Calling all donut lovers (and little Picassos)! Gather your sprinkles and unleash your creativity with these 22 donut crafts guaranteed to bring a smile to any kid’s face.
From simple paper plate delights to 3D masterpieces, there’s a perfect donut craft for every age and skill level.
Easy-Peasy Donut Crafts for Little Hands (Ages 2-4):
Paper Plate Party:
This classic is perfect for toddlers. Cut the center out of a paper plate to form the donut base. Let your little ones loose with paint, crayons, or markers to create their dream frosting and sprinkles. Bonus points for adding googly eyes and a yarn “bite” taken out!
Sensory Donut Play:
For a delightful tactile experience, create a donut playdough station. Use brown playdough for the base and add a variety of colors for different frostings. Get creative with sprinkles – use buttons, pom poms, cereal, or even pipe cleaners cut into small pieces.
Sock Donut Friends:
Upcycle old socks into adorable donut pals! Cut the toe off a sock and stuff it with cotton balls or fabric scraps. Decorate with felt circles for frosting and buttons or sequins for sprinkles. Add googly eyes and a yarn smile for a personalized touch.
Donut Stamping:
This is a fun way to explore patterns and colors. Cut out donut shapes from felt or sponges. Let your little ones dip the “donut stamps” in paint and create a donut-filled masterpiece on paper or fabric.
Donut Lacing Fun:
Thread yarn through a large, cutout donut shape made of cardboard. Get colorful with yarn or pipe cleaners, and let your child practice their lacing skills by weaving the yarn through pre-punched holes around the donut.
Donut Crafts for Growing Creatives (Ages 5-8):
Construction Paper Paradise:
Cut out donut shapes from construction paper in various colors. Let your child decorate with markers, stickers, glitter glue, or even torn pieces of colorful paper for a mosaic effect.
Fingerprint Sprinkles:
This craft adds a personal touch! Use brown paint for the donut base and then let your child use different colored paints to make their fingerprints as unique sprinkles.
Donut Garland Glory:
Get ready for a donut-themed party! Cut donut shapes from different colored cardstock or felt. Decorate each donut with buttons, ribbons, or yarn. String them together using twine or yarn to create a delightful donut garland for your next celebration.
Donut Matching Mayhem:
This donut twist on a memory game is perfect for practicing matching and recognition skills. Cut out donut pairs from construction paper or felt. Decorate each pair with identical frosting and sprinkles. Lay them all face down, and challenge your child to find the matching donuts!
Donut Letter Learning:
Learning the alphabet just got tastier! Cut out donut shapes from construction paper. Write uppercase and lowercase letters on each donut. Let your child decorate them with frosting and sprinkles, then match the uppercase and lowercase letters together.
Donut Crafts for the Crafty Connoisseur (Ages 8+):
Donut Mobiles:
Take your donut creations to new heights! Cut out donut shapes from cardboard or craft foam. Decorate with paint, paper scraps, or fabric. Punch a hole at the top and attach string or yarn to create a hanging donut mobile.
Donut Pencil Toppers:
Turn ordinary pencils into extraordinary donut treats! Cut out miniature donut shapes from felt or shrink plastic. Decorate them with tiny sprinkles (sequins or seed beads work well). Glue them onto the eraser end of pencils for a fun and functional craft.
Donut Wall Art:
Why not create a permanent donut display? Paint a large canvas brown for the background. Let your child create 3D donuts using air dry clay or papier-mâché. Decorate them and arrange them on the canvas for a sweet and unique piece of wall art.
Donut Pinatas:
Who says pinatas have to be animals? Create a giant donut piñata using cardboard or papier-mâché techniques. Decorate it with colorful paper and streamers, and fill it with candy and small toys for a donut-themed party finale.
Taking it a Step Further: Donut-Themed Activities
Donut Story Time:
Pair your donut crafts with some delicious donut-themed stories! Books like “Dozens of Doughnuts” by Carrie Finison and Brianne Farley or “If You Give a Dog a Donut” by Laura Numeroff are sure to inspire giggles and creativity.
Donut Math Mayhem:
Make learning fun with donut math Cut out different colored donuts with varying numbers of sprinkles. Ask your child to sort the donuts by the number of sprinkles, or add them together for simple addition practice.
Donut Play Dough Cafe:
Set up a donut-themed playdough cafe! Use brown playdough for donuts and offer various colored playdough for frosting. Provide cookie cutters in donut shapes and other fun tools like rolling pins, plastic knives, and decorating tools.
DIY Donut Necklace:
Create a wearable donut masterpiece! Cut out a donut shape from shrink plastic and decorate it with colored pencils. Following the shrink plastic package instructions, bake it in the oven to shrink it down. Attach a jump ring and a chain to create a sweet and unique necklace.
Donut Weaving:
Explore weaving techniques with a donut twist! Cut a large donut shape from cardboard. Punch small holes around the edge of the donut. Cut yarn or fabric strips into various lengths. Show your child how to weave the yarn or fabric strips through the holes, creating a colorful donut web.
Thinking Outside the Box: Donut Crafts for All Ages
Donut Sock Puppet Show:
Upcycle old socks and turn them into silly donut characters! Cut out the toe section of a sock and stuff it with cotton balls or fabric scraps. Decorate the sock with felt for frosting and sprinkles. Add googly eyes, a yarn mouth, and glue it onto a popsicle stick for a fun and interactive puppet.
Donut Beanbag Toss:
This game is perfect for indoor or outdoor play! Sew donut shapes from felt and fill them with dried beans or rice. Let your child decorate the outside with markers, fabric paint, or buttons. Create a target on a cardboard box or use a laundry basket. Take turns tossing the donut beanbags and see who can get the most points!
Giant Cardboard Donut Playhouse:
Feeling ambitious? Create a life-sized donut playhouse! Use large cardboard boxes to construct the donut shape. Decorate it with paint, fabric, or paper. Cut out a doorway and let your child’s imagination run wild inside their very own donut playhouse.
Bonus: Donut Decorating Party!
For a truly unforgettable experience, throw a donut decorating party! Bake a batch of plain donuts or purchase them from a bakery. Set up a decorating station with various icings, sprinkles, candies, chopped nuts, and even edible glitter. Let your little artists unleash their creativity and transform the donuts into delectable masterpieces.
With these 22 donut crafts and activity ideas, you’re sure to keep your little ones entertained for hours. So grab your craft supplies, preheat the oven for some real donuts (optional!), and get ready for a hole lot of fun!
