Paper Plate Polar Bear Craft
This paper plate polar bear craft takes just a few supplies and is perfect for working on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Not to mention it is just so darn cute! Draw the little polar bear freehand or use the available printable template.
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SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG
- Paper plate (9-inch coated)
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Newspaper
- Light green, dark green, red and yellow paint
- Q-tips
- Medium and 2 small pompoms (one should be black)
- Clothespin
- Tape
- White yarn
- Elmer’s glue
- 2 Large googly eyes
You probable noticed that this cute polar bear craft is made from just a few basic supplies. It really is amazing what you can do with just a few simple things and your imagination. Our mission hear at “In the Bag Kids’ Crafts” is to make crafting with your kids actually do-able, even when life is hectic. Because creating together has more benefits than you can count. If you don’t believe me, check out this article on the hidden benefits of crafting with your kids.
And to remove some of the barriers to making crafts, like the mess, the prep time, not having an idea where to start, we keep things simple around here…truly. Not only is each craft kept easy to do and kid-friendly, but we also stick to a master list of basic craft supplies that are inexpensive and fit into one bag. It is not a list that happened by chance but is very strategic in its design and gives you the opportunity to make anything you see here on this site. I know that you will find something that your kids will love making!
Save this Paper Plate Polar Bear Craft for later. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board.
Step 1: Cut Out the Shape
- Draw the polar bear’s head on your paper plate. You can also use the free template for this step and trace the bear’s head if you would like.
- Now cut out the bear’s head. *Tip-Instead of pushing the scissors through the plate to get the cutting started, fold the plate slightly and cut on the fold to form a slit.
Step 2: Paint the Plate
- Lay out the newspaper on your work surface to control the mess and place the plate on the newspaper bottom up.
- Pinch the medium pompom with your clothespin to form a “paint brush”
- Squeeze out a little light green paint and give it a few minutes to dry
Step 3: Turn It Tartan
- Now that the light green paint is dry, pinch the small pompom with the clothespin.
- Squeeze a little bit of dark green paint onto the newspaper and use it to paint wide lines on the plate about 4 inches apart in both vertical and horizontal directions.
- Next, squeeze out a little red paint onto the newspaper and use a q-tip to paint a thin red stripe right next to the dark green stripes.
- Finally, squeeze out a little yellow paint onto the newspaper and use a different q-tip to make dotted lines in both vertical and horizontal directions in between the green stripes.
- Then give the paint a little time to dry. It shouldn’t take long. In the meantime, play a game together or have a snack.
*You can skip this step and just leave your background a solid color if you prefer. Or just make a pattern of your own, like polka dots or stripes. This is your project. Make it look any way you like!
Step 4: Punch the Holes
- Once the paint has dried, use the hole punch to make holes around the face of your polar bear. Holes should be about half an inch apart and be sure to place holes at each corner.
Step 5: Lace the Yarn
- And finally it is time to lace the yarn through the holes you have created in order to form your polar bear.
- Cut a length of white yarn about a yard long and put tape around one end to make it easier to put through the holes.
- Pull the yarn through a hole and secure it on the back with some tape. Weave it back and forth through holes until the yarn comes to an end and secure the other end with tape, again on the back of the plate. Trim away the excess if needed.
- Repeat this process until the hole is well covered with yarn. It may take several pieces of yarn.
Step 5: Add Some Details
- Use your Elmer’s glue to adhere the two large googly eyes and a black pompom for the nose
- Give the glue some time to dry before picking it up. It is best to leave it on the newspaper while it dries.
I cannot wait to see your paper plate polar bear craft! Maybe you can spend a little family time over Christmas break crafting together. I can hardly think of a better way to spend an evening. Share you creations with our Facebook group or send me an email. You deserve to be in our gallery 🙂
Happy Crafting!
XO Joy