This might sound like a weird one, but hear me out!
After my son’s construction birthday party, we had some leftover paper plates. We don’t use paper plates too often, but we kind of had to for his party since it was at a park. So, in order to reuse some of the extras that we had, I thought it would be fun to make paper ornaments.
As far as ornaments go, there are really no rules, so why not reuse items you already have in your house. Bonus – because paper plates are typically much thicker than regular paper, they last a lot longer too. So you can reuse them year after year – as ornaments, garlands, tree toppers, gift toppers, etc.
As someone who LOVES DIY ornaments (maybe even a bit too much), I still haven’t decided if paper plate ornaments are unhinged or just fine. But you really can’t tell what they’re made out of once they’re cut out and on the tree (or on top of a gift), so I guess it doesn’t really matter. Right?
Materials
- decorative paper plates
- scissors – If you prefer, you can use an Xacto knife.
- string – I used embroidery floss, which worked well.
- hole punch
How to Make DIY Paper Ornaments (from Plates)
1. Cut the shapes.
Cut various shapes out of leftover paper plates in different sizes. Diamonds, candy canes, trees, stars, etc.
2. Punch holes.
Next, punch a hole through the top of each shape. You can use a hole punch, a paper awl, or the sharp end of a pair of scissors (if you’re careful).
3. Thread string.
Then, thread some string through each hole and tie it in a knot. Cut off the excess and that’s it!
You can use them as ornaments for the tree, turn them into a long paper garland, make a big tee topper, or even use them as cute gift toppers or gift tags.
They would be perfect for a kids Christmas tree as well, especially if you have kids that are old enough to get involved in this craft. It doesn’t cost any money, assuming you already have some plates you can use and they honestly look really cute. Imo. Plus, without any paint or other decoration needed, there’s no mess!
Can you use plain paper plates instead?
Definitely! Another idea would be to just use plain white paper plates and have kids paint or draw on the plates before they get cut out into shapes. Or leave them plain and cut snowflake shapes.
Where did you get the checkered plates?
I found the checkered plates for Hayes’ birthday party online: shop checkered paper plates. And they were perfect for his bday (and also so cute for this DIY). But there are tons of other cool patterned plate designs that would be perfect for this project.
Paper Plate Ornaments
Equipment
- scissors (or Xacto knife)
- hole punch
Ingredients
- decorative paper plates
- string
Instructions
Cut the shapes.
- Cut various shapes out of leftover paper plates in different sizes.
Punch holes.
- Next, punch a hole through the top of each shape. You can use a hole punch, a paper awl, or the shape end of a pair of scissors (if you're careful).
Thread string.
- Then, thread some string through each hole and tie it in a knot. That's it!
- You can use them as ornaments for the tree, turn them into a long paper garland, make a big tee topper, or even use them as cute gift toppers or gift tags. They would be perfect for a kids Christmas tree as well, especially if you have kids that are old enough to get involved in this craft. It doesn't cost any money, assuming you already have some plates you can use and they honestly look really cute. Imo.
