The moment for children to climb onto the school bus again is drawing near, and our adorable Paper Plate School Bus Craft is a wonderful way to get little ones eager for the occasion. It’s incredible how simple this back-to-school bus project can be!
To make sizing the bus components easier, we’ve provided a Free Printable School Bus Template. Besides the windshield, it also guides you in creating the correctly sized circles for the wheels and lights. Alternatively, you can follow our example and use paper punches in the suitable sizes.
School Bus Paper Plate Craft
Before beginning this school bus project, print out our school bus template.
Gather paper plates, gold acrylic paint, a black sharpie, cardstock in red, black, white, and silver, along with scissors and a glue stick. Rather than cutting the circles from the template, you may use circle paper punches measuring 2”, 1”, and ¾”.
School Bus Craft Supplies Needed
- School Bus Template
- Paper plates
- Cardstock – white, red, black, silver
- Gold acrylic paint
- Black sharpie
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Paper punches (optional) – 2”, 1”, ¾”
Paper Plate School Bus Craft Step by Step Directions
Start by covering a paper plate with golden-yellow paint.
Our yellow paint wasn’t dark enough, so we blended in a tiny bit of orange with the bright yellow. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
As the paint dries, print the template and trim out each piece. Keep the white rectangle unchanged. The circles can be traced and cut from the template, or you can make them with paper punches. Cut the biggest circles from black cardstock, the medium circles from silver cardstock, and the smallest circles from red cardstock.
With a black sharpie, outline the borders of the white rectangle.
After the paint has dried fully, remove the bottom portion of the paper plate to create a straight edge. Trim away the sides too.
Position and glue the white rectangle windshield in the middle of the plate.
Place the tiny red circles above the windshield.
Next, attach the silver circles beneath the windshield. Add the black wheels along the bottom as well.
To finish, draw lines beneath the windshield with the black marker to represent the grill. Write SCHOOL between the red circles, too.
Is your little one looking forward to the first day of school?
Save this Craft!
Enjoy this project? Make sure to save the image below on Pinterest! We’d also love to hear if you made it—share a photo with us on Instagram!
More School Bus Crafts for Kids
Want additional creative school bus projects for back-to-school season? Explore our Shapes School Bus Craft, Cardboard Roll School Bus Craft, and Paper Loop School Bus Craft, along with many other back-to-school activities at Our Kid Things!
Materials
- School Bus Template
- Paper plates
- Cardstock – white, red, black, silver
- Gold acrylic paint
- Black sharpie
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Paper punches (optional) – 2”, 1”, ¾”
Instructions
- First, paint a paper plate golden yellow. Since our yellow was not deep enough, we combined a very small quantity of orange with the bright yellow paint. Leave it aside until completely dry.
- While waiting for the paint to dry, print the template and cut out all the pieces. Keep the white rectangle intact. Trace and cut the circles from the template, or create them with paper punches. Use black cardstock for the largest circles, silver for the medium circles, and red for the smallest circles.
- Outline the edges of the white rectangle using a black sharpie.
- Once the paint has dried completely, cut off the lower section of the paper plate to form a flat edge. Trim the sides afterward.
- Secure the white rectangle windshield at the center of the plate with glue.
- Attach the small red circles above the windshield.
- Then, adhere the silver circles beneath the windshield.
- Place and glue the black wheels along the bottom.
- Lastly, draw grill lines below the windshield with the black marker. Add the word SCHOOL between the red circles as well.