Paper Plate Jack-o-Lantern Craft
Halloween just isn’t complete without a glowing jack-o’-lantern or two, but who says pumpkins have to be messy and full of seeds? This paper plate jack-o-lantern craft gives kids all the fun of designing silly (or spooky!) pumpkin faces without the carving tools. With a little paint, paper, and some pipe cleaner curls, you’ll have a whole patch of paper pumpkins ready to decorate the classroom, playroom, or front porch.
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What You’ll Need for This Jack-o’-Lantern Craft
Print-ready templates and step-by-step instructions.
Less prep, more crafting.
- Paper plates (large and small) Shop
- Orange acrylic paint (variety of shades optional) Shop
- Black construction paper Shop
- Green construction paper (two shades) Shop
- Brown construction paper or cardstock Shop
- Green pipe cleaners Shop
- Pencil Shop
- Glue gun or school glue Shop
- Black marker Shop
- Paintbrush Shop
- Scissors Shop
How to Make a Paper Plate Jack-o’-Lantern
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Gather your supplies including paper plates, orange paint, black and green construction paper, brown paper, pipe cleaners, scissors, glue, and a marker.
Step 2: Paint the Plate Orange
Paint the front of a paper plate completely orange and set it aside to dry. You can use multiple shades of orange for variation if desired.
Step 3: Paint a Second Plate
Paint a smaller plate another shade of orange. Allow it to dry fully.
Step 4: Trace the Face Shapes
Trace jack-o’-lantern face shapes like eyes, noses, and mouths onto black paper.
Step 5: Cut Out the Face Shapes
Cut out all of the face shapes.
Step 6: Design the Face
Arrange the cut-out shapes on the orange plate to design your pumpkin’s face. Try different combinations before gluing them down.
Step 7: Glue the Face and Cut the Leaves
Glue the black paper pieces to the center of the plate to create the jack-o’-lantern face.
Draw and cut out large leaves from green construction paper.
Step 8: Add the Stem
Cut a pumpkin stem shape from brown paper and glue it to the top of the plate.
Step 9: Add the Leaves
Glue the leaves near the stem to give your pumpkin a finished look.
Step 10: Curl the Vine
Wrap a green pipe cleaner around a pencil to make a curly vine, then slide it off.
Step 11: Attach the Vine
Glue the curly vine beside the stem.
All done!
Repeat with different faces to create a whole patch of jack-o’-lanterns!
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.
More Halloween Crafts for Kids
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Please Share This Jack-o’-Lantern Craft
If this paper plate pumpkin put a smile on your face, I’d love if you’d share it! Pin it to your Halloween crafts board on Pinterest or pass it along to a friend looking for kid-friendly seasonal fun. Your shares keep this site growing, and I’m so grateful.
