[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates
Paper plates are often used as materials for craft activities.
These days, even 100-yen shops carry a growing variety of colorful and cute paper plates.
In this article, we’ll introduce craft ideas that make use of those paper plates.
Decorations like wreaths and mobiles are fun to take home, and wall hangings are also recommended as seasonal displays at facilities.
Many ideas can be adapted for different seasons and events, so please use them as inspiration.
We hope this serves as a helpful hint for your enjoyable craft activities.
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[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates (21–30)
photo props
@charmytoko Christmas photo props 👼໒꒱ If you have paper plates, you can cut them out and make photo props. This time, we made Santa and a snowman. You can arrange them in all sorts of ways—reindeer, trees, anything you like—so it’s also great for siblings to make together ✨ ※ This is a repost from December 7, 2021. ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈꙳⋆ I’m a toy creator and a mom of two. ✎𓂃 A site with at-home early childhood education ideas for ages 0–6. Jump from my profile @charmytoko or search for “Ouchiiku”! Check out past posts too ♪ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈Photo props#HandmadePhotoPropsChristmas decorationsChristmas craftsChristmas craftsChristmas preparations#craftforkids#wintercrafts#toddlerplayideas#christmascrafts#christmascraftsforkids
♬ Christmas standard song – 3KTrack
We’re introducing photo props that you can make to match events and get everyone excited.
Gather paper plates, straws, construction paper, and glue, and let’s get started.
Once you settle on a design, cut out the paper plate and create the facial features.
If you go with classic, easily recognizable designs, everyone will have fun when they’re finished.
After decorating around the paper plate, attach and secure the straw as the handle at the end.
Try making your own original photo props using felt, cotton, pipe cleaners, buttons, ribbons, and more!
hat decoration
@utatan_simple_crafts Hello, it’s Utatan 😊 I found two sizes of paper plates that were just right, so we made a hat-shaped wall decoration using leaves and nuts we picked up on our walk ✨ I initially thought wrapping and gluing yarn around the paper plate might be too hard for my 5-year-old daughter, or that she’d get bored halfway through... but she said, “Don’t help me! I’m doing it all by myself!” and she really did it to the end—so surprising 🫢 It was also fun to think about the balance while sticking autumn plants onto the hat ✨ It turned into a craft that made me feel my daughter’s growth in many ways ♪ Please try making one as a keepsake of autumn memories ☺️ ★Materials★ ✳︎ Flat paper plate ✳︎ Deep paper plate ✳︎ Yarn of your choice ✳︎ Ribbon of your choice ✳︎ Autumn plants or dried flowers (If you picked them, please treat them for pests beforehand ☝️) ★Tools★ ✳︎ Scissors ✳︎ Wood glue ✳︎ Hot glue gun ✳︎ Extra-strong double-sided fabric tape ✳︎ Clear tape ⚠️ As this is an original recipe, we kindly prohibit the following: ▪︎ Unauthorized reproduction of images/videos ▪︎ Reproduction and use for commercial purposes ▪︎ Publishing the instructions as videos/images ▪︎ Unauthorized use in fee-based craft/art classes or workshops Please mention @utatan_simple_crafts when posting reference works ✨ We’re looking forward to your creations, too ☺️ ****************************************** Crafting daily with my 6-year-old daughter ♪ Original craft recipes for parents and kids to enjoy Utatan’s Simple Crafts → @utatan_simple_crafts Thank you 🐰✨ ******************************************work#I love craftsAutumn CraftsAutumn Crafts#Childcare CraftingKnitting yarnPaper Plate Craft#acorn#Pine conefallen leavesFallen Leaves Art#HandmadeToys#AtHomePlay#StayHomePlay ProjectNovember production#SeniorActivitiesEducationalFinger Dexterity Education
♪ Original Song – Utatan’s Simple Crafts | Exciting DIY for Kids and Adults – Utatan’s Simple Crafts | Exciting DIY for Kids and Adults
Playful sophistication that begins with a paper plate.
Why not create a one-of-a-kind hat ornament? Using a paper plate as the base, freely combine yarn, lace, dried flowers, and more to design a piece that’s uniquely yours.
It’s easy and fun even for handmade beginners, yet the finished look is like a one-off boutique item.
Perfect for seasonal events, parties, or as an interior accent.
Experience a crafting time where creativity and refined taste shine—something only adults can truly enjoy.
[For Seniors] Craft Ideas Using Paper Plates (31–40)
paper plate bag
@n.annlee321 Cute spring colors ☺️💓 Graduation season ✨ Great for holding gifts too 👍#HandmadeToysParentingChildcare
Ojamajo Carnival!! – Cover – Hello, Happy World!
Perfect for when you want to enjoy style with familiar, everyday materials.
It’s grown-up crafting time with paper-plate bags.
Simple paper plates transform into charming bags with a little ingenuity and taste.
No sewing skills needed! With just scissors, a stapler, and some ribbons or yarn, you can create a unique piece that reflects you.
Add lots of on-trend ribbons for a tweed-like look, too.
This relaxing craft is perfect for downtime and naturally boosts focus and imagination.
Great for parent-child fun or as an adults-only art time.
Kabuto ornament
A piece that beautifully expresses tradition using paper plates.
Create a stylish “kabuto display” for adults to enjoy.
Let’s easily craft a kabuto (samurai helmet) ornament from everyday paper plates—perfect for Children’s Day or seasonal interior decor.
By combining elements like washi and gold or silver origami paper, you’ll achieve a dignified, refined finish.
Infusing the project with the essence of traditional culture turns it into a “piece with a story,” not just a decoration.
Why not bring into your daily life a craft that invites quiet, contemplative creativity and reflects Japanese aesthetics—something only adults can truly savor?
Autumn hanging ornaments
From a paper plate emerges a gentle autumn landscape.
Here is a seasonal hanging decoration to be enjoyed with a refined, grown-up sensibility.
Turning leaves, tree nuts, the sound of fallen leaves.
A hanging ornament made with a paper plate is a simple way to express the mood of autumn.
Combine origami and natural materials to design a piece that tells your own autumn story.
Hang it by the window, and the soft shadows swaying in the autumn light will add color to everyday life.
It’s a calming, mindful craft for adults—an invitation to savor the season with care.
Sunflower weaving with paper plates
We’d like to introduce a sunflower weaving craft made using a paper plate and raffia tape.
First, use parchment paper to shape a flower template, then place it over a paper plate and draw guidelines.
Cut along the lines with scissors, and paint the plate with acrylic paints in sunflower colors.
Wrap twine across the gaps between the petals, then use that as the warp and weave the raffia tape through like a loom.
You’ll end up with a colorful, summery, and cheerful sunflower.
Since it uses easily accessible materials, it’s also recommended as a recreation activity in senior care facilities.
Koinobori and wisteria flowers
Wisteria flowers reach their best viewing time from the end of April.
You may have opportunities to go see them with older adults.
Some seniors might look forward to the purple wisteria trellises every year.
Here, we introduce wisteria—the flower that represents May—and carp streamers (koinobori) decorations.
We’ll make wisteria and koinobori out of origami.
There are some steps with fine folds, so seniors who enjoy origami are likely to have fun with this craft.
Once the wisteria and koinobori are finished, attach them to a paper plate.
If you paste a sheet with a sky pattern in the center of the plate, it will look like the koinobori are swimming in the sky.
Cutting out the center of the paper plate to make it into a wreath shape is also lovely.
In conclusion
We introduced some craft ideas using paper plates.
Many of them can be displayed or played with after making them, so they’re great for day service activities, and the fact that participants can take them home and enjoy them there is another big plus.
Please use these as a reference and try incorporating them into your craft activities.