Paper Plate Chicken Craft for Kids

This paper plate chicken craft turns a basic paper plate into a bright little barnyard bird with plenty of texture. Layered paper feathers, a simple wing and tail, a red comb, and one oversized googly eye give it a playful look without making the project fussy.

Finished paper plate chicken craft on a light green background with the text “chicken paper plate craft” across the image.

Materials for This Paper Plate Chicken Craft

Nothing on this list should send you further than your own craft supplies.

Supplies

How to Make a Paper Plate Chicken Craft

Time to get hands-on, here's how it all goes together.

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies

Gather your supplies and clear a workspace, this is a good one to do over a wipeable table or some newspaper.

White paper plate with cream, red, yellow, and white paper, googly eyes, hot glue gun, and orange scissors arranged on a white wood surface.

Step 2: Cut the Plate in Two

Fold about an inch off the top edge of the plate and crease it firmly, then cut along that fold.

White paper plate being cut with orange scissors, with a curved strip removed from the top edge.

The larger piece becomes the chicken's body.

White paper plate with a curved strip cut away from one side, with orange scissors above it.

Step 3: Cut the Feather and Face Pieces

Print the chicken patterns, then trace and cut a head and a large tail feather from white cardstock, a neck feather and wing and small tail feather from ivory, a comb from red, and a beak from yellow.

White paper templates traced onto cream, red, yellow, and white paper, with a black pencil resting across the pieces.

Cut paper pieces arranged on a white wood surface, including cream wing and feather shapes, white pieces, a red comb, and a yellow triangular beak, with orange scissors above.

Step 4: Attach the Head

Glue the neck feather to the back bottom of the head, then glue the head onto the body.

White paper plate with layered white and cream feather pieces attached near the top, with a hot glue gun nearby.

Step 5: Layer the Tail Feathers

Layer the small tail feather onto the large tail feather, then attach both to the body, angled slightly so it looks like she's mid-step.

White paper plate with layered feather pieces at the top and cream wing and tail pieces positioned on the plate, with a hot glue gun nearby.

Step 6: Attach the Wing

Glue the wing to the center of the body.

Step 7: Add the Final Details

Finish by gluing the comb to the top of the head, the beak just below it, and the wiggle eye right above the beak.

Partially assembled paper plate chicken with a white head, red comb, yellow triangular beak, one googly eye, and layered cream feather pieces.

Then hang your finished chicken up on display!

Finished paper plate chicken with a white body, white head, red comb, yellow beak, googly eye, cream wing, layered neck feathers, and tail feathers.

Grab the Paper Plate Chicken Craftivity

Layering feathers so they fan out instead of clumping into a mess takes a pattern, and that's exactly what's in the Paper Plate Chicken Craftivity, every feather and face piece pre-drawn plus a mini guide for the layering order.

More Farm Animal Crafts Your Kids Will Love

This one fits right in with the rest of the farm lineup, here are more barnyard friends to add to the coop.

Finished paper plate horse craft on a light green background with the text “horse paper plate craft” across the image.

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Please Share This Paper Plate Chicken Craft

That layered feather detail makes this little chicken worth passing around. Share this paper plate chicken craft with a friend who loves simple farm animal crafts for kids.