Can we talk about Santa’s mustache for a second? It practically takes over his whole face, and I think that’s what makes this paper plate Santa craft for kids so funny! Early elementary kids can make their own cheerful Santa in about 15–30 minutes, just in time for a little Christmas crafting at home or in the classroom.

Of course, Santa is too much fun to limit to a single project. Our Santa activities have even more ways for kids to enjoy that familiar red hat and white beard while they’re counting down to Christmas.

A collage featuring two Santa Claus paper plate crafts above the text “No Paint Santa Paper Plate Craft,” with two additional photos of the finished project below.

I like how the paper plate already gives Santa his nice round face. Add a big red hat, those white eyebrows, and the oversized mustache, and he starts looking like the jolly guy kids know. The little pink nose right in the middle is such a funny finishing touch. And with that wide-open mouth, he looks as if he’s about to give a great big “Ho, ho, ho!”

The printable template helps with the shapes, so nobody has to figure out how to draw an enormous mustache from scratch. You’ll use a paper plate and a few basic craft supplies, and the photos below walk through putting everything in place. Once his hat is attached, Santa is ready to join the Christmas decorations!

Supplies

Paper plate
Colored card stock
Scissors
Glue stick
Tape
Santa template (click the “click here to get your freebies” image at the end of the post)

Click here to see why I recommend these craft supplies

Directions

Start by downloading the template and printing it out. Once you have the template printed, gather the materials needed for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring this Santa Claus to life!

First, guide your child to glue the bottom of Santa’s hat to the red base.

Hands hold a red paper Santa hat with a wide, curved white brim, preparing it for assembly.

Next, help your child glue the hat puff to the tip of the hat.

Hands attach a round white pom-pom cutout to the tip of a red paper Santa hat with a wide white brim.

Click here to see why I recommend these craft supplies

Place the cream face piece at the top of the center circle of the paper plate and glue it in place.

Hands position a beige paper face with two curved black eyes onto the upper half of a white paper plate.

Put the tongue piece on the bottom of the black mouth and glue it down. Cut off any excess paper that hangs off the sides. Position the mouth towards the bottom of the inner circle of the paper plate and glue it down.

Hands press paper facial features onto a white paper plate, including a beige face with curved black eyes and a red-and-black smiling mouth.

Glue the eyebrows towards the top of the cream face piece.

Place the paper mustache on the paper plate so it covers the bottom of the face and glue it in place.

Hands align a white paper mustache on a Santa Claus paper plate craft, with a red Santa hat cutout resting above the plate.

Take the pink hose and glue it in the middle of the mustache, where it dips in the center.

Use the scissors to cut a few slits on the top of the paper plate. This is to help flatten the plate and make it easier to secure the hat.

Hands use pink-handled scissors to cut along the rim of a Santa Claus paper plate craft, with a red paper Santa hat resting nearby.

Finally, encourage your child to place the hat shape on the top, then flip the plate over (holding the hat in place) and secure it with tape on the back of the paper plate.

Hands attach a white paper plate to the back of a red Santa hat cutout, securing the pieces together.

A hand holds a completed Santa Claus paper plate craft featuring a red hat, white eyebrows, a large mustache, a pink nose, and a smiling mouth.

Fun Christmas Books To Read Aloud

Dasher: This wonderfully illustrated Christmas book for kids gives you the back story on one of Santa’s favorite reindeer, Dasher! Girls will especially love to read this since Dasher is a girl.

Construction Site On Christmas Night: Fans of the fun characters of the construction site books have to add this Christmas-themed story to their collection. See how the trucks get ready for Christmas!

How To Catch Santa Claus: The kids have filled the house with clever traps, but catching Santa is harder than it looks! Littles will love watching Santa, his reindeer, and an elf dodge one silly trap after another on their Christmas Eve adventure.

Two Santa Claus paper plate crafts with red hats, white mustaches, and smiling faces overlap on a white marble surface beside red, green, and white striped fabric.

Kids Christmas Crafts

Elf Yourself Craft: Putting your own face on a Christmas elf is pretty hard to beat. Kids use a photo of themselves for this paper Buddy the Elf project, so the finished character looks like it belongs right alongside Santa’s helpers. Imagine a whole classroom of these with everyone’s faces looking back at you!

Grinch Name Craft: The Grinch might not be in the holiday spirit, but he can still help kids spell their names! They make his familiar green face and arrange lettered hearts to spell out their own names. I especially like that the hearts tie the name practice right into his Christmas story.

4 image collage of Christmas crafts for kids

Moving Santa Craft: A Santa that rocks back and forth? Yes, please. This paper version has a folded body that lets him rock, which makes him more than just another Christmas decoration. I can already picture kids giving him a little nudge to watch him move.

Torn Paper Reindeer Craft: Here’s a Christmas craft where ripping paper is actually part of the plan. Kids tear pieces of paper to make their reindeer, and the uneven edges give the finished animal a fun handmade look. It’s nice not having to worry about cutting every shape perfectly for once!

Fun Christmas Activities

Would the Grinch complain about having to do worksheets? Probably. But these Grinch worksheets give kids a much better attitude toward paper-and-pencil time. There’s a letter maze among the activities, and following a path with that grumpy green face around is more entertaining than a plain practice sheet.

The idea of actually catching Santa is pretty funny, especially after reading How to Catch Santa. These How to Catch Santa worksheets let kids spend a little longer with the story through puzzles and other book-themed activities. I’d save these for right after storytime, when everyone still has their own theories about catching him.

Collage image of the Fun Christmas Activities

I think dot to dots are even better when kids don’t know exactly what the picture will look like until they finish. These gingerbread man dot to dot pages have them connect the numbers to reveal a gingerbread man. Then they get to color the picture they just uncovered, which feels like getting two activities out of one page.

A Christmas coloring page can be exactly what’s needed after a busy day of holiday activities. These Christmas coloring pages feature familiar holiday pictures, with a word labeling each one. Kids can pick their colors and take their time, and there’s no complicated setup before they begin.

A completed Santa Claus paper plate craft with a red hat, white mustache, pink nose, and smiling mouth rests on a white marble surface.

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

A completed Santa Claus paper plate craft featuring a red hat, white eyebrows, curved black eyes, a pink nose, a large white mustache, and an open smiling mouth.

4.74 from 15 votes