Looking for a fun and festive Christmas craft that’s low-prep, kid-approved, and guaranteed to spark some giggles? This adorable Grinch Paper Plate Craft is the perfect holiday afternoon activity. Kids will love painting, cutting, gluing, and – best of all – making the Grinch move inside his little hiding spot!

Using simple supplies you probably already have at home, this project comes together quickly and turns into the cutest interactive holiday decoration or classroom craft.

Let’s jump right in!

Supplies You’ll Need

• Paper plates (2 total – 1 whole, 1 cut in half)
• Green acrylic paint + paintbrush
• Red, green, and white construction paper or craft foam
• Black marker
• Scissors
• White school glue
• Craft stick (to make the Grinch move)

How to Make a Moving Grinch Paper Plate Craft

1. Paint Your Paper Plate Green

Start with a plain white paper plate.
Give the entire front a coat of green paint. Don’t worry if your strokes aren’t perfect – the varied texture actually gives it a fun, Grinchy look!

2. Cut a Second Plate in Half

Take another paper plate and cut it directly across the middle to create a half-moon shape.

3. Paint the Half Plate Green

Paint this half-moon plate piece green as well. This will become the “pocket” the Grinch hides behind.

4. Prepare Your Construction Paper Pieces

Cut out the basic shapes you’ll need:

• A red background “chair” for behind the Grinch
• A simple Grinch body shape (green)
• A Santa hat (red)

These don’t need to be perfect – quirky adds charm!

5. Create the Garland for the Top of the Plate

Using dark green construction paper folded in half, cut a long, leafy branch shape.
This will form the Grinch’s overhead garland.

7. Make Ornaments and Ribbon Curls

Cut small red and green circles from construction paper or craft foam.
These will act as little ornaments on your garland.

To make the curly red ribbon pieces, simply cut very thin strips of red paper and wrap them around a pencil or paintbrush handle to give them some curl. Then glue them into place on the garland.

8. Build Your Festive Garland

Glue the circles and curls that you made in the previous step to the green garland piece.

9. Glue the Garland to the Plate

Once your garland is decorated, glue it to the top rim of the paper plate.
Press gently to secure it and let it dry for a minute or two.

This sets the stage for the Grinch to lurk underneath!

11. Add the Red Chair Panel

Next, glue the red background chair piece (the large red shape from your earlier cut-outs) to the center of the plate, just below the garland.
This creates the Grinch’s “sitting area” and helps him stand out against the green plate.

12. Test-Fit the Pocket Piece

Before gluing, place the painted half-plate along the bottom half of your craft to make sure it lines up well.

This half-circle will become the “pocket” that hides the Grinch as he moves up and down.

13. Draw the Grinch’s Face and Hands

Take the green Grinch body shape you cut earlier.
Using a black marker, start adding the Grinch’s signature features:

• His mischievous eyes
• That classic smirk
• A little round nose
• Folded hands scheming his next move

Even if your lines aren’t perfect, the charm of this craft is in the homemade look!

14. Assemble Your Grinch Puppet

Now that his face and hands are drawn, it’s time to bring him to life.

• Attach the Santa hat you cut earlier to the top of his head.
• Flip the Grinch over and glue a craft stick to the back of his lower body.

This turns him into a little puppet that can slide up and down.

15. Glue the Grinch’s Background + Pocket Piece

Before placing the Grinch inside, glue the red background panel fully into place if you haven’t already.
Next, apply glue ONLY along the curved outer edge of the half paper plate (the pocket piece).
Press it onto the bottom portion of your painted plate, forming a pocket that is open along the top.

This is important – the top must stay open so the Grinch can slide in and out!

16. Slide the Grinch Into His Pocket

Now comes the fun part – slip the craft stick puppet down into the pocket.
You should be able to move the stick up and down, letting the Grinch peek over the edge or hide completely under it.

17. Final Touches

At this point your craft should look just like the final project photo:

• Garland at the top
• Red backdrop in the center
• Painted pocket plate at the bottom
• Grinch puppet sliding smoothly behind it

Give everything some time to dry completely before playing with it.

That’s it – your Moving Grinch Paper Plate Craft is ready!

This craft makes a super fun classroom project, rainy-day activity, or Christmas movie night craft. Kids will get such a kick out of making the Grinch pop up and down from his hiding spot.

Make sure you check out our huge collection of other Christmas DIY Crafts while you’re here!

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