We had so much fun creating something out of nothing with mainly paper plates, glue, paint and an extra crafts material here and there. Paper plate crafts are so easy and it’s a cheap way to create and explore.

The porcupine above was made by 6 year old Corrie. We made this one from an example off Pinterest in a few easy steps:

• Fold a paper plate in half and draw and cut out the nose
• Paint a cardboard dark brown… Cut roundabout 8 strips out of it for the pens
• Paint the porcupine light brown
• Glue the pens in between the open sides of the plate with craft glue (I prefer Bostik as it doesn’t clot easily and it is thick enough to manipulate and is strong once dry.)
  
• Staple the pens and plate together (you can also just glue the pens to the back if you have already stapled it, the glue will hold once dry.)
• Glue the eye and pom-pom for nose

Remember not to try and “correct” everything. Its OK to help but try not to even out those brush strokes or move that nose or eye to the “perfect” place!!

The other kids made their own creations… 12 year old Ilané made this happy funny face:

The hair is made from pipe cleaners, the bow from felt, the cheeks are painted egg carton nests and the tongue a craft stick. She cut out the mouth so the tongue can stick out and go in and out… what a great idea!

She also had another clever idea and made this cute little chick out of pom pom’s, feathers and pipe cleaners. The nest is made of an egg carton. She cut a hole in the bottom, glued a pipe cleaner to the chick and stuck it through the hole so the chick can bounce in and out of the nest.

9 year old Elzanne made this interesting lamp:

First she cut a hole in the paper plate and painted it with these wonderful Dala colors! She added pompoms and googley eyes to give it some character.  She also painted a toilet paper roll white, and a tin can purple and painted blue dolphins on it.

Then she glued two pieces of egg carton together and painted it yellow to look like a light bulb.

Finally she traced the toilet paper rolls circumference on a piece of card stock and glued it to the toilet paper roll to give surface to the glue to stick to the tin can. She placed the light bulb in the toilet roll and made holes for the pipe cleaners to attach to the paper plate and there you go! What a clever model of a beautifully designed lamp… maybe she will make the real one, one day!

Also see some of my other crafts: