Paper Plate Dolphin Craft for Kids
This paper plate dolphin craft is one of the cutest ocean crafts for kids! A paper plate gets cut into a dolphin shape with a light gray belly and a bright blue back, then your little ones add fins, a wiggle eye, and a sweet smile.
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Materials for This Paper Plate Dolphin Craft
Print-ready templates and step-by-step instructions.
Less prep, more crafting.
How to Make a Paper Plate Dolphin Craft
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Get your supplies together first, especially anything that needs to dry, so you're not waiting around later.
Step 2: Cut the Body
Print the patterns, trace the dolphin's body onto the plate, and cut it out.
Step 3: Paint the Belly
Trace the belly shape along the bottom of the body and paint just that section light gray. Let it dry.
Step 4: Paint the Rest of the Body
Paint the rest of the body, plus the remaining half of the plate you didn't use, bright blue and let dry.
Step 5: Cut the Fins
Trace and cut a dorsal fin, tail fin, and two pectoral fins from that second blue half of the plate.
Step 6: Attach the Fins
Glue the tail fin to the base of the body, the dorsal fin to the top, and the pectoral fins to the sides.
Step 7: Add the Eye
Glue the wiggle eye just above the snout.
Step 8: Stamp On a Cheek
Dip the fresh pencil eraser in pink paint and stamp a cheek under the eye, then let dry. A pencil eraser gives you a smaller, neater dot than a sponge dabber, worth remembering for other animal crafts too.
Step 9: Draw the Smile
Finish with a marker smile running from the snout to the cheek.
All done!
Your paper plate dolphin is ready to swim!
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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Please Share This Paper Plate Dolphin Craft
That two-tone belly trick is worth showing off, share this one with a friend who'll notice the detail.
