“Paper Plate Fun,” Friend, Aug. 1975, 17
Paper Plate Fun
What can you do with a paper plate? You can make a rocking horse, fish, or turtle. See if you can design a butterfly, bee, bird, or fasten six small folded plates end to end to make a crawly caterpillar. You will need: paper plates in 6″ or 9″ sizes, glue, stapler, colored paper, crayons, paint or colored felt tip pens, and yarn or ribbons.
Rocking Horse
Fold paper plate in half with eating surface inside. Cut head and tail as shown in illustration.
Fold another paper plate in half (eating surface inside) to form body. On fold of body plate, cut slit 2″ long at one edge. Slip horse’s head into slit and glue or staple in place.
Cut 1″ slit on fold at other end of body. Slip tail into slit and glue or staple in place.
Decorate rocking horse as you would like. Add bridle and reins made from yarn or ribbon.
To make rocking horse rock to and fro, fasten two paper clips inside on tail with tape for a 6″ paper plate, or fasten a penny inside on tail with tape for a 9″ paper plate.
Timid Turtle
Fold paper plate in half with eating surface inside. Cut head, tail, and legs from folded plate according to illustration.
Fold another paper plate in half (eating surface inside) to form turtle shell.
Fold each leg strip in half. On fold of shell plate cut two 1″ slits near each end. Slip folded ends of leg strips through slits. Pull strips up through slit about 1″ and glue to inside of folded shell. Spread leg strips apart on outside of shell.
Staple or glue tail to end of turtle’s neck and place inside shell. Staple or glue shell together at top. Pull turtle’s tail to make its head go inside shell!
Decorate turtle shell with cutouts, crayons, or felt tip pens.
Flying Fish
Fold paper plate in half with eating surface inside. Cut folded plate into three equal parts for side fins, tail, and backfin (see illustration).
For fish body, fold another paper plate in half (eating surface inside), creasing fold well.
Slip tail between edges of body plate at top and staple or glue in place.
Fold two side fins on dotted line as illustrated to form tabs. Glue tabs to middle of fish body, one on each side.
Decorate fish with colored felt pens, crayons, poster paint, or glue on pretty shapes cut from colored paper or aluminum foil. Tie a string to top fin and jiggle to see the fish “fly.”
Illustrated by Tom Pratt