Paper Plate Manatee Craft for Kids
This paper plate manatee craft is one of the sweetest ocean crafts for kids! A light gray paper plate body gets a head, tail, and flippers, and a black marker outline gives this gentle sea cow its friendly face.
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Materials for This Paper Plate Manatee Craft
How to Make a Paper Plate Manatee Craft
Step 1: Gather Your Supplies
Pull everything from the list above before you start so you're not hunting for scissors mid-craft.
Step 2: Paint the Plate
Paint the outside of the plate light gray and let it dry, adding a second coat if needed.
Step 3: Cut the Body
Print the manatee patterns, trace the body shape onto the plate, and cut it out.
Step 4: Cut the Head, Tail, and Flippers
Trace and cut a head, a tail, and two flippers from light gray cardstock.
Step 5: Outline Every Piece
Outline the body, head, tail, and flippers with the black marker, adding details for the muzzle, scruff, and nostrils as you go. Since everything's one color, this outline step is what actually brings it to life, so take your time here.
Step 6: Add the Eyes
Add the wiggle eyes to the head.
Step 7: Attach the Tail and Flippers
Glue the tail and both flippers to the body.
Step 8: Attach the Head
Finish by gluing the head to the front of the body.
All done!
Your paper plate manatee 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.
Mix and match to save 35%. Add any 10 items to your cart and get 35% off your whole order. Ready-made sets count as one item.
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Please Share This Paper Plate Manatee Craft
The friendliest face in the ocean deserves more attention, share this one with a friend who's never made a manatee craft before.
