Make a Turtle!
Make a turtle craft using a paper plate, clay or recycled bottle, paint, and glue while learning cutting, shaping, and simple assembly skills.
Step-by-step guide to make a turtle craft
Step 1
Set up a clean workspace and lay out all your materials so you can reach them easily.
Step 2
Decide whether you will make the turtle body from air-dry clay or from a recycled plastic bottle.
Step 3
If you chose clay shape one round head and four short legs from the clay into simple smooth pieces.
Step 4
If you chose a bottle cut a 3 to 4 inch section from the middle of the bottle to be the turtle body.
Step 5
If you used a bottle smooth the cut edges by wrapping clear tape around them or gently sanding the rim.
Step 6
Trim the paper plate into a rounded shell shape by cutting off the rim or cutting a scalloped edge.
Step 7
Paint the paper plate shell with a base color and let the paint cover the whole surface.
Step 8
Add patterns to the shell like spots or hexagons using paint or your fine-tip marker for details.
Step 9
Let the paint on the shell dry completely before you continue.
Step 10
Glue the clay pieces or the prepared bottle section to the underside and front of the painted shell to form the head and legs.
Step 11
Draw or paint eyes and a smile on the head and add any final decorations to your turtle.
Step 12
Let all the glue and paint dry completely so your turtle is sturdy.
Step 13
Share your finished turtle on DIY.org so everyone can see your awesome creation.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
I don't have air-dry clay or a plastic bottle—what can I use instead?
Use playdough or oven-bake polymer clay in place of air-dry clay, or substitute a clean tuna can or a rolled-up toilet-paper tube for the recycled bottle section, and use masking tape if you don't have clear tape to smooth edges.
My paint smudged and the legs/head won't stick to the shell—how do I fix that?
Make sure the paper plate shell paint is completely dry as the instructions say, speed drying with a hair dryer if needed, and roughen the glue contact areas on the bottle or plate with light sandpaper before using a strong craft glue (or hot glue with adult supervision) to secure the clay pieces or bottle section.
How can I adapt this Make a Turtle activity for different ages?
For younger children (3–5) have an adult pre-cut the shell and pre-shape the clay or use large stickers instead of painting patterns, while older kids (8–12+) can sculpt detailed heads and legs, paint hexagon shell patterns with fine-tip markers, or add varnish for a polished finish.
What are easy ways to enhance or personalize our turtles after finishing the basic steps?
Personalize the painted paper plate shell with googly eyes, sequins, glitter glue, or mosaic paper, build a shoebox habitat for the finished turtle, or make a turtle family by repeating the steps with different-sized bottle sections or clay shapes and varied shell patterns.
Watch videos on how to make a turtle craft
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Facts about crafts for kids
♻️ Upcycling a plastic bottle into a craft keeps it out of the trash and gives it a brand-new purpose.
✂️ Cutting, shaping, and gluing crafts help kids build fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
🧱 Humans have used clay for making pottery and sculptures for over 10,000 years — that’s a lot of creative history!
🎨 Paper plates are paint-friendly and sturdy, which is why they're a favorite base for quick, colorful crafts.
🐢 Some sea turtles migrate thousands of miles between feeding and nesting grounds — long creative journeys!
How do I make a turtle craft using a paper plate and recycled bottle?
What materials do I need to make a paper plate and bottle turtle?
What ages is the Make a Turtle craft suitable for?
What are the benefits, safety tips, and variations for the turtle craft?
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