Santa mask

(This idea came home from school.)

Materials:

• paper plate
• cotton batting / cotton balls
• white glue
• red construction paper cut out like Santa's hat
  
• red construction paper cut into a circle for the nose
  
• scissors
• ruler
• optional: crayons, markers, stickers, glitter for decorating
• optional: craft stick to make a handle for the mask
  

Instructions:

• adult: mark a "T" shape on the back of the mask (the eating surface of the paper plate)
• adult: measure approximate width of child's eyes across face (outer corner of eyes) and mark that as the top of the "T"
• adult: measure approximate distance of eyes to mouth of child and use this to mark the vertical length of the "T"
• adult: cut out the top of the "T" and the very bottom of the "T" to make holes from which child can see and speak
• have child glue cotton and nose on mask
• have child decorate as desired
• mask can be held up to face
• optional: attach craft stick to bottom of mask to use as handle
  

Easter basket

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• small paper plate (shown is 15cm / 6" in diameter)
• "Easter grass" (decorative straw)
• white glue
  
• easter coloured construction paper cut into egg shapes, approximately 6.5cm x 9cm (2.5" x 3.5")
• markers, felt shapes, crayons, sparkles etc for decorating the paper eggs
  
• strip of coloured construction paper for the handle (approx 2.5cm x 18cm / 1" x 7")
• stapler
  

Instructions:

• glue the "Easter grass" to the top of the plate
• decorate paper eggs as desired
• glue decorated paper eggs on top of easter grass
• staple handle across the plate (fold the edge of the handle under the outer edge of the plate and staple) -- be sure that the staple is completely folded and there are no sharp edges to cut little hands
• enjoy your Easter basket!
  

Stegosaurus hat

(This idea came home from school.)

Materials:

• whole paper plate (the one shown is 23 cm (about 9") in diameter)
• paper plate cut in quarters or sixths (depending on how much mileage you ant to get out of them) -- note the rounded corners in the photo to the right
• bits of sponge for dipping into paint (the ones used were approximately 6cm x 4cm (2.5"x1.5"))
• Stegosaurus coloured paint (purple, brown and green)
• two 40cm (16") pieces of Stegosaurus coloured yarn (purple, brown or green)
• hole punch
  
• stapler
  

Instructions:

• have child sponge paint of different colours on the bottom of the whole plate
• have child sponge paint of different colours on both sides of the pieces of plate (do one side, let it dry, do the other)
  
• fold the plate pieces at right angles, along the outer edge
• have an adult staple the plate pieces along the middle of the painted whole plate, akin to a spine (make sure the staples are completely folded over with no sharp edges exposed)
  
• have an adult punch one hole at the top and one hole at the bottom of the plate
• adult to tie one piece of yarn through each hole
• place hat on child's head and tie under child's chin
  

WARNING:

The finished product could be a choking hazard if child left unsupervised. Child safety is your responsibility!

Paper plate poppy

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• small paper plate
• four, red pieces of construction paper cut out like flower petals
• one round piece of black construction paper cut like a circle
• glue
• optional: white glue and sparkles
  

Instructions:

• glue the petlals around the edge of the plate (and not in the centre, even though that's what's in the photo)
• glue the black circle in the centre of the flower
• apply white glue and shake sprinkles over
• let dry

Hallowe'en wreath

(This idea came home from school.)

Materials:

• paper plate with centre cut out
• construction paper: red, green, brown, yellow, black, orange, white, purple
• scissors
• glue
  

Instructions:

• adult to cut large leaves out of red, green, brown and yellow construction paper
• adult to cut smaller pumpkins, cats, bats, ghosts, witches' hats, out of orange, black, white and purple construction paper
• glue leaves to wreath as background design
• glue Hallowe'en themed cut-outs on top of leaves

Pumpkin wreath

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• paper plate with centre cut out (by adult)
• construction paper (orange, brown, green, red, yellow)
• glue
  

Instructions:

• cut pumpkin shape out of orange construction paper
• cut pumpkin stem out of brown construction paper
• cut leaf out of green construction paper
• cut strips of construction paper out of the "fall" colours -- yellow, red and orange -- (the ones in the photo above are approx 2" by 11" -- I'd recommend making them a little thinner and shorter)
• have children glue pumpkin to stem and leaf and then to paper plate
• have children make rings out of the coloured strips of paper by gluing them
• glue the rings to the paper plate

Paper plate fan

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• paper plate with dimple cut out of it
• popsicle / craft stick
• tape (or glue)
• stickers
• optional: anything else to decorate, such as crayons, markers, paint, glitter

Instructions:

• tape or glue the popsicle stick to the underside of the plate, centred with the dimple cut out
• decorate plate
• enjoy your fan!

Easter Bunny

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• paper plate
• coloured construction paper cut out as ears
• small pink craft pom-pom
• cotton batting (coloured in same colour as ears or white)
• eye stickers (googly eyes are fun) or you can draw the eyes on
• markers or crayons or pencil crayons to draw the face (and perhaps eyes) on plate
• tape
• white glue
  

Instructions:

• draw a face on the front of the plate complete with whiskers
• tape the ears to the back of the plate
• glue the pom-pom on the nose
• spread white glue around the face (and ears)
• tease out the cotton batting and apply to the glued areas
  

Santa

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre.

Materials:

• paper plate
• cotton balls
• red construction paper
• white glue
• stickers, markers, crayons, glitter etc for decorating
  

Instructions:

• cut out hat shapes (red hat and white trim)
• glue hat to paper plate
• create eyes, nose, cheeks with stickers or markers
• glue on cotton balls as beard and hat decoration

Plate for Santa

This was created at our local Ontario Early Years Centre exclusively uses Christmas themed foam stickers.

Materials:

• small paper plate


• hole punch (for adult to use)


• ribbon


• things to decorate plate in theme of snacks for Santa Claus (such as foam Christmas stickers, markers, crayons, paint, cutouts, glue)

Instructions:

• deocrate plate to look like snacks for Santa Claus


• punch hole in paper plate near the "top"


• put ribbon through the hole and tie in a loop

Use the plate to hang as a tree or door decoration!