Sweet Nuts About Jesus Acorn Paper Plate Craft for Sunday School

Some of the best Sunday school crafts start with a paper plate. They’re cheap, they’re sturdy, and there’s almost always a stack of them in the church cupboard.

This one turns a plain plate into a happy little acorn, the kind that carries a sweet reminder for the children, that they are loved by Jesus.

Whether you’re a Sunday school teacher planning a fall lesson, a parent at the kitchen table, a grandparent, or a homeschool mama, this one is simple to set up and gives the little ones something they’ll be proud to carry home.

a little about this craft

This is a paper plate acorn. The children paint a paper plate brown for the body, add a friendly face, and top it with a cap that reads nuts about Jesus. Bright fall leaves fan out behind, and a little tag off to the side says loved by Jesus.

That’s the whole heart of it. The children are nuts about Jesus, and even better, Jesus loves them. That love came first, before they ever knew to love him back, and it’s big enough to cover the whole world.

It’s the truth the whole Bible leans on.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” — John 3:16

There’s plenty here for one child to make and keep, or for a whole class to make together. If your little ones enjoy this, our other sweet jesus crafts carry the same kind of gentle truth.

what you’ll need

Here is everything you’ll want to gather before you start.

• the free nuts about Jesus acorn paper plate printable
• a paper plate
• brown paint, or a brown crayon or marker
• crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• child-safe scissors
• a glue stick
• a bit of twine or string for the tag, if you’d like

The printable comes in two versions. First, there’s a full-color set, ready to cut out as soon as it prints. Then there’s a black-and-white set the little ones color themselves, which stretches the craft a bit longer. Either way, the paper plate does the work of the acorn body, so there isn’t much to gather. If you’d like a few more easy paper plate crafts for kids to go with it, we have a whole stack of them.

how to make the nuts about Jesus acorn

Here’s how it comes together. It’s an easy one, and painting the plate is half the fun.

1. paint your paper plate

First, paint or color a paper plate brown and set it aside to dry.

This is the body of your acorn, so a nice even brown is worth the few minutes it takes. A crayon works just as well as paint if that’s easier for little hands.

2. color and cut out the pieces

Then, if you printed the black-and-white set, let the little ones color the cap, the leaves, and the tag. Once that’s done, cut out the cap with its stem, the eyes and cheeks and smile, the leaves, and the round tag.

Younger children can manage the big shapes while you take the small bits.

3. glue on the cap

Next, glue the nuts about Jesus cap across the top of the plate, so the brown acorn body shows below it. That’s your acorn taking shape.

4. give it a happy face

Once the cap is set, add the two eyes, the pink cheeks, and the smile to the front of the plate.

This is the part the little ones love, since a happy face brings the whole thing to life. It pairs nicely with any of our simple bible verse crafts if you’d like to keep the lesson going.

5. fan the leaves out behind

From there, glue the maple leaves so they fan out behind the plate, peeking out on both sides and up top. Space them for a full, leafy look, and don’t fuss over making it even.

A little crooked is part of the charm, and it goes well with a few other fun leaf crafts for kids.

6. add the loved by Jesus tag

Finally, tie or glue the loved by Jesus tag to the side of the acorn. It’s a small piece, but it says the most.

simple ways to use this craft

This little acorn fits into more than one corner of your fall. Here are a few of the easiest ways to use it.

• in Sunday school or a co-op group, as the craft that goes with a lesson on God’s love
• at the kitchen table, as a cozy fall afternoon project
• at home or in a homeschool lesson, as a gentle way to talk about being loved by Jesus
• as a keepsake to hang up or give to a grandparent, tag and all

It sits nicely next to a cross crafts for kids project when you’re filling a whole morning.

a gentle thought before you go

A paper plate acorn won’t teach a child they’re loved all on its own. But it gives them something cheerful to hold while you tell them the truth of it, that God loved the world so much he gave his Son, and that includes each little one at your table.

That’s a truth worth planting early. And a smiling acorn they painted themselves is a sweet way to help it stay.

If you make one with your little ones this fall, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below and tell me. Hearing about your crafting always brightens my day.

With love,
Betty

frequently asked questions

what age is this craft best for?

It works well for ages three and up. The littlest ones can paint the plate, add the pieces, and glue while you do the cutting, and older children can handle the whole thing on their own.

do I need paint, or can I use a crayon?

Either works. Paint gives the acorn a nice even brown, but a brown crayon or marker is less mess and just as sweet. Whatever you have on hand is fine.

what’s the main lesson behind this craft?

That we are nuts about Jesus, and that Jesus loves us first and most. The cap says nuts about Jesus and the tag says loved by Jesus, which makes it easy to talk about God’s love while little hands are busy.

do I need twine for the tag?

Not at all. A little bow of twine is a sweet touch, but you can glue the tag right onto the side of the plate and it looks just as lovely.

can I use this with a whole class or co-op group?

Yes, and it’s a nice one for a group. Print a set for each child, paint the plates ahead of time if you’re short on minutes, and let them share their finished acorns at the end.