Looking for a fun and easy craft project to entertain your little ones? This Paper Plate Gingerbread Man Craft is the perfect activity to spark their creativity and festive spirit!
Plus, with a FREE downloadable template, crafting these adorable gingerbread men is super easy. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or caregiver, this craft will surely bring smiles and holiday cheer to everyone involved.
This gingerbread man project is suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, and older children who are guided by a parent or teacher.
It offers a fun and easy way for little ones to develop their fine motor skills as they engage in cutting, painting, and assembling the craft. Whether they’re learning to use scissors for the first time or getting exposed to painting techniques, this activity provides an enjoyable opportunity for creative expression and skill-building.
So grab your supplies and get creative with this adorable holiday project!
Related: Paper Plate Santa Craft
Tools & Materials
- Printer
- Template (download at the end of the article; you don’t need to subscribe!)
- Glue
- 9-inch paper plate
- Scissors
- White cardstock
- Brown and white paint
- Paintbrush
- Colors, markers (optional)
Super tip: If you don’t have paper plates, cut an 8-9-inch circle with white cardstock.
Step 1 – Print Gingerbread Man Template
At the end of the tutorial, you’ll find a section with the templates. There’s a pre-colored version and a version for coloring. For an easier and faster craft, print the colored version, and for a longer activity, choose the one for coloring.
Before you print the template, take a look at the pages. You can make a gingerbread man or woman. One page contains bowties, and the other includes hairbows.
There’s also another page for the icing, eyes, eyebrows and cheeks. And to add extra fun, I also included a Santa hat!
Step 2 – Paint
Always start by painting first, as it takes longer to dry. Your children will probably want to glue as soon as they finish cutting.
My brown paint was quite dark, so I added a splash of white paint to make the color resemble a real gingerbread man.
Once you paint all the paper plates, set them aside to dry.
Step 3 – Cut Template
Cut all the pieces you want to use. There are two different sets of eyes and different mouths as well. You can also check out the “Assemble Ideas!” page to see what you should cut.
Step 4 – Glue
Let’s assemble our gingerbread man!
There are many options your child can choose from. There are mainly two types: a gingerbread man with cartoonish eyes and a traditional one where the eyes are supposed to be yummy icing.
This step-by-step includes the directions for the gingerbread man #4 with the black bowtie.
Start with the icing on top. You can also glue only one stripe! Then, glue the eyebrows and the eyes.
Next, glue the cheeks, mouth, and bowtie at the bottom of the plate!
And just like that, your child has completed a beautiful paper plate gingerbread man craft!
Now look at the gingerbread man next to the adorable gingerbread girl! I love that pink bow, but the purple one is just as adorable!
More Assemble Ideas!
Here are more ideas you can show your little ones as well.
When it makes sense, I love giving you multiple choices when making a craft. That way, you can involve your child in making choices.
Don’t they look fabulous?
Want a Smaller Gingerbread Man?
I made an extra small gingerbread man using a 6-inch plate! It looks adorable.
Cutting will be a little more challenging if you make an extra-small one. So make sure to help your little student.
To make a smaller craft in a 6-inch plate, scale the printable to 66%.
Download Template!
As I mentioned, here’s the Gingerbread Man template for your craft! Click the image to open the PDF in a new window or the yellow button to trigger a download on your phone or computer.
Oh!
Just so you know, I also have a library full of free SVG files and Printables for all my subscribers, a.k.a. Daydreamers. You can see a preview right here or get access by filling out this form.
Paper Plate Gingerbread Man Craft For Kids | Free Template!
Engage your kids this Christmas with our easy DIY Paper Plate Gingerbread Man Craft! It includes a free template for preschool and kindergarten ages.
This holiday art project idea will keep your little ones entertained and creative during the festive season.
Materials
- Template
- 9-inch paper plate
- White cardstock
- Brown & White Paint
- Colors, markers (optional)
Tools
- Printer
- Scissors
- Glue
- Paint brush
Instructions
- Download the template in color or for coloring.
- Print out the version of the template you want to use.
- Paint paper plate brown. If your brown paint is very dark, add some white to resemble the gingerbread cookie color.
- Cut template.
- Check out the assemble ideas page so you can pick your favorite gingerbread man to assemble.
- Start by gluing the icing stripes on the top.
- Glue eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, and mouth.
- To make a gingerbread man, glue bowtie on the bottom of the plate. And to make a gingerbread girl, glue one of the bows on top of the plate.
You May Like These…
I hope you enjoyed crafting this adorable gingerbread man with your little person. If you enjoyed that activity, you would love the following.
- Paper Plate Christmas Tree Craft
- Fall Paper Plate Craft
- Paper Plate Snow Globes with five different scenes!
- Paper Plate Baby Chick Craft
- Turkey Headband Craft
- Build a Salad Craft
- Build a Fish Tank
- Paper Plate Cow Craft
Happy Crafting!
