Paper Plate Tissue Paper Wreath

wreath made from a paper plate and tissue paper

You probably made a paper plate and tissue paper wreath as a child. This is a fun, festive, but messy craft project for preschoolers and younger kids.

Keep the emphasis on fun but contain the mess by gathering a short list of supplies and putting everything on a tray or an old cookie sheet.

A few tissue paper squares will probably blow around and end up on the floor. No big deal. However, you should keep an eye on how much glue gets squirted out of the bottle.

I found this out by taking my eye off the bottle for about ten seconds, lol.

paper plate tissue paper wreath assembly

Still, my granddaughters were busy creating beautiful paper plate and tissue paper wreaths for about half an hour. As they worked, they discussed which family members would be the lucky recipients of these awesome Christmas decorations. Heart-warming memories. Fun. And priceless.

supplies for paper plate tissue paper wreath

What You Will Need:

paper plate
tissue paper sheets
white glue
jar lid to hold glue
string or ribbon for hanger
tray or cookie sheet
Tools: ruler, scissors, paper punch
Optional: pompoms, stars or other small Christmas ornaments

Preparation and Project Instructions:

Prepare the Plates and Tissue Paper: For each wreath, cut the center out of a paper plate. Measure and cut two or more sheets of tissue paper into strips at least two inch wide then cut the strips into two inch squares. Tips: You’ll need lots of squares! I wish that I’d cut three inch squares as they would be easier for kids to handle and the larger size would make the wreath a little fuller.
Prepare the Hanger: Use a paper punch to make one hole near the edge of the wreath. This positions the ribbon or string hanger at the top of the wreath. If you don’t have a paper punch, just staple or glue the hanger in place after the wreath is completed.
Organize Supplies: Arrange everything the kids will need on a large tray or cookie cutter sheet. The essentials are a jar lid to hold glue for dipping, the tissue paper squares and the paper plate wreath base.
Demonstrate How-to: Add a dollop of white glue to the jar lid. Take a tissue square and loosely scrunch it up between your hands. Dip this loose wad of tissue into the glue then press it onto the wreath. Ask the kids to do the same. We tried other methods (see variations below) but this was the one we liked most.
Add the Hanger: Once the wreath is covered (or mostly covered) in tissue paper, add the hanger. Just thread a string or ribbon through the punched hole. We punched a hole in a yellow foam star and added that to the string before tying the string in a loop.
Finish with a Bow: Finally, glue a bow at the bottom of your paper plate tissue paper wreath. This can be made from the children’s handprints cut from red construction paper. Or you can very quickly make a mini bow from narrow ribbon woven through the tines of a dinner fork. Add cluster of red pompoms if you like, but or a simple red bow of any sort makes a pretty addition at the bottom of your paper plate tissue paper wreath.