Paper Plate Apple Tree Craft
Grab a paper plate, paint and brown paper bag and turn them into this easy Paper Plate Apple Tree Craft. This fun fall craft project is simple to make with minimal supplies and time. It’s perfect for preschools and kindergarteners!
This super easy paper plate apple tree craft is great to make around fall! Apples are in season from August-November, and it so great to incorporate fun crafts like this to teach about this tasty fruit. You can make an apple tree out of a paper plate and even make a paper plate apple to with it!
Crafts like this are really great for kids of a younger age. They’re not too complicated and don’t require many supplies. If you need an easy craft for a preschool class or kindergarten craft time, this would be a great option! You can prep the plates ahead of time and have kids just stamp their apples and crinkle the paper bag for the tree trunk.
Such a simple craft with an absolutely adorable result!
Why You’ll Love this Paper Plate Apple Tree Craft
- Apart from drying time, it will only take you 10 minutes to put together this craft. If you use paper plates that are already green, it will go even more quickly!
- Painting, cutting, and pasting are all wonderful activities that improve fine motor skills.
- This easy fall craft is very budget-friendly and affordable! Buy cheap paper plates and brown paper bags, and the acrylic paint will go a long way. You can make tons of these on a budget perfect for a classroom craft!
Supplies Needed for this Apple Tree Craft
- Paper plates – Grab the cheap paper plates that come in a large pack. They’re perfect for crafts!
- Acrylic paint – You’ll need green paint and red paint for this craft. Get a green that isn’t too bright or dark, but is a true emerald type green. The red paint needs to be apple red!
- Clothespin – A regular wooden clothespin works great! You can also use plastic clothespins.
- Cotton ball – Keep a few extra cotton balls on hand while you make this craft in case the one you’re using begins to fall apart.
- Brown lunch bag – Brown paper bags can be found on the same aisle as regular plastic zip top bags. If you don’t have a brown bag on hand, brown construction paper or craft paper
- Scissors – Making this craft with little ones? Don’t forget to use safety scissors!
How to Make this Paper Plate Apple Tree Craft
- Paint a paper plate green and then let it sit until it is completely dry. Then, clamp a wooden clothespin onto a clean cotton ball.
- Pour the red acrylic paint on a paint palette or separate paper plate. Dip the cotton ball stamp into the red paint. Then use it stamp “apples” all over the green paper plate tree.
- After stamping your desired amount of apples, allow the paint to completely dry.
- While you wait for the paint to dry, wad a brown paper bag up into a ball to wrinkle it. Flatten it back out slightly and then cut the bag in half lengthwise.
- Glue one end of the bag to the back of the painted paper plate, forming the apple tree trunk.
- Allow glue to dry and then your tree is complete!
What other trees can I make with this craft?
Use orange paint to make oranges, or mix orange and red paint to make peaches! Yellow paint would make the cutest little lemon tree. Use a small craft paint brush to add green leaves to the lemons and oranges. Or, use a small craft brush to paint 3 tiny red dots and connect their stems…voila, cherries!
How to Use this as Classroom Activity
Read a book, do an apple tasting, eat apple pie, and maybe even take a field trip to an apple orchard! Then you can make this super cute paper plate apple tree craft.
Heres’s some fun books you could read:
- How Do Apples Grow by Besty & Giulio Maestro
- The Biggest Apple by Steven Kroll
- Applesauce Day by Lisa J. Amstutz
When you do your apple tasting, use plenty of different varieties! Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, Cosmic Crunch, and Honeycrisp are some of my favorites.
Pro Tips for the Best Apple Tree Craft
- To save some time and a little bit of mess, use paper plates that are already green! You can find these at the party aisle at your local Walmart or at your local party supply store.
- Add some sparkly red glitter to the apples while they’re still wet. It will make your paper plate apple tree extra fun!
- Want a sturdy tree trunk? Place a paint stirrer in the middle of the half bag you use as the tree trunk. Or use a sturdy piece of cardboard!
Have fun making your cute paper plate apple tree with your littles!
More Fall Crafts You’ll Love
- Grab some pine cones from the yard and turn it into craft time with this Pine Cone Painted Fall Tree Craft.
- This Fall Tree Pom Pom Painting is another great activity for the little ones!
- Another craft you can use those backyard leaves for! This Fall Leaf Pom Pom Painting is so pretty.
- Make this Toilet Paper Roll Turkey Craft around Thanksgiving!
Paper Plate Apple Tree Craft
Ingredients
Instructions
- Begin by painting a paper plate green for the base of the apple tree. Let the paint dry completely. You could also buy a green paper plate and use that instead of painting a paper plate.
- Gather a wooden clothespin and a cotton ball. Clasp the cotton ball in the clothespin to make a stamp. Then, pour red paint in a paint palette or paper plate.
- When the green paint on the paper plate is dry, dip the cotton ball stamp in the red paint.
- Use the stamp to make “apples” randomly over the paper plate.
- Once you’ve stamped all your apples, let that paint dry completely, too.
- While the apples are drying, take a paper bag and just wad it up into a ball. You want to wrinkle it.
- Finally, flatten the bag again slightly and cut the bag in half lengthwise. Glue one end of the bag to the back of the paper plate for the apple tree trunk.
Notes
- You can also buy a green paper plates and use that instead of painting a paper plate green to save on drying time.
