Paper Plate Sunflower Craft

Celebrate the sunny days of late summer or early fall with this cheerful Paper Plate Sunflower craft! Made with simple supplies you likely already have at home, this fun craft is perfect for young children. Whether you’re creating it in the classroom, at summer camp, or around the kitchen table, this low-prep project helps kids get creative while building fine motor skills.

A Fun and Easy Sunflower Craft for Kids

The sunflowers in my vegetable garden are tall and cheerful, and they’re always full of bees. Watching them each day inspired this fun handprint sunflower craft for kids!

This sunflower craft uses paint, paper plates, and construction paper to bring bright yellow blooms to life. Younger kids will enjoy painting and gluing, while older kids can try tracing and cutting out their own petals. The finished sunflowers look great hanging in windows or on classroom bulletin boards. It’s a great craft to pair with books about gardening, pollinators, or the changing seasons!

Craft Supplies Needed for the Handprint Sunflower Craft

To make this simple sunflower craft, you’ll need just a few basic materials:

• Leaf Template
• White paper plate – 6″
• Acrylic paint – brown, black, and green
• Paintbrush
• Bubble wrap
• Cardstock or construction paper – yellow and green
• Scissors
• Tacky craft glue
• Pencil (for tracing, optional)
• Giant wooden craft sticks

Directions for Paper Plate Sunflower

Follow these step-by-step instructions to make your own cheerful sunflower craft!

STEP 1: Make the petals. Trace your child’s hand six times onto yellow paper to create the sunflower petals. Then carefully cut out each handprint.

STEP 2: Paint the sunflower. Paint the back of the paper plate brown—this will be the middle of the sunflower. Then paint a large craft stick green to create the stem. Set both aside to dry completely.

STEP 3: Add the sunflower seeds. Paint a thin layer of black paint onto a piece of bubble wrap. Carefully press the brown side of the paper plate onto the painted bubble wrap to create a seed-like texture in the center of the sunflower. Lift gently and let it dry.

Be sure to quickly rinse the bubble wrap so you can use it for future crafts!

STEP 4: Create the sunflower petals. Arrange the six handprint cutouts in a circle to form the shape of a sunflower. Slightly overlap the bases of the hands, then tape them together on the back to hold the shape in place.

STEP 5: Attach the sunflower center. Place the painted paper plate in the center of the handprint circle, brown side facing up. Use glue or tape to secure the plate to the tops of the handprints.

STEP 6: Add the stem and leaves. Glue the green popsicle stick to the bottom back of the sunflower to create the stem. Then cut out two green leaves from construction paper and glue them to either side of the stem. Let everything dry before displaying!

Take It Further

Looking for ways to expand on this sunflower craft? Here are some creative and educational ideas to keep the fun going:

• Incorporate a book. Pair this craft with a sunflower-themed picture book like Sunflower House by Eve Bunting. After reading, talk about the life cycle of a sunflower and how they grow from tiny seeds into tall, vibrant flowers.
• Practice counting and patterns. Use sunflower seeds, pom poms, buttons, or paper dots to count and create patterns in the center of the flower. It’s a great way to sneak in early math skills!
• Add texture. For a sensory twist, glue real sunflower seeds to the center of the flower or use textured paper for the handprint petals.
• Make a sunflower field. Create multiple handprint sunflowers and tape them to the wall or a bulletin board. Add a blue sky and green grass background for a collaborative classroom or family display.
• Write about it. Invite older kids to write a short poem, story, or a few facts about sunflowers. Attach their writing to the back of the craft or display it alongside the artwork.
• Explore science. Talk about how sunflowers turn to face the sun—a process called heliotropism. You can even observe this phenomenon with real sunflowers or show time-lapse videos for a fun science tie-in.
• Grow sunflowers. Plant real sunflowers in your yard! They will start to bloom in late July or August.
• Create a giant classroom sunflower! Have students team up to trace each other’s hands, write their names on their handprints, and add them to a collaborative sunflower display.

More Paper Plate Crafts for Kids

If you and your kids enjoy the paper plate sunflower craft, you’ll love these other easy and creative paper plate activities!

• Paper Plate Soccer Ball – A sporty craft perfect for soccer fans. Kids can paint and decorate their own mini soccer balls using just a paper plate and black paint or markers.
• Paper Plate Ladybug – Bright red and black ladybugs made from paper plates are a fun way to explore insects and colors.
• Paper Plate Frog – This cute frog craft is easy to make and great for teaching kids about amphibians and nature.
• Paper Plate Chick – A cheerful spring craft featuring a fluffy yellow chick made from paper plates and paper feathers.
• Paper Plate Pumpkin – Celebrate fall with a paper plate pumpkin craft that’s perfect for Halloween or harvest season decorations.
• Paper Plate Turtle – An adorable turtle made from painted paper plates, great for learning about reptiles and creative play.

Save This Craft

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