts!! Thanks for including my beaver and walrus in your collection! 🙂
What a great collection. I’m definitely going to be making some of these with my kids!
Awesome post.
What a great collection, thanks for linking to my campfire craft 😉