There’s almost always a paper plate somewhere in the house. In the cupboard, left over from a birthday, or tucked in the picnic basket. And they turn into some of the sweetest crafts when you need one in a hurry.
This one turns a plain plate into a thankful pumpkin, a little pumpkin the children fill with all the things they’re grateful to God for.
Whether you’re a parent at the kitchen table, a Sunday school teacher with a room full of littles, a grandparent, or a homeschool mama planning a Thanksgiving lesson, this one is simple to put together and gentle to talk through.
a little about this craft
This is a paper plate pumpkin. The children turn a paper plate into the body of a pumpkin, then add little pieces that fan up out of the top, each one holding something they’re thankful for.
Across the front sits a small sign that reads thank you God for, with a cheerful sunflower underneath and a stem and leaf up top. The whole point is right there in those words. My family, my friends, my food, my pet, every good thing the little ones can name came from God, and this craft is a simple way to help them say so.
That idea is an old one.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.” — Psalm 107:1
There are enough little pieces for a good handful of thank-yous, plenty for one child to fill a pumpkin or for a whole class to add to together. If you like this kind of thing, you’ll find plenty more in our other easy pumpkin crafts for kids.
what you’ll need
Here is everything you’ll want to gather before you start.
- the free paper plate pumpkin printable
- a paper plate
- orange paint, or an orange crayon or marker
- crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- child-safe scissors
- a glue stick
- a pen or pencil for writing the thank-yous
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 out a bit longer. Either way, the paper plate does the heavy lifting as the pumpkin, 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 paper plate pumpkin
Here’s how it comes together. It’s an easy one, and the paper plate makes it feel nice and sturdy in little hands.
1. color your paper plate
First, color or paint a paper plate orange and set it aside to dry.
This is the body of your pumpkin, so a good bright orange is worth the few minutes it takes. If you happen to have an orange plate on hand, you can skip right past this step.
2. color and cut out the pieces
Then, if you printed the black-and-white set, let the little ones color the stem, the sunflower, and the sign. Once that’s done, cut out the stem and leaf, the sunflower, the thank you God for sign, and the little pumpkin pieces.
Younger children can manage the big shapes while you take the fiddly bits.
3. write or draw the thank-yous
Next, ask the little ones what they’re thankful to God for, and write one thing on each piece. Family, friends, food, a pet, a favorite toy. If they’re too little to write, let them draw a small picture instead, a heart or a teddy bear or an apple.
This is the heart of it, the moment a craft turns into a quiet way of naming God’s gifts, and it pairs beautifully with any of our simple bible verse crafts.
4. fan the pieces across the top
From there, glue the pieces in a row across the top of the plate so they stand up above the rim, like the top of a pumpkin peeking out.
Space them out so every thank-you shows.
5. add the sign
Once the pieces are set, glue the thank you God for sign across the middle of the plate, right where everyone will see it.
6. finish with the stem and sunflower
Finally, glue the stem and leaf up at the top and tuck the sunflower in at the bottom. And that’s your pumpkin, full of thanks and ready to set out.
simple ways to use this craft
This little pumpkin fits into more than one corner of your November. Here are a few of the easiest ways to use it.
- at the kitchen table, as a quiet Thanksgiving activity the whole family can add to
- in Sunday school or a co-op group, where each child fills their own pumpkin
- at home or in a homeschool lesson, as a gentle way to talk about where good gifts come from
- as a keepsake to set on the Thanksgiving table or give to a grandparent
If you’re pulling together a whole morning of it, this sits nicely with our other thanksgiving sunday school crafts and a few more thanksgiving crafts for kids to round out the table.
a gentle thought before you go
A paper plate pumpkin won’t make a child grateful all on its own. But it gives them a reason to stop and name the good things in their life, and to trace each one back to the God who gave them.
That’s a habit worth starting young. And some of those little answers, written in a wobbly hand and glued onto a paper plate, are the kind of thing you’ll be glad you kept.
If you make one with your little ones this year, I’d love to hear what they were thankful for. Leave a comment below and tell me. Those lists are always my favorite part.
With love,
Betty
Get the FREE Thanksgiving Pumpkin Craft
Don’t let your kids just say they’re thankful—help them name their blessings and thank God for each one.
With this free paper plate pumpkin craft, kids color the stem, the sunflower, and the “Thank You God for…” banner, then write or draw what they’re thankful for on the leaf tags and tuck each one into the top until the pumpkin is full.
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, draw on the pieces, and glue while you do the cutting, and older children can handle the whole thing on their own.
do I need a real paper plate, or can I print one?
A real paper plate is what gives this craft its sturdy, rounded pumpkin shape, so it’s worth using one. Any plain plate works, and coloring it orange is part of the fun.
what if my child can’t write yet?
That’s no trouble at all. Let them draw a little picture on each piece instead, a heart for family or an apple for food, or tell you what they’re thankful for while you write it down. The thanks are theirs either way.
how long does it take?
Most little ones finish in about twenty to thirty minutes, a bit longer if they’re painting the plate or coloring the black-and-white version. It’s easy to stretch out or wrap up quickly, depending on the day.
can I use this with a whole class or co-op group?
Yes, and it’s lovely in a group. Print a set for each child, and have them share what they wrote when the pumpkins are done. It makes for a sweet, thankful moment together.
