An Easy Paper Plate Craft to Try Today

This paper plate craft is a simple, time-saving way to boost creativity without a trip to the art store.

Wouldn’t it be nice to set up a fun and unique art activity that doesn’t cost a lot and that’s easy to pull off in a few minutes?

Although this is a simple drawing and painting project, the act of painting on a paper plate, which is a new surface to many children, is appealing because the bumpy surface and round shape presents different challenges than the familiar flat and rectangular piece of paper.

Supplies

• Acrylic Paint *
• Paper Plates
• Round brush
• Water container
• Rag
• Paint palette (could be another plate) or jars of paint
• Marker

*We’re enjoying Golden Fluid Acrylic Paints (affiliate) in this post. Fluid paints are thinner and easier to glide across paper, and especially paper plates. You could also use craft paints, which are usually thin, or add a little water to your paint so that it moves easily.

Set up an Invitation to Paint

Here’s one way to set this up. By including a few plates, you’re giving your child a clue that he or she can make multiple plates. This can help kids realize that mistakes are welcome as there can be multiple tries, iterations, and outcomes. It also allows you to paint side-by-side if you so desire.

Experiment with this Paper Plate Craft

Paint different patterns, mix colors, try out different brushes. Keep going until you’re done! As long as the paint doesn’t go on too thick, acrylic dries quickly and you’ll be able to move on to the next step in no time.

Drawing on your Paper Plate Craft

Once the plates are dry, you can add another level to this project by adding lines with marker. We used Sharpie permanent markers because the color is bold and they write well on just about any surface.

We hope you have as much fun with this project as we did.

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More Paper Plate Craft Projects

• Paper Plate Weaving with yarn, with a bonus on how to turn it into a small doll hammock
• If you’d rather avoid paint altogether, try Circular Plate Patterns with plates and markers