Bring a little fall and Thanksgiving charm to your craft table with this paper plate scarecrow! It’s a simple, colorful project that kids will love making, and best of all, it’s low-mess and easy to set up.

Perfect for toddlers (with a bit of help), preschoolers, kindergarteners, and early elementary kids, this craft is simple to prepare and fun for a wide range of ages, making it a great choice for both home and classroom activities.

Paper Plate Scarecrow Craft For Kids Featured Image

The free template includes two types of hats and two types of hair (straight and jagged), plus decorations so kids can personalize their scarecrow.

You’ll also get a ready-to-color version and a pre-colored version. No subscription needed—download and craft.

Related: Paper Plate Acorn Craft

Paper Plate Scarecrow Craft For Kids Pinterest Image 6

Page Contents

Tools & Materials

Printer
Template (download at the end of the article – no subscription required)
9-inch paper plate
Scissors
White cardstock
Skin-tone paint (or mix your own with white, brown, yellow, and red)
Black marker (optional)
Glue
Crayons or markers (optional)

materials for making a scarecrow out of paper plates

Super tip: No paper plates? Use white cardstock cut into 9-inch circles.

Step 1 – Print Paper Plate Scarecrow Template

Look through the template and only print the pages you need. For a longer activity, print the coloring version so kids can decorate before assembling.

printed paper plate scarecrow template in color

For this tutorial, I used the pre-colored version.

Step 2 – Paint the Paper Plate

Paint the paper plate before cutting so it’s dry and ready to go. If you don’t have skin-tone paint, you can mix your own:

4 teaspoons white paint
1 teaspoon brown paint
½ teaspoon yellow paint
3 drops of red paint

Depending on the hues of your paint, you may need to modify the quantities; do one drop at a time!

Step 3 – Snip, Snip, Snip!

Cut out all the template pieces. You’ll find different sets of eyes to choose from. The mouth can be tricky to cut, so if you prefer, draw it with a black marker instead (this is also a fun step for the kids to try).

Step 4 – Assemble Scarecrow

First, measure (or just eyeball) 6.5 inches from the top of the paper plate and cut a straight line. This helps the hat fit neatly.

Glue the hair – In this tutorial, I used the jagged hair, but you can also use the straight style.

gluing jagged straw hair to paper plate scarecrow

If using straight hair, don’t glue it all the way down—leave the ends loose for a fun 3D look.

Straight straw hair for paper plate scarecrow craft, partially glued for a layered 3D effect

Glue the hat – Trim off any extra hair or paper plate that sticks out.

Paper plate scarecrow craft with jagged straw hair tucked under a brown harvest hat, trimming excess hair sticking out

Glue the eyes, nose, cheeks, and mouth – or draw the mouth with a marker.

Add decorations – Choose between the flower or the bow. The bow can also be used as a bow tie for a different look.

paper plate scarecrow with bow tie and jagged hair

paper plate scarecrow with bow and jagged hair

Mini Paper Plate Scarecrow

The mini scarecrow looks adorable on bulletin boards, as part of a classroom display, or even as a fun tabletop decoration.

Want to make a smaller version? Use a 6-inch paper plate and scale the printable to 70%.

Because the pieces are smaller, it can be a little trickier to cut—older kids might enjoy the challenge, but younger crafters may need some extra help.

Download the Free Template

Click the image to open in a new tab or the yellow button below to download your scarecrow template to your computer.