Paper Plate Mandala Craft Using Colored Q-Tips – Creative Kids

Have you tried designing your own mandala before? I can see how they become addicting for so many people – there are endless designs you can make! I made a paper plate mandala that incorporated q-tips since the kids craft stars challenge this month is q-tips. See more q-tip craft projects from the rest of the team at the end of this post.

This art project is great for elementary aged kids and older. Even adults can join in on the fun. In this post I am sharing a great place to find an easy tutorial for designing mandalas.

*This post contains Amazon affiliate/referral links to the products mentioned. Please read our full disclosure policy here.

Mandala Q-tip Craft

Supplies:

• paper plates
• q-tips
• food coloring + a shallow bowl/containers
• markers/colored pencils
• compass – optional
• pencil
• scissors
• glue
• glitter glue – optional
• other embellishments such as flower stickers, gems, etc. – optional

Start by adding a few drops of food coloring into a shallow dish. Add a small drop of water. Dip the ends of the q-tips into it and then set on a newspaper/paper towel to dry. Make as many as you’d like. Repeat this same process with other colors.

You can either let them dry for a long time or put them in the microwave. I placed ours in the microwave for about 3 minutes and 30 seconds on a paper plate.

How to Design a Paper Plate Mandala

I found this awesome tutorial with detailed, but simple craft instructions along with photos of what each step looks like. I followed the initial steps to create a layout on the paper plates.

Once the template was drawn, I started layout out my design. This was before coloring so I could get a feel for how I wanted it to look. You can cut the q-tips to any length, snip off just the cotton swab part, bend them, curve them and so on.

Once I was happy with how they looked, I snapped a quick photo with my phone. Then set the qtips aside and colored inside each pie piece making fun designs. Just remember to make everything symmetrical.

After your paper plate mandala is colored, glue the q-tips on referencing the photos you took if need be.

Q-tip Craft Challenge

We would love to see how you craft with them! Tag your photos with #kidscraftstars on Instagram or come share on our Facebook wall. Follow the Kids Craft Stars Pinterest Board for more fun craft ideas!

• Q-Tip Flowers Craft | I Heart Crafty Things
• Spring Tree Flower Bud Craft | A Little Pinch of Perfect
• Q-Tip Painted Handprint Cherry Blossom Tree | Glued To My Crafts
• Rabbit in a Meadow  Artwork | Artsy Craftsy Mom
• Make A Q-Tip Weaving Loom for Kids | hello, Wonderful
• Q-Tip Calla Lilies | Easy Peasy and Fun

Amanda

Artsy Momma

Amanda is an ‘artsy momma’ to 2 kids who love making crafts just as much as she does. Follow their creative journey over on the blog titled Artsy Momma. Besides crafts, they share fun food ideas, hands-on learning activities, mommy DIY, + lots more! If you love handprint art, head over to their Fun Handprint Art blog where you will find hundreds of their projects all made with little hands and feet.