Paper Plate Bird Craft

How to Make a Paper Plate Bird

This paper plate bird was pretty easy for the kids to make.  They needed help cutting the hole for the wings (that was entirely my job) and fitting the folded construction paper through the wing hole.  But the rest was a breeze: glue, paper done.

Materials

• paper plate(s)
• tissue paper in bird colors (we used yellow, gold, and blue)
• feathers in bird colors
• orange card stock or construction paper for the beak
• construction paper in matching or complimentary colors for the wings
• googly eyes
• glue
• scissors

Making Your Paper Plate Bird

1. Rip up the colored tissue paper into small squares.
2. Fold the paper plate(s) in half.
3. Glue the pieces of tissue paper onto the paper plate(s).
4. Cut out a triangle from the orange card stock or paper for the beak.
5. Glue the beak onto one end of the folded paper plate.
6. Glue the googly eyes on each side of the paper plate near the beak.
7. Take a piece of construction paper and cut it into a rectangle that is not too big and not too small for your bird.  Fold the paper like an accordion.  (We used card stock for the blue bird at this step, because we didn't have blue construction paper, and discovered that the card stock was a bit too thick for the wings.  It worked, but it was awkward.)
8. Cut a small slit on each side of the bird, mid way down the back and near the top (i.e. near the middle-top of the bird - see picture below).
9. Slide the accordion piece of construction paper through the holes.  This makes your bird's wings.
10. Glue feathers to the end of the paper plate for the tail.

Done.  Tada!  Paper plate bird complete.

These guys turned out pretty cute, and you can make them in any color.  Mix it up with complimentary colors, or make a rainbow bird.