41 Colorful and Oh-So-Fun Paper Plate Crafts for Everyone

This paper plate craft will provide hours of quiet-time fun for kids as they first make the maze, and then concentrate as they guide their spacecraft or rabbit through the obstacles drawn on.

Use a paper plate for this sweet and educational craft which will teach kids all about the life cycle of the butterfly, using pipe cleaners, tissue paper, and a clean twig from outside.

This is a seriously cute whale, and he’s cut from a single paper plate which is then painted using whatever colors and patterns the little ones like, and topped with a paper fountain.

Travelling light is an absolute must when you’re with kids, and activities don’t come much lighter than this game of Tic Tac Toe using paper plates, tape, and a marker.

Cheer the place up with a rainbow or two by setting the kids up with paper plates, cotton balls, and colored tissue paper so they can make these incredibly cute rainbows and clouds.

Space craft by name, and ace craft by nature, this awesome project turns a couple of plates into an imposing silver UFO which is encrusted with jewels and gems to represent the lights.

This craft idea is all about the decoration, and unicorn fans will love glamming this little face up using marabou fur, feathers, flowers, and a touch of blush for the cheeks.

Playing tennis indoors is probably not a good idea, unless, that is, you follow these steps to creating a pair of tennis ‘racquets’ which are just right for hitting the super-light balloon ‘ball’.

You can decorate this mask for the younger ones, or let them paint their own using lion-themed colors such as yellow, and black for the whiskers, along with the fearsome orange red ‘mane’.

These jellyfish are perfect as a teaching aid for kids learning all about sea life, and they will also encourage fine motor skills as they thread the ‘tentacles’ through the holes in the bottom.

Get up close and personal with a polar bear (without the fear factor) by turning a white paper plate into an adorable snowy bear, complete with black pom pom nose and googly eyes.

Encourage kids to keep lightweight stationery or other objects neat with this utterly adorable hanging tidy which will bring a smile to their face every time they see it.

Follow these easy steps and you and your little ones will be able to turn paper plates into prehistoric predators with particularly toothy grins, using paint, glue, and scissors.

Look how gorgeous these dragons are! Use the free template to cut out the dragon’s body, and then let the kids’ imaginations run riot with vibrant paints and markers for the detail.

If you have paper plates, scissors, and paint, you will have a never-ending supply of fun activities for the kids, as this brilliant post shows you how to create hats for any occasion.

Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street have faces that just beg to be crafted, so use a couple of paper plates to create all the facial features for the kids to put together.

An absorbing craft that’s ideal for quiet-time, these sunflower looms will encourage dexterity and concentration, and provide them with beautiful flowers to hang on the wall.

This paper plate craft for kids will be made even more special if it’s made using sand and shells collected from a favorite beach as an arty reminder of the fun they had.

For a really vibrant art project, you can create these stunning paper plate flowers, curl the petals, and then decorate the different layers in beautiful colors and patterns using watercolor paints.

Llamas are super popular right now, and it’s no surprise because they are totally adorable. This sweet craft project uses paper plates, brightly colored pom poms, and vibrant little hearts.

This cheerful little goldfish can be made using an orange-painted paper plate and stickers for the scales, or you could go for vibrantly colored stickers for a pretty rainbow fish.

Paper plates are just the right size for little faces, and this tutorial shows you how to create a Spiderman mask with two different methods for tots and those with a steadier hand.

Sloth lovers will adore having this cute little chap hanging around, especially when they make him themselves, and all they need are paper plates, card stock, and a few standard crafting supplies.

Head into summer with these brilliant paper plate crafts which include a watermelon purse, and a vintage swimmer mask which calls for the biggest flowers and the brightest of paints.

Watermelons just scream summer, don’t they? Let the kids cool down in the heat with one of these fun fans which are made to look just like a slice of the juicy fruit.

If your kids are fans of Narwhal and Jelly, they will absolutely adore these paper plate characters which they can cut out and decorate themselves with paper, paint, glue, and a marker.

Painting and folding are the two techniques needed for this cute badger craft, which makes a sweet animal decoration or a springboard for learning about woodland animals.

Paper plates are just the right shape for creating a whole school of tropical fish using vibrant colored paints and googly eyes – stick them on the wall for an indoor aquarium feel!

If you need an easy mask for the kids, grab a paper plate and some brown paint and follow these incredibly easy steps to create your own teddy (or grizzly) bear.

Paint and a plate are you need for these darling dinosaurs – oh, and a little artistic flair, because it’s up to you and the kiddos to decorate these beasts in whatever colors you like.

Almost everything about a koala is round, which makes it the perfect candidate for paper plate crafts; this one uses three of them which are painted in a lovely bear-gray.

This flower wreath is perfect for spring, but it could be adapted to suit any season or occasion – red and green for Christmas, or a vibrant red for Valentine’s Day, for instance.

Get set for a fun and foamy craft activity which results in beautiful butterflies wearing marbled wings – this tutorial shows you how to create the effect using shaving cream and paint.

Create an awesome scaly effect for this DIY snake using a rolling pin wrapped in bubble wrap, and whatever color paints your kids like (and save some plastic for popping, too!)

Recreate the world’s most lovable (and recognizable) bear using a paper plate, card, and a beautiful yellow paint in the color we’ve come to associate with this honey-loving teddy.

A cute activity to go along with reading the story, this craft for kids turns a paper plate into a sweet gingerbread man’s face, and it’s simple enough for the kids to do themselves.

This folded plate puppet is surprisingly effective for such a simple craft, and the kids will have a lot of fun as they get their frog to talk, sing, or tell a story.

Eric Carle is known for bringing us beautifully vibrant characters, and this craft is based on his Mister Seahorse – have the kids decorate it as an accompaniment to this wonderful story.