Paper Plate Christmas Tree Craft

Paper plates are one of my all-time go-to craft supplies. So cheap, so versatile, so easy! Check out this little Christmas Tree we made. The goal here was to let little hands create, not to build a family heirloom. Sometimes, you need to just give over to the mess and the imperfections and enjoy letting the kids (and you!) get messy and silly!

This Paper Plate Christmas Tree is a simple paint, cut, paste, and decorate craft. It’s a wonderful way for preschoolers to practice some fine motor skills, including the all-important cutting! It’s also an easy craft to do with children of various ages and skills, as the trees can be as simple or as elaborate as they can image. This version falls in the simple category, decorated by a two-year-old with a little help from Mom.

First step: Paint a paper plate green; let dry. (You could also buy green party plates if you’re looking for less mess/fewer steps, but painting is most of the fun in our house!)

Cut out a section of the plate so you can fold it into a cone shape; you want to take out about one-third or so of the plate. Then, tape it up! (You could always do this step first, then paint and wait.)

Now the creative fun – decorate your tree! Poms work great as big ornaments, but you can just as easily decorate with stickers, beads, glitter – whatever you have on hand. Pipe cleaners work great as garland. I often pick up a package of holiday-themed craft supplies to have on hand for projects like this; a little bit of everything in matching colours. It keeps the look a little coordinated without limiting the kids’ choices as they’re creating.

That’s it! Nothing too fancy, but a lovely way to spend some time on a December day. Happy Holidays!

Christmas Play Dough