Looking for an easy Apple Paper Plate Craft to make with kids this fall? This simple apple craft turns an ordinary paper plate into a bright red apple, complete with a green leaf, stem, and a cute little caterpillar peeking out of the bite!
This paper plate apple craft is a fun activity for the back to school season, fall crafting, apple-themed lessons, or a classroom apple unit. Kids can practice painting, cutting, and gluing while creating an apple craft they can display at home or school.
With just a few basic craft supplies, you can put together this adorable apple activity with preschool and elementary-aged kids.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Paper Plate Craft
- Easy to make: This simple apple craft uses basic supplies and doesn’t require a complicated setup.
- Great for fall: Add it to your fall crafts, apple-themed activities, or apple unit studies.
- Perfect for back to school: Apples are a classic back to school theme, making this a fun activity for the beginning of the school year.
- Practices fine motor skills: Painting, cutting, gluing, and drawing give kids plenty of hands-on practice.
- Cute caterpillar detail: The little green caterpillar peeking out of the apple’s bite makes this paper plate craft extra fun for kids.
- Easy to display: Hang the finished apples on a classroom bulletin board, refrigerator, or fall art display.
Supplies for Your Apple Paper Plate Craft
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You only need a few basic craft supplies to make this paper plate apple. You may already have several of these items in your craft cabinet!
- White paper plate
- Washable red craft paint
- Paintbrush
- Green construction paper
- Craft stick
- Kid-friendly scissors
- Glue
- Black marker
Tip: If you’re making this craft with a group of kids, washable paint and inexpensive paper plates make it easy to set up several crafting stations at once.
How to Make an Apple Paper Plate Craft
1. Cut the Bite Out of the Apple
Use scissors to cut a small curved section from one side of the paper plate. This will look like a bite has been taken out of the finished apple.
For younger children, an adult can complete this step ahead of time.
2. Paint the Paper Plate
Paint the front of the paper plate with red craft paint. Set the plate aside and allow the paint to dry completely before adding the other pieces.
3. Make the Leaf and Caterpillar
While the paint dries, cut a simple leaf shape and a small caterpillar shape from green construction paper.
4. Add the Apple Stem and Leaf
Glue a craft stick to the back of the top of the paper plate so part of it extends above the plate to create the apple stem.
Glue the green paper leaf near the stem.
5. Add the Caterpillar
Glue the green caterpillar to the back of the paper plate near the bite mark. Position it so the caterpillar looks like it’s peeking out from behind the apple.
Kids can use a black marker to draw a face on the caterpillar.
6. Let It Dry and Display
Allow the glue to dry completely. Your apple paper plate craft is ready to display!
Hang the finished apple on the refrigerator, add it to a classroom bulletin board, or use it as part of a fall or back to school display.
Tips for Making This Apple Craft
- Protect your work surface. Place newspaper, a disposable tablecloth, or a craft mat underneath the paper plates before kids start painting.
- Let the paint dry completely. Adding the leaf, stem, and caterpillar before the paint dries can get messy and make it harder for the glue to stick.
- Prep pieces for younger kids. If you’re making this apple craft with preschoolers, you can cut out the bite, leaf, and caterpillar ahead of time and let the kids focus on painting and assembling.
- Let kids make it their own. Encourage kids to draw a silly face on the caterpillar, change the shape of the leaf, or add their own details to the apple.
- Make several apple colors. Try green or yellow paint instead of red and create a whole collection of paper plate apples for a fall or classroom display.
Ways to Use This Apple Paper Plate Craft
This easy apple craft can be used for several fall and school-themed activities throughout the season.
- Back to school craft: Make paper plate apples during the first few weeks of school as a simple classroom activity.
- Apple unit activity: Pair the craft with lessons about apples, apple trees, or the parts of an apple.
- Fall craft: Add it to your fall activity list along with other seasonal crafts and projects.
- Apple picking activity: Make the craft before or after a family or school trip to an apple orchard.
- Classroom display: Have each child create an apple and arrange the finished crafts together on a bulletin board.
- Storytime activity: Pair the craft with an apple-themed children’s book for an easy hands-on activity after reading.
Learning Through This Apple Craft
This apple paper plate craft is also an easy way to add hands-on learning to an apple or fall theme.
- Fine motor skills: Cutting, painting, drawing, and gluing help kids practice hand-eye coordination and fine motor movements.
- Color recognition: Talk about the different colors apples can be, including red, green, and yellow.
- Apple vocabulary: Introduce words such as apple, stem, leaf, seeds, orchard, and core while kids work.
- Creativity: Kids can choose their own colors and details to make each apple and caterpillar unique.
- Following directions: Completing the craft step-by-step gives kids practice listening to or reading simple instructions.
Pair This Craft With Apple-Themed Books and Activities
Turn this simple apple craft into a full apple-themed activity by pairing it with a few books, toys, or hands-on learning activities.
Here are a few ideas to try:
- Apple-themed children’s books to read before or after making the craft
- Apple counting or sorting activities for preschool and kindergarten
- Apple sensory toys for hands-on play
- Apple life cycle learning materials to teach kids how apples grow
- Apple picking baskets or pretend play sets for an apple orchard theme
You can also pair the craft with a real apple taste test! Slice a few different varieties of apples and let kids compare their colors, textures, and flavors.
Apple Paper Plate Craft FAQs
What age is this apple paper plate craft best for?
This craft works well for preschool and elementary-aged kids. Younger children may need help cutting the paper plate, leaf, and caterpillar, while older kids can complete most of the craft independently.
What kind of paint works best on paper plates?
Washable craft or tempera paint works well for kids’ paper plate crafts. Red creates a classic apple, but kids can also use green or yellow paint to make different varieties of apples.
Can I make this craft without paint?
Yes! If you want to skip the paint and drying time, kids can color the paper plate with crayons or markers. You could also glue pieces of red construction paper or tissue paper onto the plate.
Can I prepare this craft ahead of time?
Yes. For younger children or a classroom group, cut the bite marks, leaves, and caterpillar shapes ahead of time. You can also organize the supplies into individual sets so they’re ready when it’s time to craft.
How can I display the finished paper plate apples?
Hang the apples on a classroom bulletin board, display them on the refrigerator, or create a fall apple-themed wall display. A group of red, green, and yellow apples would also make a cute classroom apple orchard.
More Apple Activities for Kids
Keep the apple-themed fun going with these crafts and printable activities for kids! These are great for fall, back to school, classroom apple units, or an apple-themed activity day.
- 5 Printable Apple Activity Packs – Choose from several apple-themed activity packs for more hands-on learning and fall fun.
- Pine Cone Apple Tree Craft for Kids – Turn pine cones into adorable apple trees for another fun fall craft kids can make.
- Johnny Appleseed Paper Plate Craft – Make another paper plate craft while learning about Johnny Appleseed during an apple-themed unit.
- Printable Apple Pie Coloring Pages – Add an easy coloring activity to your fall or apple theme with these printable apple pie coloring pages.
- Fall Apple Paper Plate Craft – Looking for another way to make a paper plate apple? Try this version for another easy fall apple craft for kids.
Make This Easy Apple Craft This Fall
This Apple Paper Plate Craft is an easy way to add a little creativity to your fall or back to school activities. With a few basic craft supplies, kids can paint, cut, glue, and create their own adorable apple with a caterpillar peeking out of the bite!
Try this paper plate apple craft at home, in the classroom, or as part of an apple-themed lesson or fall activity day.
Save this apple paper plate craft for later:
