Paper Plate Wreaths for Fall

The fall season is full of so many festive ideas for preschool. From the brightly colored leaves to pumpkins and apples, and flannel and plaid, inspiration for activities is everywhere. These paper plate wreaths are not different, and since they are process based, they are a great addition to any preschool autumn theme.

These paper plate wreaths are just fantastic.

I know, I know.

To some they look like some paint and clumps of glitter with bits of paper stuck in random places, but I think they are beautiful and oh, so festive. The bright reds, yellows and hints of brown paint remind me of the way the sun shines through the turning trees at sunset, and the glitter makes them sparkle just as the light of an autumn sunset gives everything a warm glow.

And they are so warm and welcoming, don’t you think? Coming in from a brisk autumn afternoon of raking leaves, a set of paper plate wreaths like this one says, “Sure. Come on in. Warm up with some apple cider and put your feet up for a while.”

My preschoolers loved making these wreaths for their parents, and I have to admit, the paper plate wreaths my kids made stayed up until mid-December, I loved them so.

How to Make Paper Plate Wreaths for Fall

They are easy to make and inexpensive, too, which is always a plus when you have preschoolers using your supplies!

Materials

• cheap paper plates
• washable tempera paint in fall colors
• tissue paper squares in fall colors
• clear drying liquid glue
• fine glitter in fall colors

How to Make Paper Plate Wreaths

Begin by cutting the center out of the paper plate, leaving you with a ring. I used a traditional 9-inch paper plates for my preschoolers, however a series of 6-inch wreaths hanging from a door would look lovely as well.

I asked my preschoolers which colors they typically see during the fall season. We looked through our paint supply and pulled the colors most fitting. My preschoolers referred to my front yard as a reference, where the trees are turning coloring and leaves are beginning to fall. So, we settled on red, yellow and brown paint.

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Invite your preschoolers to paint the wreaths as they see fit, using all one color, using all three colors, or mixing the paint to make new colors.

Then, use some glue to add some tissue paper. My preschoolers found that they liked the tissue paper to be bunched up a little bit, which is excellent fine motor work, but a few of my preschoolers gently laid the tissue paper squares on the glue, keeping them flat. Either approach is fine, and an important decision for each preschooler to make on their own.

Finally, we added some glitter. Now, if the paint is still wet, the glitter will stick to the wet paint. My preschoolers used liquid glue and then poured fine glitter over it, and since the paint was dry the glitter made neat lines as it stuck only to the glue.

Decorate for Fall

Sometimes process based art ends up looking a little like a mess. These wreaths certainly can look like that too. But I love them, and as I hung the paper plate wreaths on our front door, in a cluster of three, my own kids were so proud to show their dad when he got home from work.

As I said, they are festive and every element about them reminds me of the vivid colors of fall.

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