A pond in the well with reeds standing around the rimPaper plates, 1. Paint the middle blue, glue on paper lily pads and tape green paper reeds upright to the rim.
A mirror with a foil middle and a painted rimPaper plates, 1. Glue smooth foil across the well and paint a pattern around the ridges as the frame.
A porthole with blue cellophane across the hole and fish behind itPaper plates, 2. Cut the well out of one, tape cellophane over the hole and glue it rim to rim onto the other.
A bat whose wings are two pleated half plates with scalloped edgesPaper plates, 1. Cut the plate in half for two wings, scallop the straight edges and fold each one like a fan.
A clam with googly eyes on top that opens on its fold around a bead pearlPaper plates, 1, and 1 bead. Fold the plate rim to rim, glue the bead inside near the hinge and add eyes on top.
A crab that rocks from side to side on its folded shellPaper plates, 1. Fold it, paint it red, and glue two claws and two eyes on stalks along the straight edge.
A duck that rocks, with a head glued to one end of the foldPaper plates, 1, and a paper head. Fold the plate, slot the neck into the fold and stick a few feathers at the back.
A fish made by cutting a wedge from the plate and gluing it on as the tailPaper plates, 1. Cut a slice like a piece of pie. The gap is the mouth and the slice is the tail.
A frog with a folded-plate mouth and a long curled paper tonguePaper plates, 1. Fold it in half, paint the outside green and the inside red, and glue the tongue at the hinge.
A hedgehog from a folded plate with the rim snipped into spinesPaper plates, 1. Fold it, cut a fringe all along the curved edge, bend every other spine out and draw a face.
A hen that sits on her fold, with the ridged rim as tail feathersPaper plates, 1. Fold it, snip the rim at one end into feathers and glue a red comb to the other end.
A hippo mouth puppet that opens along the foldPaper plates, 1. Fold it, glue two paper loops on the back for fingers and thumb, and add four square teeth.
A plate butterfly: one wing drawn at the crease, cut through both halvesPaper plates, 1. Fold it, draw one wing against the fold, cut through both layers and open it out.
A rocking bird: a plate folded in half that tips on its curved edgePaper plates, 1. Fold it across the middle, glue a beak at one end of the fold and a paper tail at the other.
A shark whose jaws are the fold, with teeth cut from rim offcutsPaper plates, 2. Fold one as the mouth, cut the second into a tail and fins, and glue zigzag teeth inside.
Masks and hats 12
A cone hat from one cut to the center and an overlapPaper plates, 1. Cut a straight line from the rim to the middle and slide one edge over the other until it peaks.
A crown made by slicing the well into wedges and folding them upPaper plates, 1. Cut from the center out to the rim like a pizza, eight cuts, and bend each point upright.
A flower bonnet: a plate covered in paper blooms with a ribbon at each sidePaper plates, 1. Punch a hole at each side, knot a ribbon through each and cover the top with paper flowers.
A fox mask with a snout folded from a second platePaper plates, 2. Cut a quarter from the second plate, roll it into a cone and glue it on below the eye holes.
A lion mask whose mane is the rim snipped and curled forwardPaper plates, 1. Cut eye holes in the well, snip the rim all around and curl the strips forward over a pencil.
A panda mask with black eye patches around the eye holesPaper plates, 1. Cut the eye holes first, paint a tilted oval patch around each and glue on two round ears.
A sun visor: half the rim kept as a brimPaper plates, 1. Cut out the well, cut the ring in half and staple an elastic band from one end to the other.
A sunflower frame: your face in the hole, petals around the rimPaper plates, 1. Cut out the well, glue yellow paper petals all around the ring and hold it up to look through.
A two-faced mask on a stick: happy on one side, sad on the otherPaper plates, 2. Draw a face on the well of each, glue them back to back and trap a craft stick between.
A visor that lifts on two paper fasteners, for a knightPaper plates, 2. Cut a slotted face guard from one plate and pin it to the sides of the other so it swings up.
An elephant mask with a curled paper trunk and two half-plate earsPaper plates, 2. Cut the second plate in half for the ears and accordion-fold a long strip for the trunk.
Bunny ears cut from the well and left joined to the rimPaper plates, 1. Draw two tall ears inside the well, cut around them but not across their bases, and fold them up.
The rim as a frame 12
A daisy made by cutting the rim into scallopsPaper plates, 1. Cut a row of curves all the way around, paint the well yellow and leave the petals white.
A fishbowl: the top of the rim trimmed flat and the well painted as waterPaper plates, 1. Cut a shallow slice off the top, paint blue inside and glue gravel along the bottom ridges.
A leaf wreath on the ring left when the well is cut awayPaper plates, 1. Cut out the middle, glue paper leaves around the ring, all pointing one way, and add a bow.
A learn-the-time clock: numbers on the rim and two hands on a fastenerPaper plates, 1. Write 12, 3, 6 and 9 first, fit the others between them and pin two hands to the center.
A mirror with a foil middle and a painted rimPaper plates, 1. Glue smooth foil across the well and paint a pattern around the ridges as the frame.
A picture frame: a photo in the well and buttons around the rimPaper plates, 1. Glue the photo in the flat middle and space the buttons along the ridges.
A pizza: the rim painted as crust and toppings glued in the wellPaper plates, 1. Paint the ridges brown and the middle red, add paper toppings and cut it into six slices.
A pond in the well with reeds standing around the rimPaper plates, 1. Paint the middle blue, glue on paper lily pads and tape green paper reeds upright to the rim.
A porthole with blue cellophane across the hole and fish behind itPaper plates, 2. Cut the well out of one, tape cellophane over the hole and glue it rim to rim onto the other.
A snow globe with clear plastic over the well and paper snow insidePaper plates, 1. Draw the scene in the well, drop in punched paper dots and tape clear plastic across the rim.
A steering wheel: the well cut away to leave three spokesPaper plates, 1. Draw a small circle in the center, three spokes out to the rim, and cut away the three gaps.
A sun whose rim is snipped into rays bent forward and back in turnPaper plates, 1. Cut slits through the rim only, as deep as the ridges, and fold one ray up, the next down.
Plates that spin and move 12
A coiled snake cut in one long spiral from rim to centerPaper plates, 1. Cut around and around, a thumb's width wide, and hang it by a thread from its tail to twirl.
A flying disc made from two plates glued rim to rimPaper plates, 2. Glue or staple the rims together, wells facing out, and decorate the top in rings.
A game spinner with numbered wedges and a paper-clip pointerPaper plates, 1. Rule six wedges, number them and spin a paper clip around a pencil point held at the center.
A jellyfish with streamers that swing under half a platePaper plates, 1. Cut it in half, tape crepe streamers along the straight edge and hang it by a thread.
A ladybug whose wings swing open on one paper fastenerPaper plates, 2. Paint one black. Cut the red one in half and pin both halves at the top so they part.
A marble maze with paper-straw walls glued in the wellPaper plates, 1, and 4 paper straws. Cut the straws short, glue them down with gaps and tilt the plate to roll.
A pinwheel fan cut from the well and pinned to a stickPaper plates, 1. Cut the well into a square, slit in from each corner and pin every other point to the middle.
A ring toss with rims for rings and a tube for the postPaper plates, 4. Cut the wells out of three to make rings and stand a card tube on the fourth as the target.
A shaker: two plates laced together with dried beans insidePaper plates, 2. Punch holes around both rims, put in a handful of beans and lace the rims shut with yarn.
A story wheel: a window in the top plate turns to show four scenesPaper plates, 2. Draw four pictures on the lower plate, cut a wedge window in the upper one and pin the centers.
A weather dial with an arrow pinned to the centerPaper plates, 1. Divide the plate into four, draw sun, cloud, rain and snow, and pin on a card arrow.
A whirring spinner on a loop of string through two center holesPaper plates, 1 small. Thread the loop, wind it up by swinging the plate, then pull the ends apart.
Woven and sewn plates 12
A fish whose body is slits woven with paper stripsPaper plates, 1. Cut a row of slits across the well, weave colored strips through and add a tail and an eye.
A heart woven into slits cut across the wellPaper plates, 1. Fold the plate lightly, cut curved slits from the fold, open it and weave two ribbons across.
A letter pocket: one and a half plates laced together around the rimPaper plates, 2. Cut one in half, hold it against the whole one, punch through both rims and lace with yarn.
A round loom: yarn strung across rim notches and woven from the middlePaper plates, 1. Cut an odd number of notches, string the yarn across like spokes and weave over and under.
A sewing card: holes punched around a drawn shape and laced with yarnPaper plates, 1. Draw a simple shape in the well, punch a hole every finger width and tape the yarn's end.
A spider web strung between rim notches, with a paper spiderPaper plates, 1. Cut out the well, snip notches in the ring and cross the yarn back and forth, then around.
A star stitched between numbered holes around the rimPaper plates, 1. Punch ten holes, number them and sew from each hole to the one three places on.
A turtle whose shell is a plate woven with green yarnPaper plates, 1. String and weave the plate as a round loom, then glue on four paper legs, a head and a tail.
A woven bowl: the plate cut into spokes, bent up and wrapped in yarnPaper plates, 1. Cut an odd number of slits from the rim toward the middle and weave around, pulling gently.
A yarn sunburst wound through notches all around the rimPaper plates, 1. Snip a notch every finger width and wind the yarn across the front from each notch to its opposite.
An invented star pattern sewn in pale yarn across a dark-painted platePaper plates, 1. Paint the well dark, punch a hole for each star and join them with one length of pale yarn.
Half a rainbow loom: yarn arcs woven on a half platePaper plates, 1. Cut it in half, notch the curved edge and the straight edge, string it and weave in color order.
How it works
A paper plate is a circle with a flat well and a ridged rim. In these art ideas with paper plates it rocks when folded, frames a picture when the well is cut out, and spins when pinned.
Read the full guide
Paper plate art and craft ideas start with one of four moves
Fold the plate in half for a mouth or a body that rocks. Cut out the well and keep the ring as a wreath, a porthole or a visor. Pin two plates at the center so one turns. Notch the rim and it becomes a loom for yarn.
Paper plate painting ideas
Paint before cutting. Uncoated plates take poster paint well, and the ridges of the rim print stripes when a dry brush is dragged across them: a pizza crust, a lion mane, a mirror frame. Shiny coated plates shed paint, so use markers on those.
Uncoated plates fold cleanly and take paint and glue. Shiny coated ones shed paint.
A paper fastener through two centers makes anything turn: a dial, a story wheel, a pair of wings.
Questions and answers
What can you make with a paper plate?
A mask, a crown, a rocking bird, a clock, a spinner, a round loom for weaving. This list has 60, and every hint starts with the number of plates, which is one for most of them.
Which paper plate ideas for art projects suit a whole class?
One-plate makes with a single cut: a cone hat from one cut and an overlap, and a coiled snake cut in one long spiral. A sun with a snipped rim and a daisy with a scalloped one take a row of snips.
How do you weave on a paper plate?
Cut an odd number of notches around the rim, string yarn across the plate from notch to notch like spokes, then weave a second yarn over and under from the middle outward. An odd count makes each round alternate.
How do you make a paper plate mask?
Hold the plate to the face and mark the eyes with a finger before cutting the holes. Then shape the rim: snipped and curled into a lion mane, left plain for a panda, or ringed with paper petals for a sunflower frame.