Every December, our table turns into a full-blown craft zone, and this paper plate Christmas tree craft for kids fits right in. It’s quick, colorful, and has that classic homemade charm that makes the holidays feel like, well… the holidays.
It’s simple, festive, and just the right kind of messy…the kind where paint ends up on little fingers and everyone’s proud of their lopsided, one-of-a-kind tree by the end. All you need is a paper plate, some paint, and a few bits of colorful paper to bring a whole forest of holiday cheer to life.
What You’ll Need for This DIY Christmas Tree Paper Plate Craft
This one’s as simple as it gets. Just a few supplies you probably already have tucked in a drawer somewhere.
- Paper plate – The star of the show…or, well, the tree.
- Preschool scissors – For snipping that plate into perfect tree triangles.
- Green paint – Any shade works! Go bright, go pine, go glittery if you dare.
- Paintbrush – For spreading all that Christmas cheer (aka paint).
- Glue stick – To stick everything together once your tree’s dry.
- Black marker – For adding details or outlining if your kiddos are feeling extra artsy.
- Construction paper – Brown for the trunk, yellow for the star, and every color you can find for ornaments.
- Hole punch – The most satisfying part — punch out your own tiny ornaments to decorate the tree.
Once you’ve got everything ready, cover your table (trust me), grab a paintbrush, and let the tree-making magic begin.
How to Make a Paper Plate Christmas Tree Craft for Kids
Grab the paint and crank up the carols, because it’s time to craft a whole forest of paper plate Christmas trees!
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Pull everything onto the table so it’s within reach: paint, plate, glue, scissors, paper, the whole gang. Once it’s all out, kids are usually ready to dive in without much prompting.
Step 2: Cut Your Paper Plate into Tree Sections
Use a marker or a pencil to divide the plate into three, and cut it into wedges. These will be your “branches.” They don’t have to be perfect. Wonky cuts just make the tree more charming.
Step 3: Paint the Tree Green
Have kids paint each paper plate section green, leaving a little white snow edge along the curved side. Set them aside to dry while everyone admires their very green hands.
Step 4: Build the Tree Shape
Once the pieces are dry, stack the three wedges from largest to smallest, like a tiered tree. Glue them down so they overlap just a bit and you’ve got your basic Christmas tree shape.
Step 5: Cut Out the Star and Trunk
From the construction paper, cut a simple rectangle for the trunk and a star for the top. They can trace the template in our printable packet or just freestyle it – both work.
Step 6: Glue on the Star and Trunk
Attach the trunk at the bottom and the star at the very top of the tree. Suddenly it starts looking a lot less like random plate pieces and a lot more like Christmas.
Step 7: Punch Out Your Ornaments
Use the hole punch to make a little pile of colorful circles. This is oddly satisfying, so expect kids to want all the colors.
Step 8: Decorate the Tree
Glue the punched circles all over the branches as ornaments. Some kids go for “evenly spaced,” others go for “more is more”. Both are perfect.
Step 9: Let It Dry and Show It Off
When everything’s dry, hang your new masterpiece on the wall, fridge, or classroom bulletin board. One tree down… and probably five more to go.
Grab the Christmas Tree Craft Printables
If you want this paper plate Christmas tree craft for kids to be even easier to set up (especially with a whole group of kids), the matching printable pack does a lot of the work for you.
Inside you’ll find visual step-by-step instructions, simple supply cards, and tree templates that are great for classroom centers, sub plans, or just keeping things running smoothly at home.
More Christmas Activities for Kids
If you’re looking for more ways to keep the holiday fun going, these Christmas activities are easy to set up and full of hands-on cheer. Perfect for quiet afternoons, classroom projects, or just keeping little hands busy while the cocoa cools.
- Sugar Cookie Playdough Recipe – Smells just like the real thing and makes the sweetest pretend bakery setup.
- Gingerbread Moon Sand Recipe – Soft, spiced, and perfect for sensory play that feels like Christmas morning.
- Pine Puffy Paint Recipe (+ Free Christmas Tree Template) – Whip up a batch of fluffy, pine-scented paint for the cutest 3D tree art.
- Christmas Tree Pom Pom Activity – A colorful fine motor craft that doubles as homemade décor.
- Jingle Bell Magnetic Sensory Bottle – Shake it, spin it, and watch the bells dance in a calm, sparkly swirl.
There’s no such thing as too many Christmas crafts so grab some supplies and let the holiday magic happen!
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