Paper Plate Spiral

I posted this a couple of years ago and thought I would share it again.  My favorite summer craft when I was doing crafts at the farmer’s market was the paper plate spiral.  It was always a big success.  And it is very easy to do and fun to watch the spiral in the wind. All you need is a paper plate, crayons, scissor, a hole punch and yarn or string.

 

For the plate, the flimsy non-wax coated plates are the best.  It is best for coloring.  The wax or plastic coating on them does not allow for a rich deep color to show up.  And if the plate it thick it is hard to cut out the spiral.  I found my plates at a discount store.  If you can’t find them, a circle cut out of card stock will also work.  Use a 6-7” circle.

The first thing I do is draw a spiral on the plate. Don’t cut into the spiral yet.  It is easier for the child to color if the plate is still intact. I do the spiral first in case the young artist wants to do a design along the spiral. 

When the artwork is done, explain to the child that you are going to cut into the plate to make the spiral.  (You might even want to do one yourself to show the child how it will look.)  Cut carefully.  Once you have finished cutting, poke a hole at one end.  I usually do it at the middle of the plate because I have a bigger area for the hole.

String a piece of yarn or string through the hole and tie it in place.  Then you and the young artist can decide where to hang it and watch it twirl in the wind. 

My favorite memory of it was watching one little girl walk away holding the string of her spiral and bouncing the spiral along the ground as she walked as if she was walking a dog.  I love kid’s imaginations.



Try this one lazy summer afternoon or a rainy summer afternoon.  I bet you will have spirals all over your yard in no time.

©2017, 2020 – Cheryl Fillion