Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft
Dinosaurs may be extinct, but that doesn’t mean the fun has to be! This dinosaur paper plate craft is the perfect mix of silly and adorable, plus, it’s easy enough for preschoolers to tackle with a little help. With just some paint, a paper plate, and a couple of cardboard rolls, your kids can make their very own dino buddy. Roars guaranteed.
This is a great project for rainy afternoons, dinosaur unit studies, or simply when your child insists on stomping around the house pretending to be a T-Rex (you know the days).
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What You’ll Need for This Dinosaur Paper Plate Craft
Print-ready templates and step-by-step instructions.
Less prep, more crafting.
How to Make a Dinosaur from a Paper Plate
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Gather your supplies, including a paper plate, green paint, pink paint, googly eyes, cardboard tubes, scissors, glue, and a black marker.
Step 2: Paint the Plate Green
Paint the front of the paper plate green and let it dry completely.
Step 3: Paint the Back
Flip the paper plate over and paint about half of the back green. Allow to dry. The half paper plate that is green on both sides will become the dinosaur’s body. The other half of the paper plate will be used for the head, tail, and spikes.
Step 4: Draw the Dinosaur
Use a pencil to draw the dinosaur’s head, long neck, and tail on one half of the plate, and triangular spikes across the top of the body.
Step 5: Cut Out the Dinosaur
Carefully cut out the dinosaur’s shape, including the spikes and tail. Save the extra painted pieces for the spikes.
Step 6: Cut the Spikes and Paint the Legs
From the leftover plate pieces, cut small triangles for the dinosaur’s back spikes.
Paint two cardboard tubes green for the legs.
Step 7: Cut the Legs
Cut the painted tubes into two short legs.
Step 8: Cut Slits in the Legs
Cut slits into the cardboard pieces to set the dinosaur body into.
Step 9: Stamp the Spots
Dip a sponge dauber in darker green paint and stamp spots all over the dinosaur’s body and legs.
Step 10: Add the Eye and Cheeks
Glue a googly eye to the dinosaur’s head and add pink paint circles for cheeks.
Step 11: Glue the Body Together
Glue the dinosaur body pieces together.
Step 12: Attach the Legs
Attach the cardboard tube legs to the underside of the dinosaur using glue.
Step 13: Draw the Smile
Use a black marker to draw a smile and small details on the face.
All done!
Let everything dry, add extra details like toes on the feet, and display your adorable dinosaur!
We'd love to see yours! Snap a photo and share it in the comments.
Grab the Printable
Skip the prep and grab the print-ready templates for this craft from my shop.
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