Paper Plate Acorn Craft for Kids
My kids come home every October with pockets full of acorns like they just struck gold, so this paper plate acorn craft was pretty much inevitable around here. It's ridiculously simple: two paper plates, a few dabs of paint, and a pair of wiggle eyes turn into the kind of round, rosy-cheeked acorn that looks like it wandered out of a picture book. Fair warning, once you make one, you'll have kids asking to make five.
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Materials for This Paper Plate Acorn Craft
Nothing exotic on this list, just a quick pass through the craft bin.
Print-ready templates and step-by-step instructions.
Less prep, more crafting.
- 2 paper plates Shop
- Wiggle eyes (40mm) Shop
- Dark brown cardstock Shop
- Craft paint in dark brown, medium brown, and pink Shop
- Glue gun and glue sticks Shop
- Craft glue if you don't mind waiting on dry time Shop
- Paintbrush Shop
- Scissors Shop
- Pencil Shop
- A brown washable marker Shop
- Black permanent marker Shop
- Round sponge dabber Shop
How to Make a Paper Plate Acorn Craft
Once the supplies are out, here's the step-by-step to get this one done.
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Lay out everything from the list above ahead of time, it makes the actual crafting go a lot smoother.
Step 2: Paint the Nut and Cap
Paint the outside of one whole paper plate medium brown for the acorn's body, and just the outer half of a second plate dark brown for the cap. Let both dry, adding a second coat if the color looks patchy.
Step 3: Trace the Patterns
Print and cut out the acorn nut and cap patterns, then trace the nut onto the medium brown plate and the cap onto the dark brown plate.
Step 4: Cut Out the Shapes
Cut both shapes out, staying just inside your pencil lines so the edges look clean.
Step 5: Add Texture to the Cap
Give the cap some texture with a cross-hatch pattern in brown marker, a crayon works in a pinch too. This is the detail that makes it read as an acorn cap instead of a plain brown dome.
Step 6: Glue the Cap in Place
Glue the cap over the top of the nut shape.
Step 7: Add the Eyes
Add the two wiggle eyes near the top of the nut.
Step 8: Stamp On Rosy Cheeks
Dab a sponge into pink paint and press it gently on either side of the face for rosy cheeks. Let that dry before moving on so you don't smudge it.
Step 9: Trace the Stem
Trace a small stem onto dark brown cardstock using the pattern.
Step 10: Cut Out the Stem
Cut out the stem along the traced lines.
Step 11: Attach the Stem
Glue the stem to the top center of the cap.
Step 12: Draw the Smile
Finish with a black marker smile running from cheek to cheek, and admire your acorn, this one's oddly satisfying to hold up when it's finished.
All done!
Then hang your finished acorn up on display!
We'd love to see yours! Snap a photo and share it in the comments.
Grab the Paper Plate Acorn Craftivity
If you'd rather not stop mid-craft to freehand a nut and cap shape while paint-covered hands wait on you, that's exactly what the Paper Plate Acorn Craftivity is for. It comes with the templates ready to trace and a mini step-by-step guide, so you can print it, hand out plates, and actually enjoy the craft instead of managing it.
More Fall Crafts Your Kids Will Love
Once you're elbow-deep in brown paint anyway, you might as well keep the streak going, here are a few more fall crafts worth adding to the pile before the leaves are all down.
See all Fall Activities for Kids →
Please Share This Paper Plate Acorn Craft
If this one earned a spot on your fridge, share it with a friend or pin it so you can find it again next fall.
